Clean-up crew for roach tank?

[Trouble119]

I raise my own roaches, but I'm allergic to them (not badly, thankfully; I just get extremely dry and itchy skin when I handle them too frequently). I lose way too much dexterity when I wear gloves, so I can't clean the roach bin as often as I'd like.

So I've been considering getting a clean-up crew. Any suggestions on what kind of bugs I should use? I've heard everything from springtails to dermestid beetles to mealworms. I'd love to hear some opinions from people who use clean-up crews.

 

[Taterbug]

Have you tried nitrile surgical style gloves? I find the high quality snug fitting ones give good dexterity and some even have decent tactile feel too. The really nice ones can be washed and reused (for purposes like this anyway)

I don't use a crew in my roach bin - I looked it up and got a bit turned off by the details. I havn't heard of springtails or mealworms as cleaner crew. I'm not sure they would be effective - but would be interested to know as well. Springs like dampness, which would make the frass nasty and as far as I know they mostly like to eat mold and fungus anyway. I looked into dermestids... They are probably the best/most effective option. I'm not sure if invert breeders have a problem but taxidermists generally warn that they can infest a house and cause a bit of damage. (No thank you!)

I don't clean my bin too often - maybe 4-6 months. I can't help with cleaner crew since I'll not be going that route anytime soon. I'm not sure your cleaning routine but here is mine, maybe it can help?

I find the dust makes me sneeze, so I try to keep it at a minimum. I mostly only touch the crates and the dustpan. Anyway I have another bin big enough for all the egg crates. Any egg crates that need replaced are done first - roaches are knocked off into bin two. Then the old crates that are still good are lifted out and put in bin two. I stir up the frass with a dust pan to wake up the hiding ones and put a few fresh egg crates vertically in the tank and put it under a bright light encouraging roaches climb up to hide. I give hem 15-30 minutes and remove the crates, knock them into the bin and repeat until most stragglers are out of the frass. This works pretty well and isn't nearly as dusty or tedious as sifting with a bucket. I have a dust pan that is the width of my tank (lucky I guess?) so I just shovel everything into a bucket. Those that weren't willing to climb out get cooked with the frass and put in the compost. The crates are put back in the first bin and the roaches unceremoniously dumped in.

 

[Trouble119]

ugh, yeah, I didn't think about the possibility of an infestation. I'm renting right now. :/

I hear isopods are another possibility. I don't think they can climb the sheer plastic or glass surfaces of bins. I'm gonna look into them some more while I look for my old nitrile gloves.

 

[Taterbug]

ugh, yeah, I didn't think about the possibility of an infestation. I'm renting right now. :/

I hear isopods are another possibility. I don't think they can climb the sheer plastic or glass surfaces of bins. I'm gonna look into them some more while I look for my old nitrile gloves.

Isopods need decent humidity too - they are crusts toons and breath with gills.

I'd be interested to hear if you find something that works.