dubia smell?

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stangbanger

Hatchling Member
I have a TINY bedroom I keep my critters in...i have 3 herp setups, a desk, and my 30g roach bin....i leave the door and window shut at all times unless im in there, to help contain heat and whatever humidity i can get (my gecko and roaches need the humidity, my beardies lights dry out their enclosures to keep it down)

went in today and i noticed an unpleasent smell...after sniffing around it was my roach bin....did some research online and the only thing i was seeing is dead roaches make a smell

checked my bin and found a large adult male dead on its back, the rest all seemed to be fine

could a single adult roach decaying cause a smell that strong?

the only other thing i could think of is the chow....its been in there about a week, my colony is small and its not eating a bunch of chow at a time....the chow has gotten a little darker in color (probably from misting the bin, roaches crawling on it, etc)......i read that it doesnt go bad though, so ive just been topping it off instead of doing a complete change

any ideas? i removed the dead roach, left the chow.....opened the window and turned on a fan and the smell aired out right away...wont know if its really gone until tomorrow

the smell was unpleasant but not really a putrid smell like crickets....just a sort of "funk"
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Hi there,

I would make a habit of only putting in a small amount of food, an amount your colony can eat off in a day or two each time.

Also, you shouldn't mist the chow, that can cause mold and you want the chow to stay dry.

You really don't need to mist at all in my experience. Are your egg crates old? Old egg crates that are getting wet definitely could make a smell.

-Brandon
 

stangbanger

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
I guess I'm not sure what to mist. I have been told I need to mist, you're the first to say otherwise. This is my first colony and I've only had it for a week now. I will cut back on the chow, I filled up a dish at first because I wasnt sure how much they would eat. Should I dispose of old chow when I refill it? Or is a little left over alright?

The egg crates are new, but I have been lightly misting the whole tub once a day (very very light mist over the egg crates because im afraid of mold), but they take up most of the tub so by spraying the sides of the tub I have sprayed the crates indirectly (same for the food).

Are you saying I should stop misting all together? Do you think the damp crates could be causing the odor?
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Damp crates definitely could be causing the odor.

I was told to mist too when I first got my colony. As time went on though I realized it wasn't needed. My bin stays pretty humid itself just with the water crystals in there and the heat.

If the vent in your bin is too big, it will let out too much humidity.

-Brandon
 

stangbanger

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
OK i will try letting the crates dry out and if the smell remains I will look into replacing them.

When I took these pics just now, the smell was back. I think you're right, it is the crates.

Heres pics of my bin. Any suggestions? Surface temp is around 93. Is that enough? My heating pad is on Medium.


IMG_20120329_171814.jpg

IMG_20120329_171829.jpg
 

stangbanger

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
i usually have an orange slice in the red lid....its empty at the moment but thats what its for

also, theres a bunch of roaches in there, even some tiny babies (so i must have gotten a female that was ready to give birth)....just disturbed them a lot today so they arent coming out....theyre growing SUPER quick though (size, not numbers)

once the colony is bigger ill add 1-2 more egg flats to the left size, and make another setup of them on the right side and keep the dishes in the middle...for now i dont need all the space, but i figured its better to start with a larger tub than to have to switch later on
 

Twobeardieguy

BD.org Sicko
I also answered the same question in the for sale section. As Brandon said their is no need at all to mist. The water crystals and dubias are what bring the moisture. If their is any smell at all then their is a good chance their is mold or mildew starting. If their is that will wipe out a colony quick. Also on a side note you can add more dubias in their as it will help sustain your colony..


Also do take notice that dubias have a faint smell but only when you get a larger colony going.
 

stangbanger

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
ok thanks guys, I'll check on it tomorrow and if it still smells I will find somewhere local to grab new egg flats
 

Trajega

Hatchling Member
Yeah, do not mist. Here was my ghetto solution to humidity:

I filled a deli cup with water gel, then punched a few holes on the bottom. While the hole cage doesnt stay moist, the roaches can take a visit and get all they need then crawl back out. It seems they get the moisture to molt, then leave before doing so.
 

stangbanger

Hatchling Member
Original Poster
while on the topic of mold, i wanted to ask about superworms

ordered 1000 to feed off while roaches grow....put them in a tote box with a huge jar of quaker oats as bedding

put a small lid in there and put some smell red potatoes on it (2 small potatoes, cut in half)

when i got home tonight, the potatoes were moved all over the tote and not in the dish anymore......is the potatoe laying directly on the oats a cause for concern? could this cause mold if left that way? if so - any suggestions of how to give them potatoes without having them drag them around?
 

Claudiusx

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
Superworms will not allow something to stay on a dish, trust me! haha :mrgreen:

It shouldn't cause too much of a problem. The potato might start to mold after a few days if the superworms don't eat it first, so just keep checking it and once you notice mold developing, toss it.

Superworms are pretty hardy when it comes to mold though.

-Brandon
 
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