Clean-up crews??

[ArtBug]

What are your thoughts about clean-up crews?

Do you use any and what do you have?

Are they really neccessary or do they just get in the way?

My "colonies" are really small (2 tanks with 10, 1 tank with 3 and 1 tank with 5) - so I don't know if it's premature for me to worry about clean-up crews just yet.

I had some Springtails sent with a couple of roach orders - but I'm pretty sure they haven't survived. I don't know if the altitude, the dryness (or both) killed them. I've also had one or two isopods (nothing fancy - basic garden pill bugs) but they seem to have also gone to the Big Sleep.

 

[Nicolas Rousseaux]

Hi

I'm not a cleaning crew fan, I've seen pillbugs eating a freshly molting roach... But there are pillbugs, springtails and psocid in some of my tanks. I'm not sure they are really useful, because I check the tanks every week so I can take the dead roaches away, and loads of colonies eat the dead so the tank isn't dirty

 

[Alex]

I agree with Nicolas on pillbugs eating freshly molted roaches.

The absolute worst species I have ever encountered is porcellionides they reproduce very quickly and are a stress to there cagemates.

Worst part is they come in the leaves i rake up every few months.

I have been working with a semi aquatic isopod that has not overpopulated one of my enclosures yet..

 

[Ash_L]

Hello I know this post is a year old, however I am quite interested as I raise and produce several species of Roach Bin Cleaner Crews that I sell on my site for Active Roach Breeders. A Cleaner crew is one that effectively eats dead insects and molted skins, excess grains before molding and decaying vegetation thus preventing mold. If need be several species also eat mold! For a most effective Roach Cleaner Crew One Should chose All or Some of the following Clean-Up Crews For Roach Bins.

The Roach Bin Clean-Up Crews I raise and carry are a special mixture of 2 types of larvae & beetles that feed exclusively on protein or dead roaches. The other 2 types of beetles & Larvae feed solely on grain. Together they will consume any dead roach, excess grains and remove water from veggies or fruit before spoiling or molding.

Our Isopods are also great decomposers so they work great as Roach Bin Cleaner Crews. A sizeable colony can eliminate a dead roach and skin in hours before smell sets in they are also Much better with the veggies as they readily eat that which is decaying.

Springtails like Isopods are also great decomposers and are great for clearing vegetable matter and they also love to eat mold so no mold worries once the springtails set in. I would recommend Tropical Species of Springtails and Tropical Species of Isopods as an addition to Roach Bin Cleaner Crews. Temperate Species of Isopods and Springtails will be ok though you may find they do not reproduce so readily or thrive as long term with the temperatures dubia require, this may be fine depending on the quantities that you need. Overall you will notice tropical species will fair much better. Temperate species should be cultured outside the tank and added when appropriate whereas you can just add tropicals and they will continue to thrive and reproduce.

If you Have Roach Bins & You Need Cleaner Crews they are available at ReadyReptileFeeders.com links available in my signature or you may p.m. me. Hot & Cold Packs are available and Shipping is Priority or Priority Express

Large Roach Bin Cleaner Crews starting at only 14.95

Springtails Starting at only 6.95

Isopods starting at only 10.95

Happy Roach Keeping