Keith Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 Hissing cockroaches really are incredible escape artists! I had trouble with first instar nymphs escaping in my room, but as they got larger none escaped. So in my room I'm organizing papers on my desk when suddenly I see this large black roach run away and I quickly grab it. Its a young hissing cockroach. Nearly all mine are adults and they are all siblings so is this guy, but he is the size my nymphs were 5 months ago!!! So either he has been surviving since a 1st instar nymph loose in my room all this year, or he escaped 5 months ago and has never shed, because he ate enough not to die. I don't know how he would survive so long without water or food but I know for a fact his escape wasn't recent. Mabye he was smart to eat any water droplets or food residue on the cage top? Either way I was very shocked and except for being very small and skinny he ate like a pig and is doing well. No clue what instar he really is but I'm going to keep an eye on himself now! God knows if any more are loose in my room eating my stuff! Mabye that dream of one in my bed wasn't a dream after all!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blattodea313 Posted December 17, 2013 Share Posted December 17, 2013 I found one in my cricket enclosure once. He had molted a few times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted December 17, 2013 Author Share Posted December 17, 2013 I found one in my cricket enclosure once. He had molted a few times But that I can see as food and water are always available. Someone's bedroom is far from ideal for a tropical cockroach let alone almost no food source! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RomanBuck Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 I'm having the same problem with my first instar nymphs getting out. I find them all over my room and if my mom finds one out and about she is forcing me to get rid of everything! ? if you guys have a salution please help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted December 18, 2013 Author Share Posted December 18, 2013 I'm having the same problem with my first instar nymphs getting out. I find them all over my room and if my mom finds one out and about she is forcing me to get rid of everything! 😰 if you guys have a salution please help! My cover had large holes that was my mistake, once I got a fine mesh cover they no longer escaped. You could also put a thin line of Vaseline as a barrier they can't climb over so won't escape. As they get larger average cage covers are too small to escape from, and they will be noticeable and shouldn't escape you can just move any adults hiding under cage cover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blattodea313 Posted December 18, 2013 Share Posted December 18, 2013 I don't even have a lid on my hisser cage anymore. I just put a 5in layer of vaseline around the top. How large is your enclosure? I'm having the same problem with my first instar nymphs getting out. I find them all over my room and if my mom finds one out and about she is forcing me to get rid of everything! if you guys have a salution please help! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted December 19, 2013 Author Share Posted December 19, 2013 I don't even have a lid on my hisser cage anymore. I just put a 5in layer of vaseline around the top. How large is your enclosure? Decorated 20 gallon long glass tank. Can't use Vaseline for it so I have a screen top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wolfie Posted December 19, 2013 Share Posted December 19, 2013 I stretch a pair of women's tights over the top of the tank, tie the legs off and cut them off to stop roaches getting trapped in the legs. That plus a vaseline layer... Never had an escape from that setup yet, adult or nymph, much to my parents' delight! I thoroughly recommend ladies' tights to anybody who has a lot of escapees! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blattodea313 Posted December 20, 2013 Share Posted December 20, 2013 Decorated 20 gallon long glass tank. Can't use Vaseline for it so I have a screen top. I have a 40 gallon for my hissers. 5inches of vaseline would not look good on a 20 gallon setup Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RomanBuck Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Mine is a custom tall 2.5 gallon. The front is a pexiglass door that warps a lot for some reason. I tried that vasoline thing, doesn't work. I might try to fill gaps with screen. The ladies tights won't work for the tank for obvious reasons but the parents don't know about nymphs getting out. If they do find something they think it's a big from outside so I guess I'm lucky? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre72 Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 Hissing cockroaches really are incredible escape artists! I had trouble with first instar nymphs escaping in my room, but as they got larger none escaped. So in my room I'm organizing papers on my desk when suddenly I see this large black roach run away and I quickly grab it. Its a young hissing cockroach. Nearly all mine are adults and they are all siblings so is this guy, but he is the size my nymphs were 5 months ago!!! So either he has been surviving since a 1st instar nymph loose in my room all this year, or he escaped 5 months ago and has never shed, because he ate enough not to die. I don't know how he would survive so long without water or food but I know for a fact his escape wasn't recent. Mabye he was smart to eat any water droplets or food residue on the cage top? Either way I was very shocked and except for being very small and skinny he ate like a pig and is doing well. No clue what instar he really is but I'm going to keep an eye on himself now! God knows if any more are loose in my room eating my stuff! Mabye that dream of one in my bed wasn't a dream after all!!! I'm very glad you found him and he's doing well!! Blessings. Maybe he ventured into the kitchen in that time and ate crumbs. It's probably colder in the apartment than in his tank and that must be what caused him to grow so slowly. You probably know if the room is below 70F, that species won't eat either. Sounds like he turned up at just the right moment for you to save him. Good for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pierre72 Posted December 21, 2013 Share Posted December 21, 2013 I'm having the same problem with my first instar nymphs getting out. I find them all over my room and if my mom finds one out and about she is forcing me to get rid of everything! if you guys have a salution please help! You could get a large mini vacuum and look everywhere for the roach. That's how I reclaim my escaped Germans. Don't leave a stone unturned. You could also try some sents that roaches like to draw him out of whereever he's hiding. Though I don't like this idea you could also leave traps around and if he gets stuck try to pull him out cutting the glue around his legs. But when I did that with my Germans, I would always end up mutilating them!! Since hissers are a lot larger, though they're probably not as fragile. Best of luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Keith Posted March 29, 2014 Author Share Posted March 29, 2014 Hissing cockroaches really are incredible escape artists! I had trouble with first instar nymphs escaping in my room, but as they got larger none escaped. So in my room I'm organizing papers on my desk when suddenly I see this large black roach run away and I quickly grab it. Its a young hissing cockroach. Nearly all mine are adults and they are all siblings so is this guy, but he is the size my nymphs were 5 months ago!!! So either he has been surviving since a 1st instar nymph loose in my room all this year, or he escaped 5 months ago and has never shed, because he ate enough not to die. I don't know how he would survive so long without water or food but I know for a fact his escape wasn't recent. Mabye he was smart to eat any water droplets or food residue on the cage top? Either way I was very shocked and except for being very small and skinny he ate like a pig and is doing well. No clue what instar he really is but I'm going to keep an eye on himself now! God knows if any more are loose in my room eating my stuff! Mabye that dream of one in my bed wasn't a dream after all!!! This guy finally shed, he is still pure black, his horns are small, he looks nothing like his siblings . Either he is subadult or an oddity as he is vanwaerebecki Hisser they don't come in pure black. Or mabye living in my room changed his DNA or something Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcbpolish Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Decorated 20 gallon long glass tank. Can't use Vaseline for it so I have a screen top. Even just a smidge of vaseline under the black part of the lid might slow the first instar nymphs down enough! I have a 5 gal with screen top. I have about 1" vaseline around the lid... and a generous application on the power cord running out of the tank (my heat source... reptile rock). I've seen one escapee... crawling across the room while I was teaching... OOPS! I don't have a mom to worry about, rather the school administration! :-) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcbpolish Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Or mabye living in my room changed his DNA or something Nah, can't change DNA like that. But dietary difference can lead to different phenotypes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wcbpolish Posted March 29, 2014 Share Posted March 29, 2014 Mine is a custom tall 2.5 gallon. The front is a pexiglass door that warps a lot for some reason. I think front-opening terrariums are just asking for problems with roaches! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blattodea313 Posted March 30, 2014 Share Posted March 30, 2014 I think front-opening terrariums are just asking for problems with roaches! They aren't bad as long as the nymphs can't climb. If the nymphs can climb, then it can be disastrous (I speak from experience ). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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