mass die off of roaches - New data 3/31/11

infernalis · 03-16-11, 09:24 AM

I have had no luck researching this...

Last night I went to feed the lizards and found more than half of my roaches dead, they were consumed from the inside leaving an empty shell.

Some had the heads missing, like some parasite ate the flesh and left the exoskeleton sitting there empty.

I immediately removed all surviving roaches and set up a new colony box, then I discarded the old tote and everything in it.

does anyone know what sort of parasite would eat roaches from the inside?

would thrip larvae or fruit fly maggots do this?? I did find that thrips will consume other insects by puncturing the shell and sucking out the insides, and they are attracted to decomposing vegetable matter (fruit)

I will admit, sometimes I forget to take out the fruit (after a day) and it goes bad, bananas will turn into a black liquid in just a couple days time, I never thought of it as a threat, but something killed those roaches.

bighog85 · 03-16-11, 10:42 AM

I had the same problem a little while ago and while I was digging around in the bin to find live roaches, I found some little larvae crawling around in there. I also found some little moths that I have seen before so I think they are connected somehow. I don't know exactly what they are or where they came from but it is the only thing I can think of.

Lankyrob · 03-16-11, 06:26 PM

Blimey!! Will definitely take old fruit out of my colony hearing this. I tend to leave it in there until they stop being interested them remove but will defo take out after 24 hours now.

TeaNinja · 03-16-11, 06:30 PM

weird, i'm interested to see if you guys find the cause.

presspirate · 03-16-11, 07:09 PM

I tend to leave fruit in for a couple days, but my roaches have only shown interest in apples. I've offered bananas, oranges, bell peppers, lettuce, cucumbers etc, but they only eat the apples.I know bananas are prone to carry fruit fly larvae I wonder if that could be the culprit.

NennaMeerkat · 03-16-11, 07:14 PM

I had something similar happen to some caterpillars I got from the wild last summer was really sad. Whatever ate them made little brown cocoon things but never hatched so I don't know what they were. Wouldn't doubt it was some sort of wasp or fly. There are supposed to be plenty of species of flying insects that lay their eggs in adult insects and have their babies live inside them for a while for food before leaving and making a cocoon nearby.

infernalis · 03-16-11, 07:23 PM

Hopefully it is over, I actually had to get some crickets today, first time in years.

I have to let the colony recover, It was no fun digging around in the feces looking for babies, but we got them out.

I gave them a fresh apple last night right after the move, and they were all over it eating within moments of putting it in there.

NennaMeerkat · 03-16-11, 07:45 PM

Hopefully no one else is infected with the parasites. Its sad cause there is no way to tell. Just have to keep a watch I suppose and hope for the best.

Good luck!

Sapphyr · 03-17-11, 03:36 AM

Wow, you've just been having all sorts of issues lately, eh Wayne? D: Certainly hope nothing else happens, and hope those baby roaches aren't infected as well.

You used gloves for the fece 'diving', right? :c

infernalis · 03-17-11, 03:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sapphyr

Wow, you've just been having all sorts of issues lately, eh Wayne? D: Certainly hope nothing else happens, and hope those baby roaches aren't infected as well.

You used gloves for the fece 'diving', right? :c

I grew up out here in the boondocks, my hands have been in far grosser places than that before.

That's why we have soap and hot water.

Good news is, no dead roaches tonight, and they are happily tearing into some fresh apple slices.

There are new babies in there as well, and without that layer of brown silt at the bottom, I can finally see just how tiny the babies really are.

Sapphyr · 03-17-11, 04:07 AM

Ewww... :c I'd personally gag if I went in there bare-handed. I have to wear gloves for the dishes, gloves for doggie duty, gloves for cleaning the snake and lizard tanks... I'm horrible with dog duty without gloves. The other stuff is more of it'd just gross me out to know I'm touching it bare-handed.

Glad everything seems good, though!

Lankyrob · 03-17-11, 05:11 AM

I am with you there wayne, stick your hand in and deal with the problem then wash them after - much easier to wash skin than gloves. Dog duty just put your hand in a plastic bag and pick up then turn the bag inside out, job done.

Snake poo gets done by hand - its solid so no worries there!

Sapphyr · 03-17-11, 06:37 AM

but it's still poo :c ... and I use latex gloves. Always have a giant box of 'em. Pick up poo, throw it in the trash, peel gloves inside out, throw away, hand sanitizer just to be safe.

infernalis · 03-17-11, 08:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sapphyr

but it's still poo :c ... and I use latex gloves. Always have a giant box of 'em. Pick up poo, throw it in the trash, peel gloves inside out, throw away, hand sanitizer just to be safe.

Someday after you have children, you will understand.

Wait until the day you have to change diapers, and "junior makes more" while you are in the middle of changing

Lankyrob · 03-17-11, 11:43 AM

My worst was when daughter had diarhoea through her nappy, trousers, socks, shoes and we were out in a cafe.

Before her i would have said i could never deal with anything like that but now its just another thing to do.