Trouble119
Member
So I ordered twenty adult dubia + 500 babies from Dubi Deli on... the 7th, I think. I'd have to check my records to be certain. On the 14th, I saw something really weird on one of the adult females:
Sorry about the poor picture quality. All I've got is my cell phone. Anyway, my first thought was that she was just molting in an odd way, but the 'ootheca' was very soft. It felt fluid-filled and lacked the segments of a proper molt. I separated the adult female in case it was contagious or deadly.
As soon as she was separated, she buried her face in water gel and drank for a pretty solid twenty minutes. Then she trundled off into hiding. She ate well enough, judging by the chow that went missing. Her activity seemed normal enough for a roach.
Three days ago, she was dead and the ootheca was still there. I decided to cut it open and see what went wrong.
Initial thoughts: the ootheca was even floppier than before. It still felt soft and fluid-filled.
After the first cut was made, it deflated quickly. It wasn't filled with fluid after all, but a gas of some sort. It smelled very acrid and rather like ammonia. It filled my bathroom pretty quickly to the point where I could smell it from the doorway.
Ammonia indicates decay took place.
Pulled open a bit to get a better look. No sign of any eggs, except for several very, very small round bits near the roach's opening. Small amounts of fluid.
Orange 'thread'?? No idea what this is.
As near as I can figure, her eggs failed to properly develop and rotted instead.
Has anyone else seen this?
I haven't found any further problems with my colony, so it doesn't seem to be contagious or genetic (I'm assuming the adult roaches I bought are probably related and many are sporting successful and healthy oothecas now).
Sorry about the poor picture quality. All I've got is my cell phone. Anyway, my first thought was that she was just molting in an odd way, but the 'ootheca' was very soft. It felt fluid-filled and lacked the segments of a proper molt. I separated the adult female in case it was contagious or deadly.
As soon as she was separated, she buried her face in water gel and drank for a pretty solid twenty minutes. Then she trundled off into hiding. She ate well enough, judging by the chow that went missing. Her activity seemed normal enough for a roach.
Three days ago, she was dead and the ootheca was still there. I decided to cut it open and see what went wrong.
Initial thoughts: the ootheca was even floppier than before. It still felt soft and fluid-filled.
After the first cut was made, it deflated quickly. It wasn't filled with fluid after all, but a gas of some sort. It smelled very acrid and rather like ammonia. It filled my bathroom pretty quickly to the point where I could smell it from the doorway.
Ammonia indicates decay took place.
Pulled open a bit to get a better look. No sign of any eggs, except for several very, very small round bits near the roach's opening. Small amounts of fluid.
Orange 'thread'?? No idea what this is.
As near as I can figure, her eggs failed to properly develop and rotted instead.
Has anyone else seen this?
I haven't found any further problems with my colony, so it doesn't seem to be contagious or genetic (I'm assuming the adult roaches I bought are probably related and many are sporting successful and healthy oothecas now).
