Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey everybody. I have a colony of lobsters in a giant rubbermade and I use vaseline at the top so no escapees get out and the vaseline after a couple of days falls to the bottom.It is messy and it probably not good for the little guys.What am I doing wrong.The enclosure sits on a heat pad partially on low and one side never gets hotter than 90. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated thanks Matt

I have been using a thin coating of olive oil & have used mineral oil in the past. I put a 2.5" wide perimeter at the top of my screen-top tank. This should be checked periodically to see if more needs to be added. As it dries, it gets sticky & less viscous which is easier for the roaches to climb on.

You can also try a product called BugStop which is made out of liquid teflon. Many roach breeders use this product & it is supposed to be effective.

First of all not all vaseline is alike. If you bought the cheap store brand it isn't as durable as the more expensive name brand. I had globs and globs of it in my lobster bin until I recently started using BugStop. It never seemed to hurt them but it sure was messy and the lobsters will still crawl across it and the container will have to be tossed (have you ever tried to get vaseline off of plastic???) Your second problem is probably the heat.

I have found BugStop to be an amazing product for dealing with them. I put off buying it for over a year but I finally got fed up with the vaseline I broke down and bought it. It really really works. I also found it for a great price at this place www.thecarnivorousorchid.com/sunshop/ They ship out quickly and the price is the best I have seen. Most people sell it for $10 for a 1oz bottle, these guys sell 4oz for $20.

You must use vasaline brand or it wont work, that simple. I tried bug stop and it works great EXCEPT when the humidity goes up. I am in hurricane alley and when our power goes out it gets humid fast. Even with power we have some days where you sweat as soon as you step out of the shower. The bug stop STOPS WORKING when wet!!!! if humidity is not a problem get bug stop. It will save you time, money and a lot of grief. It is great since it takes an act of God to get it off. Regretfully I need Vasiline.

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Bennett

beardiedragon.com
Home of the Florida Orange

I wasn't aware of this "glich" with Bug Stop. I have recently started using it trying to get away from Vaseline. I'll have to be on my guard when the humidity starts to rise here in "hurricane alley."