Reptile & Amphibian Forums

I have a colony of dubia and discoids in seperate containers and finally decided to clean one the cages completely. I have in the past done minor spot cleaning, but there was more black feces this time so it was time for a good cleaning. I thought it was going to be timely, but it actually took only 15-30 mins. The thing that freaked me out was when I accidentally grabbed one of the roaches and I flung my arm. Luckily the roach landed back in the cage... Having the apsen bedding layer thin helped alot and putting a bright light on one end with the shelter on the opposite made cleaning easy. I might have tossed a few babies, but that is a minor loss. I put the old bedding in a bag and placed that in the freezer as an extra precaution of not releasing any into the enviornment.

How do others clean their cages? Does it take a long time or short? If there is a more efficient way to clean roach cages let me know...but no bare bottom for me.
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~ Juli ~
www.Polliwog-Design.com

When I clean my various roach colonies I shake the roaches off the egg-crating (or other cage furniture) into a clean "holding cage"; I use the light on one end technique to get the majority of nymphs & babies out of the substrate--in conjunction with putting a small piece of egg-crating with food on it in the dark side of the caging. Basically, this is environmental stimulus & response. The babies/nymphs are collected & put into the "holding cage"; then I do a search through the substrate for any "stragglers".

I clean their caging with the dilute bleach, hot water & dish-washing detergent; rinse thoroughly, replace with bedding (1" aspen mulch), add clean egg-crating in vertical-oriented stacks, put in their food dish. I provide moisture via their food-vegs/fruits & light spraying with water. I also provide the typical roach diet for protein & egg production.

I switched to spahgnum moss in my containers which I like much better. I knock all the roches off the egg crates into the new container. Then I only have a few cups of substrate(6-8) and I scoop a cup at a time into a plastic shoe box container. Then it is very easy to pick the roaches out with a spoon. It usually takes me about 20-30 minutes, but only because I have several hundred small nymphs. I have tried sifting or putting in clean egg crates with food, but neither ever get all the babies. Good luck with future cleanings.
James

>>I switched to spahgnum moss in my containers which I like much better. I knock all the roches off the egg crates into the new container. Then I only have a few cups of substrate(6-8) and I scoop a cup at a time into a plastic shoe box container. Then it is very easy to pick the roaches out with a spoon. It usually takes me about 20-30 minutes, but only because I have several hundred small nymphs. I have tried sifting or putting in clean egg crates with food, but neither ever get all the babies. Good luck with future cleanings.
>>James

Can you just shake out the moss or is it finer powder bits by then? moss sounds easier to me too. Thanks for the tip.
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Sonya

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