PW and Dubia escapees...

[WAFisherman]

This post got me thinking of perhaps somone starting up a 'lessons learned' post dedicated to the keeping the feeding of various worms, roaches, etc.

For example, I feed Pheonix Worms using small glass dishes with 2 to 3 inch deep sides. They can't escape. Or at least that is what I thought... I have found that when you mist their dish, even just a little, the water allows them to climb glass like you wouldn't beleive. And I HATE hunting down maggots and other escapees.

Also, don't know how it happened, but had a dubia escape the other day. I'm SOOO glad I found it and not my wife... Right now she doesn't really want to deal with the fact that I have a colony. Out of site, out of mind. Not even talked about... Well, I was working on the new 'reptile room' (converting the closet under our stairs into a lizard room) and took a poster off the wall only to have a huge male dubia roach suddenly pop out. Didn't really phase me, as I work with them all the time lately. But had that happened to my wife, or a guest - that would have been trouble :shock:

 

[nesta's mommy]

you had a Dubia escape from the bin?!

 

[ScooterBlenny]

If you order PWs directly, they send you an instruction sheet that states very clearly not to get them wet - I was like "Oooooh, I get it!" the first time I actually read the instructions.

 

[invictusrules]

I've had males get out, too. And why, why, why is it always the biggest monster in the batch? I thought we had someone breaking in the house one night, and it turned out to be a big male, on his back on the hardwood floor, thumping around trying to get back on his feet! :shock: Can those boys actually use their wings?

 

[WAFisherman]

I had the lid propped open for a bit to give it some more circulation\ventilation as I did not make the screen lid yet. Must have jumped or something. Not sure.

 

[nesta's mommy]

I've had males get out, too. And why, why, why is it always the biggest monster in the batch? I thought we had someone breaking in the house one night, and it turned out to be a big male, on his back on the hardwood floor, thumping around trying to get back on his feet! :shock: Can those boys actually use their wings?

rules, do you also have an open tub to keep them in?

 

[sunkist]

Just a warning about PW though... even not wet, they seem to congregate on one end of the dish and will climb on top of each other to get out. Yep seen this happen more than once!

 

[darwin08]

Hah the same thing happens with me with the phoenix worms. Make like a stair case so one or two can escape.

 

[fresnowitte]

With the roaches you can use Vaseline around the top of the roach enclosure to keep them from being able to escape. Also I find that the roaches that are not suppose to be able to climb can if it is a plastic tub. Any scratches or dirt/dust will allow them something to grab onto. I personally use a tall glass tank without silicone at the corners I haven't had any escapees. And I have the Turks that are really fast and a bit smaller that the dubias. The males may beable to flutter around with those wings, but they can not get a good take off without more room.

With the Phoenix worms if your not hand feeding you can use yet a taller dish just place it in a way that your little beardie can see down into it from his basking spot. And place some sort of step up to the dish so it's easier for him/her to get into. If your beardie is hungry and sees them he will figure out how to get to them.

 

[h0ndap0w3r]

the PW's can get out in the food bowls that are bought from the store since it is not perfectly round they find places to congregate and climb on one another. I use some of those plastic terracotta pot saucers from home depot and they work wonders. There round so they just do circles and dont climb on one another\

 

[ArchiesFamily]

We had Turks up until about 2 months ago. They lived in the DETACHED garage. Threw the whole tote, egg crates, food and water lids away. NOTHING that had touched a Turk, other than my son, still exists anywhere near my home. We bought a brand new tote, egg crates, and found new lids for the dubia nymphs we purchased from http://www.bestroach.com . Best Roach, as for as I know, does not have Turks. We were going through the tote after all the dubias had been fed to clean it up for the next round and what to our wondering eyes does appear?!?!?!?! Can you guess!?!?!?!?!?!?!?! A TURK!!! GOOD GRAVY, they are like a fly that wont go away, just harrasses you to you're ready to rip your arms off and beat yourself with them.