Jondice Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 We had a couple (male/female pair) of peppered roaches that we obtained at a local entomology event - the first species we tried, and they have been great. The female became an adult a couple of months ago, and escaped about 5 weeks ago - I adjusted one branch to be about 3" from the top of their brand-new unlidded terrarium and apparently that was enough leeway for her to get out. In despair, I ordered a colony starter kit from roachcrossing.com, and that has been going well so far. I also built a lid... Tonight, my wife was rather shocked to see the female on its back in the laundry room. I guess it had fallen and was either too malnourished/dehydrated (we live in the north and the heating makes for dry winters indoors) or possibly injured, to flip over, which is difficult even for a healthy roach on a flat surface. In fact, I thought it was dead unti I touched it. I gave it a quick warm rinse and put it in the enclosure. It will move around a bit, but it is extremely clumsy and weak; if I put it briefly on its back, it will show no interest in getting up, and it isn't quick to grab on to a side of tree bark if you put it in front of the roach like a normal roach would be - instead it will likely fall to the bottom. I also haven't seen any signs that it is interested in food (apple or fish flakes). Any suggestions on what I might do to revitalize it? Add sugar or juice to the water for a day perhaps? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenevanica Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 A similar thing has happened to me. I had a nymphs that I dropped while attempting to move it, and it showed symptoms similar to yours. Roaches aren't necessarily worth their wait in gold, so I put it back in the enclosure and it died. If you really want to save your roach, I'd recommend you do something that tarantula keepers call the "ICU." If the roach is desiccated, like you suspect it is, this approach should work. It involves getting a deli cup, poking one tiny hole in the center of the lid, and lining the bottom with wet paper towels. The towels should be soaked, but there shouldn't be any standing water. The humidity should be 100%. Leave the roach in there for 24 hours, and he should be fully hydrated. This works wonders on tarantulas, and I see no reason it wouldn't work on a dehydrated cockroach. As for specialized diets, you should do whatever you feel is right. Personally, I would stay away from sugar water, as it's messy, can drown roaches, and is an impressive ant bait. Good luck! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 It's probably a gonner, most likely she is just too traumatised to recover. Try keeping her moist, try to get here to drink water perhaps? Other than that there is really nothing you can do. How loose is the lid that an adult peppered roach could get out? I mean these guys are thick, not like they can easily squeeze through gaps. I would consider getting a cage with a tighter lid. Hope this helps! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 A similar thing has happened to me. I had a nymphs that I dropped while attempting to move it, and it showed symptoms similar to yours. Roaches aren't necessarily worth their wait in gold, so I put it back in the enclosure and it died. If you really want to save your roach, I'd recommend you do something that tarantula keepers call the "ICU." If the roach is desiccated, like you suspect it is, this approach should work. It involves getting a deli cup, poking one tiny hole in the center of the lid, and lining the bottom with wet paper towels. The towels should be soaked, but there shouldn't be any standing water. The humidity should be 100%. Leave the roach in there for 24 hours, and he should be fully hydrated. This works wonders on tarantulas, and I see no reason it wouldn't work on a dehydrated cockroach. As for specialized diets, you should do whatever you feel is right. Personally, I would stay away from sugar water, as it's messy, can drown roaches, and is an impressive ant bait. Good luck! Again!? How do you do it?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jondice Posted February 27, 2016 Author Share Posted February 27, 2016 Thanks for the suggestions, I'm trying the "ICU" approach. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jondice Posted February 27, 2016 Author Share Posted February 27, 2016 Regarding the lid ... There was none; I didn't think they could escape, but that was soundly proven incorrect. I subsequently built a lid. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Regarding the lid ... There was none; I didn't think they could escape, but that was soundly proven incorrect. I subsequently built a lid. Ah, I see. Good that you have a lid now, hopefully there will be no more escapees. Hope your girl makes it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
All About Arthropods Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Ah, I see. Good that you have a lid now, hopefully there will be no more escapees. Hope your girl makes it! I hope she makes it too! I hate when any of my insects become sick or die. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenevanica Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Again!? How do you do it?! Did I beat you to a reply again? Haha! I left early this time. I didn't get a chance to see the spoils. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jondice Posted February 27, 2016 Author Share Posted February 27, 2016 Well, just thought I'd follow up with the outcome; unfortunately, this morning I found it upside down in the "ICU" and totally unresponsive - it is dead now, so the predictions were correct. It seemed at first like it might have had a chance when we found it but things deteriorated rapidly - I now realize that finding it on its back was probably a bad sign to begin with. Thanks again for the suggestions - maybe they'll come in handy if there is a next time (hopefully not!). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted February 27, 2016 Share Posted February 27, 2016 Well, just thought I'd follow up with the outcome; unfortunately, this morning I found it upside down in the "ICU" and totally unresponsive - it is dead now, so the predictions were correct. It seemed at first like it might have had a chance when we found it but things deteriorated rapidly - I now realize that finding it on its back was probably a bad sign to begin with. Thanks again for the suggestions - maybe they'll come in handy if there is a next time (hopefully not!). Aww, I'm sorry. You did everything you could for her, at least she is out of her misery. Did I beat you to a reply again? Haha! I left early this time. I didn't get a chance to see the spoils. Yes you did, by two minutes! I think I'm getting slower. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenevanica Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Yes you did, by two minutes! I think I'm getting slower. Or I'm getting faster. Every day I wake up and I think about the ultimate. I train hard for days on end to reply as fast as humanly possible. I'm always on top of my game. Pain is temporary, but championships... championships last a life time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tenevanica Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Well, just thought I'd follow up with the outcome; unfortunately, this morning I found it upside down in the "ICU" and totally unresponsive - it is dead now, so the predictions were correct. It seemed at first like it might have had a chance when we found it but things deteriorated rapidly - I now realize that finding it on its back was probably a bad sign to begin with. Thanks again for the suggestions - maybe they'll come in handy if there is a next time (hopefully not!). I'm really sorry about that, dude. Better luck next time? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hisserdude Posted February 28, 2016 Share Posted February 28, 2016 Or I'm getting faster. Every day I wake up and I think about the ultimate. I train hard for days on end to reply as fast as humanly possible. I'm always on top of my game. Pain is temporary, but championships... championships last a life time. Well I've been taking it easy, my training has become less intensive. That all ends now though, I will be catching up to you soon. Tell me, how long does a failed championship last? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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