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Need help with setting up for small climbing roaches


cfreidsma

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Hi everyone :)

I caught some Parcoblatta (wood roaches) nymphs (non can climb yet) and I was planning on keeping them in a critter keeper or 2.5 gallon tank. But I just found out that they can climb very well as adults. So now I am back to square one, and as because I have little experience in roaches I need help. I used to breed hissers for a year or so but my parents got sick of them. And the last time I have kept the Parcoblatta wood roaches was fifth grade, none of them reproduced, probably because I didn't know what I was doing ;):P

So my original plan was a critter keeper, but if they can climb they could probably squeeze through the holes in the lid, assuming the adults aren't like an inch long or something. My second plan was a 2.5 gallon glass tank with a standard screen lid, but once again if they can climb and squeeze they may be able to get out from the gaps created by the corners. But I was thinking that maybe I could line the whole rim of the tank with velcrow. Then the lid would fit snug and be hard to get off. But then if the roaches were on the lid it would be very hard to get them off to do any maintenance.

So now I don't know what to do. I could keep them in a small tote that locked shut but everytime I keep something most with dry food in one of those mold attacks everything.

I was thinking of maybe buying a Exo Terra nano vivarium/terrarium thing, but those are about $30+ and that seems like a lot to spend on a tank.

I read on another site that packing tape may work. Or that I could use Vaseline but that seems a bit risky/dangerous for the roaches if they get stuck in it. And if the roaches can climb glass why wouldn't they be able to climb the tap

So what should I do?

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try going back a few pages in this section you can see alot of nice pics.

A thick layer of vasaline will trap babies so really thin it out. fluon is another product you can use but its a bit pricy if you keep large numbers of roaches.

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my mom is allergic to roaches so these are the only ones I have.

Once one becomes and adult I will experiment a little bit and see if they can climb up the tape, if they can then I will try the Vaseline.

After a few years her allergy shots should have helped a lot, or when I move out I will have some more roaches :) I love roaches :D

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This is what I do: I apply the vaseline with a 2-inch wide foam brush that I got at Home Depot for less than $1. It allows you to spread it very thin and uniformly - the perfect barrier to climbing roaches.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I keep my small climbers (pacific beetle mimics, P. nivea, G. lurida, etc.) in gallon-sized pickle jars with tiny holes poked in the lid. They can't get through a screw-top lid, and, with the enclosure being fairly vertically-oriented, as long as you keep an eye on them when the lid is off, they won't typically escape.

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For some reason I cannot keep any animals that require moisture in more closed containers. Mold attacks everything if the air flow is not excellent, I have tried everything to fight it off but nothing works for very long. Maybe there is mold growing outside or something and the spores are spreading? Or maybe mold spores could be coming out of all my houseplants, but they stay dry though.

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  • 2 weeks later...

I got them the 2.5 gallon, as soon as some mature I will see what they can't climb up.

I hot glued the holes and corners of the lid (where they may be able to squeeze through)

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  • 2 weeks later...

Just fyi, Johnson's Baby Oil Gel makes an awesome barrier. Its already the perfect consistency, it only takes a tiny bit to apply a very thin and super slippery layer around the top few inches or so of the enclosure without any risks of anything getting stuck in it. Lasts a long time so I don't have to remember to re-apply that often and I've never had a roach even come close to getting past it--kinda important with my hisser and lobsters lol. I just grab a paper towel, fold it in half a couple of times, squeeze a small amount on it, and use that to apply it.

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