Containing German cockroaches?

N

natebugman

First Instar
For my work, I keep colonies of German cockroaches. I keep them in sterilite tubs with the foam gasket to keep them from escaping. The problem comes when I open the container to do maintenance or collect for studies. They come boiling out of the container at me. I use the Fluon liquid (Insect-a-slip) and that slows them down but some can still defeat it and it wears away fairly quickly. I've tried Fluon grease (Contain Bug Barrier) which barely slows them down, though it does seem to work well for American cockroaches and hissers.

Does anyone else rear German cockroaches and have a better solution? Does anyone have ideas?

 
I have not tried Teflon tape. It's fairly expensive and I'm reluctant to spend that much without some idea that it will actually work. Have you tried Teflon tape? If so, what species was it effective for?

Olive oil sounds like a runny mess.

 
I know they use Teflon to contain fire ants, also petroleum jelly and vegetable oils make good short term barriers. I apply the oils with a cloth to prevent runs. You can also try mixing talcom powder and rubbing alcohol for another barrier, though you will have to experiment to find the best ratio.

Pics and videos of the colonies would be appreciated by the way. Not many keep Blattella species.

@natebugman

 
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Multiple barriers are the only way to deal with them in my opinion. Vaseline row and insectaslip row around the rim, 2-3 inches of Vaseline and 1-2 inch of insectaslip. How large are your colonies, what type of enclosures, how tall are they? 

 
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