Could anyone enlighten me?

[Severus]

On why/how this one roach is like it is(Deformed, not molting, can't use most legs)? Many variables could play a part in it I'm sure.

I have been worried about this guy for quite some time. As you will see in the pictures, it is not growing. I got this one at the same time as the others, and they others are all about the same size. This one seems to be deformed. It doesn't have much use of its limbs(I think maybe two to four of the six) and kind of has a hunch in its back.

It would try to walk across my fingers and would step in a crack and just fall over onto its back.

I thought it was kind of interesting. How long do you think they can survive without obviously being able to molt? Not being able to move several legs surely hampers in the molting process. Though I assume, if they are not growing, there would be no need to molt. *shrug* I don't know.

 

[Allpet Roaches]

It take a specific number of molts for them to reach adulthood so if it doesn't molt it will eventually die, could be many months. I suggest feeding it to something.

 

[BugmanPrice]

I could only speculate on why it would be like that but I'm guessing it had a moutling issue (humidity wasn't right or something). I occasionally find specimens like that at the collage I attend, there habitat just isn't humid enough to the new exoskelton cures prematurely and roaches get crippled. It's sad but it does happen.

 

[Severus]

Hmm could have been and only this one was affected. All the others seem to be doing fine.

I wish I had something to feed him to. Wait no I don't. That would mean I had another mouth to feed. Hah. Do you think I should kill it another way? It doesn't seem to be doing too terrble.

 

[BugmanPrice]

Hmm could have been and only this one was affected. All the others seem to be doing fine. I wish I had something to feed him to. Wait no I don't. That would mean I had another mouth to feed. Hah. Do you think I should kill it another way? It doesn't seem to be doing too terrble.

I don't know, that seems like a personal ethics choice to me . On one side if it's doing fine maybe it will eventually molt and be a great adult. On the other end if it wasn't just an environmental issue and a genetic one... well you don't want that to propagate it's self in your colony. I would like to say I’d be able to kill it (just in case), but I’m too soft and would end up trying to keep it alive.

 

[Matt K]

Personally, the loss of the one is a benefit to the many. If I find a 'defective' roach that I do not know the cause of its defect, then I destroy it immediately. Usually by literally throwing it in the fire of the fireplace. Occasionally by dropping it in a jar of alchohol and then out to the garbage can or down the toilet.

Disease by contagion or genetics either way cannot be tolerated in a roach colony, (of mine anyway).

 

[JSUN]

Personally, the loss of the one is a benefit to the many. If I find a 'defective' roach that I do not know the cause of its defect, then I destroy it immediately. Disease by contagion or genetics either way cannot be tolerated in a roach colony, (of mine anyway).

i'll agree to that!!!

 

[Severus]

Actually, as it usually goes when I post about something that might die, the little roach was dead when I came home from work yesterday. So, no worries there on disease or bad potential breeding.

Thanks for your help.

I will keep the whole "Cull the herd thing" in mind should I come across something similar or questionable in the future.

 

[Roachsmith]

I noticed roaches can grow at very different rates. Months ago I bought some blaberus hybrids that were aboug 1", now they are sub adults/adults. Yesterday when I was cleaning out the tank, I found a little 1" guy hanging out in there. I know my roaches haven't reproduced yet, but this one just didn't grow for some reason.

 

[Matt K]

I noticed roaches can grow at very different rates. Months ago I bought some blaberus hybrids that were aboug 1", now they are sub adults/adults. Yesterday when I was cleaning out the tank, I found a little 1" guy hanging out in there. I know my roaches haven't reproduced yet, but this one just didn't grow for some reason.

DEFECTIVE !! Off with his head!

 

[BugmanPrice]

Personally, the loss of the one is a benefit to the many. If I find a 'defective' roach that I do not know the cause of its defect, then I destroy it immediately. Usually by literally throwing it in the fire of the fireplace. Occasionally by dropping it in a jar of alchohol and then out to the garbage can or down the toilet. Disease by contagion or genetics either way cannot be tolerated in a roach colony, (of mine anyway).

I would second that opinion. Unlike with a lot of other pets you can't really just quarantine the sick ones because usually once something goes wrong it takes a long time to "show it's self" in the colony or kill the roach. My logic may be faulty but it seems to be that way.