Masqueepo Posted May 25, 2012 Share Posted May 25, 2012 Does anyone wear any kind of mask when you are cleaning out the tubs? I sneeze like crazy and cough for a while after getting in mine. I am thinking I may be allergic to them, which would suck a bunch. I've looking at masks that I could wear but I'm not sure what the best thing would be. Any ideas are appreciated because I would like to continue being a hobbyist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KitKatie329 Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 I always wear a mask and gloves when I clean out the roach bins otherwise I break out in horrible hives. I think this is a good and healthy step for anyone to take. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted May 26, 2012 Author Share Posted May 26, 2012 I figured. I've been checking out masks and think I might go get a mold and particle mask. Do you have anything special you use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted May 26, 2012 Share Posted May 26, 2012 Alternatively, you can change your setup. Heat, humidity, and a healthy dose of springtails will make working in your roach enclosures a pleasant experience. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted May 26, 2012 Author Share Posted May 26, 2012 Hmm. I've never seen the springtails before. Do they do what those little cleaner beetle larvae do for the colony? I have a lot of those. Also, I keep room temps at 80F degrees and I'm not sure about the humidity. I've never measured it before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted May 28, 2012 Share Posted May 28, 2012 Hmm. I've never seen the springtails before. Do they do what those little cleaner beetle larvae do for the colony? I have a lot of those. Also, I keep room temps at 80F degrees and I'm not sure about the humidity. I've never measured it before. The drier, the worse off you'll be. If the enclosure is very dry any air movement will whip up tiny particles of roach frass etc from inside the enclosure, and inhaling these will result in a not-so-very-fun time for you! When the humidity is high these particles are either matted down on each other due to the moisture or held together by the intermolecular attractive forces in the water. This keeps them out of the air which is good for you! Add springtails, which consume little bits of food and fungal spores and you've got a natural combination for keeping things clean and non-irritating. The cleaner beetles (probably lesser mealworm beetles) are great for eating larger debris (like dead roaches) but if you have a lot of grain products for them to munch on in your container they'll eat those instead and their waste will contribute to the cleanliness problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindy Posted May 30, 2012 Share Posted May 30, 2012 http://www.pksafety.com/asledu.html?cmp=googleproducts&kw=asledu This is a pretty good product at a good price. Be sure to get extra filters. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 http://www.pksafety.com/asledu.html?cmp=googleproducts&kw=asledu This is a pretty good product at a good price. Be sure to get extra filters. I ended up buying one that is almost exactly the same. Do you use one as well? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted May 31, 2012 Author Share Posted May 31, 2012 The drier, the worse off you'll be. If the enclosure is very dry any air movement will whip up tiny particles of roach frass etc from inside the enclosure, and inhaling these will result in a not-so-very-fun time for you! When the humidity is high these particles are either matted down on each other due to the moisture or held together by the intermolecular attractive forces in the water. This keeps them out of the air which is good for you! Add springtails, which consume little bits of food and fungal spores and you've got a natural combination for keeping things clean and non-irritating. The cleaner beetles (probably lesser mealworm beetles) are great for eating larger debris (like dead roaches) but if you have a lot of grain products for them to munch on in your container they'll eat those instead and their waste will contribute to the cleanliness problem. All of that makes sense. I keep a pretty large dish of water crystals in each bin. Are there other ways you keep your humidity high that won't cause mold? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cindy Posted May 31, 2012 Share Posted May 31, 2012 I ended up buying one that is almost exactly the same. Do you use one as well? I am planing on getting that one next week. I have a terrible reaction to my meal worms when I clean them out. The Dubias sometimes, but the meal worms are the worst! I have a friend that uses that product, and he was the one that gave me the link. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zephyr Posted June 23, 2012 Share Posted June 23, 2012 Figured some of you might find this helpful! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted June 25, 2012 Author Share Posted June 25, 2012 Figured some of you might find this helpful! ha yea, is that you? I'm subscribed to that account on youtube. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MrCrackerpants Posted June 27, 2012 Share Posted June 27, 2012 Figured some of you might find this helpful! Nice video. I will also subscribe. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Masqueepo Posted June 27, 2012 Author Share Posted June 27, 2012 Nice video. I will also subscribe. Thanks! Awesome. Nice video and set ups by the way. Pretty awesome looking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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