Human health

M

Masqueepo

Second Instar
Does anyone wear any kind of mask when you are cleaning out the tubs? I sneeze like crazy and cough for a while after getting in mine. I am thinking I may be allergic to them, which would suck a bunch. I've looking at masks that I could wear but I'm not sure what the best thing would be. Any ideas are appreciated because I would like to continue being a hobbyist.

 
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I always wear a mask and gloves when I clean out the roach bins otherwise I break out in horrible hives. I think this is a good and healthy step for anyone to take.

 
I figured. I've been checking out masks and think I might go get a mold and particle mask. Do you have anything special you use?

 
Alternatively, you can change your setup. Heat, humidity, and a healthy dose of springtails will make working in your roach enclosures a pleasant experience.

 
Hmm. I've never seen the springtails before. Do they do what those little cleaner beetle larvae do for the colony? I have a lot of those. Also, I keep room temps at 80F degrees and I'm not sure about the humidity. I've never measured it before.

 
Masqueep said:
Hmm. I've never seen the springtails before. Do they do what those little cleaner beetle larvae do for the colony? I have a lot of those. Also, I keep room temps at 80F degrees and I'm not sure about the humidity. I've never measured it before.
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The drier, the worse off you'll be. If the enclosure is very dry any air movement will whip up tiny particles of roach frass etc from inside the enclosure, and inhaling these will result in a not-so-very-fun time for you! When the humidity is high these particles are either matted down on each other due to the moisture or held together by the intermolecular attractive forces in the water. This keeps them out of the air which is good for you! Add springtails, which consume little bits of food and fungal spores and you've got a natural combination for keeping things clean and non-irritating. The cleaner beetles (probably lesser mealworm beetles) are great for eating larger debris (like dead roaches) but if you have a lot of grain products for them to munch on in your container they'll eat those instead and their waste will contribute to the cleanliness problem.

 
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Zephyr said:
The drier, the worse off you'll be. If the enclosure is very dry any air movement will whip up tiny particles of roach frass etc from inside the enclosure, and inhaling these will result in a not-so-very-fun time for you! When the humidity is high these particles are either matted down on each other due to the moisture or held together by the intermolecular attractive forces in the water. This keeps them out of the air which is good for you! Add springtails, which consume little bits of food and fungal spores and you've got a natural combination for keeping things clean and non-irritating. The cleaner beetles (probably lesser mealworm beetles) are great for eating larger debris (like dead roaches) but if you have a lot of grain products for them to munch on in your container they'll eat those instead and their waste will contribute to the cleanliness problem.
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All of that makes sense. I keep a pretty large dish of water crystals in each bin. Are there other ways you keep your humidity high that won't cause mold?

 
Masqueep said:
I ended up buying one that is almost exactly the same. Do you use one as well?
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I am planing on getting that one next week. I have a terrible reaction to my meal worms when I clean them out. The Dubias sometimes, but the meal worms are the worst! I have a friend that uses that product, and he was the one that gave me the link.

 
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