Reptile & Amphibian Forums

Hey,
Are there many people who suffer from coughing, rash, breathing difficulty when using mealworms and crickets. We are breeders so we use large quantities of these. We love this business but it's taking a toll on our respiratory system. We have recently resorted to using a filtering mask which I guess is our only solution. Any other info or suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks and Have a safe and Happy 4th.
Nevr4get NYC

Are you sure its the insects and not the substrate or something?
It's not like mealies and crickets are covered in hair, but then again peanuts have no hair and lots of people are allergic to them
sorry :/
-----

Actually, I know exactly what you're talking about, but I don't think it's directly the insects. I've noticed when I'm slack in cleaning out my crix and mealie bins before throwing in the new ones, that's when I do the runny nose sneezing thing. I think it's just the poo and skin pieces that get stirred up and inhaled that cause the reaction. I've been doing a much better job with at least changing the cartons and using my little mini broom and dust pan to clean the bottom before putting new insects in. Also, the longer the insects are in the boxes (2 day vs overnight shipping) the more "dust" (sounds better than poo and insect skin) that is already getting put into bin and immediately stirred up. Kind of a bad thought, but I think more cleaning/changing of your bins will help. That causes a little problem when breeding mealies (I don't personally) since you need to keep the dirt, but... For me it's worth it not to have to grab a tissue with crickety hands Hope that helps out a little!!

Good luck,
Erin

an allergic reaction to the chitin... I had a bio teacher in college that tried mealworm brownies while on vacation. Her throat swelled up and itched due to an allergic reaction to the chitin, which lasted a day or two.
-----
-Ross Payan - www.LeosAnonymous.com

Leos Anonymous

Red Striped Tangerines, Carrot Tails and Screaming Amel Fat-Tails

I think it may be the mealworm poop, seems worse with an older container of em than a new one.

Same here, esp. when a mealworms escapes and when you to clean the cage you find it in a huge pile of its own crap.
-----
Josh
My Email