clean colony

[jtran1020]

ok guys so today was my first day cleaning my dubia colony and it went pretty bad. I used the colander method and i barely sifted my roaches because the shell got stuck in the holes. Can someone help explain a thorough process on how to clean the shell and the poop.

 

[jtran1020]

anyone?

 

[suzuki4life]

push it to one side of the tub and vaccuum it out or sweep it up.

 

[jtran1020]

What about the roaches that are hiding in it?

 

[suzuki4life]

personally, if I lose some, I lose some. Not worth the extra time to me.

 

[Valerie]

I use a large paint brush and I sweep all of the poop to one corner. I wait a few for the bugs to crawl out of the poop pile. Then I pick up some poop with the paint brush and look thru it. Normally the bugs will crawl off to get away from me. I continue this until I am done. I am sure I throw away a few dubias but not many. You could also put the discarded stuff into a flat container and pick out any you may throw away.
Valerie

 

[jtran1020]

dang it, i wish there was an easier way. im super anal about my roaches and i dont wanna lose any lol

 

[midnghtrider79]

Depending on the size of the colony, take a container like a dish pan you can get for cheap and drill lots of holes in the bottom of it. You need to use a 9/64 drill bit for the holes. I'm pretty sure that's what I used. Place the roaches in the pan and sift back and forth. The poop falls out through the holes but the roaches do not. Quick and simple.

 

[jtran1020]

Depending on the size of the colony, take a container like a dish pan you can get for cheap and drill lots of holes in the bottom of it. You need to use a 9/64 drill bit for the holes. I'm pretty sure that's what I used. Place the roaches in the pan and sift back and forth. The poop falls out through the holes but the roaches do not. Quick and simple.

what about the shell?

 

[midnghtrider79]

I pick mine out. It's easier that way to me and I do it daily but the colony isn't that large.