Roach deaths

[Stylopidae]

I am in the process of starting a B. discoidales colony for a friend. I'm having some slight problems doing so. She has them in the exact same setup I raise mine in.

We both use a heatlamp. We both use no substrate, but mine have been doing fine without it. She uses a waterdish...not the same as my setup, but I've read of people using a waterdish with roaches with no ill effects.

We get our eggcrates from the same source, so no pesticide contamination.

I put frass in the cage, but still they end up dying.

Some seem to be doing well...eating, getting fat, moulting and such. However, some still seem to keep dying at a rate that disturbs me. I have no deaths in my colonies.

Stock is captive bred by me, so no parasites.

We both use the same food from the same sources.

Any ideas?

Her room's about 5 degrees colder than mine, but they're under a heat lamp (which hasn't caused any ill effects in my discoid colony).

 

[funnylori]

The cooler atmosphere outside of the setup may be a contributer.

Do you give them water crystals instead of a dish? I know that the water crystals have to release salts into the water inorder to 'grow' and expand, these may help the roaches get more electrolytes. :? But, I am not an expert on roach metabolism so I am not sure how valid my ideas are.

 

[bigo]

Maybe it is nature. I started a B.budia colony about a month ago and at first my death rate was high like 3 to 4 a day from a colony of 500,this went on for couple of week or so. but now they are doing great. How big is your colony and the size of the roaches that are dead?

 

[Stylopidae]

They're freshborn nymphs, the first couple of instars. Which is why I introduced frass into the enclosure. Once they reach the half inch mark, they're OK.

She's not giving them water crystals. She was using a water dish, but we switched over to friut last night.

This isn't actually my colony, so those are the factors I'm aware of. There might be other factors that I don't know about, but those are the main ones.

 

[loxoscelesfear]

crazy roaches

discoids breeding cycles seem to fluctuate. i cant seem to get them to slow down at the moment. its my cranifers that have been on the breeding fritz for awhile and i house them j/ as i do the discoids

 

[Stylopidae]

discoids breeding cycles seem to fluctuate. i cant seem to get them to slow down at the moment. its my cranifers that have been on the breeding fritz for awhile and i house them j/ as i do the discoids

It's really hard to breed roaches when none of the little buggers are reaching adulthood

 

[Takumaku]

I can feel your pain. I have recently lost half my colony of B. rothis and A. tesselata because of temperature related issues.

But, here are a few clarifications that I seek.

1) Are you sure the "dead nymphs" you are seeing aren't just shed exoskeletons?

2)

Her room's about 5 degrees colder than mine ...

and what temperature is that? This shouldn't be an issue given the fact that your friend has a heat lamp. As long as the temperature doesn't dip below 65-ish, most roaches will live [but not reproduce].

 

[Stylopidae]

I can feel your pain. I have recently lost half my colony of B. rothis and A. tesselata because of temperature related issues.

But, here are a few clarifications that I seek.

1) Are you sure the "dead nymphs" you are seeing aren't just shed exoskeletons?

2) and what temperature is that? This shouldn't be an issue given the fact that your friend has a heat lamp. As long as the temperature doesn't dip below 65-ish, most roaches will live [but not reproduce].

I'm not 100% sure. I keep my room about 70 The enclosure should be the high seventies and I'm pretty sure mine is at the low eighties.

As for the second part, yes I'm sure they're dead roaches.