Help! Upside down roach behaving weird

R

Rolo

First Instar
hi,

I got up this morning to find one of my hissers on its back, looking like it was running and trying to right itself. So i opened the viv and nudged it, but she carried on doing it. I then picked her up with no fuss at all (normally this one darts away) and she carried on doing it. I have never seen anything like it and cant find any information on it so i have been watching closely and noting what happens in as much detail incase she dies or whatever so everyone knows for next time.

Ive took her out of the viv and have been watching and looking closely. She seems to be vomiting clear liquid, and is really twisting her body. Sometimes she makes a C shape and others she is twisting her abdomen one way and her upper end the other. her hisses are, well they are not hisses- they are sort of like little squeeks, like little burst of air escaping and sounding wet. Ive never heard anything like it before. her antennea are hardly moving and when she stops "running" she sometimes waved one leg occasionally and continues making the squeeks every few seconds.

Please help

 
Last edited by a moderator:
oh and I have now found a little nymph acting weird- was walking around like it was drunk and falling over during the day- ive taken that one out as well. Both roaches that i have removed have no grip at all when walking. The rest seem to be ok but Im going to keep watching for anything out of the ordinary. Could there be some sort of illness they have gotten from something?

 
I hope you'll find an answer, since i also have noticed one of the nymphs I have is doing the same thing. His belly is very full, not sure if he just fed or its caused by illness though.

I'll let you know if I notice anything else.

 
Did you recently feed them a banana by any chance? I have found that the gases that the banana puts off can cause die-offs, just a suggestion.

 
That's spot on, I fed them a small piece of banana last night. I feed them banana all the time since they seem to love it, maybe its time to stop feeding banana to nymphs.

Thank you

 
Last edited by a moderator:
I've never had problems with deaths after feeding bananas. Did you include part of the peel? What temperature is the enclosure at?

 
hey,

The larger roach is still doing the upside down running thing, the nymph, well im pretty sure its dead. Im thinking about maybe putting the other down-let me know if you think this is a good idea. I have checked and the rest of the colony is fine.

I have never given them any banana- they only have the same fish food, romain lettuce, iceburg lettuce and carrot and apple every so often as a treat. I also have water crystals in there but its from the same batch ive being using since i got them. All of the fruit and veg is cleaned before i give them it and the temperature is what has been reccomended by people on here and care sheets.

I still have no idea what has caused this, just hope it doesnt happen to any others :(

 
Zephyr said:
I've never had problems with deaths after feeding bananas. Did you include part of the peel? What temperature is the enclosure at?
Click to expand...
Not sure who this was directed at but I'll answer anyway. No peel, and temps were great. Small amounts of banana I have no problem with, but it seems if there is enough to be left overnight I always have die-offs, mostly of younger nymphs. I don't remember where I heard it, but the theory is that large amount of the gases the banana puts off while it decomposes is toxic.

 
I think this this case might just be one of MDS. I've never had problems with bananas and I'm leery of the whole "vapors" thing. What I have seen though is small nymphs getting trapped by small amounts of oozy banana and dying as a result.

 
I've been feeding my roaches with bananas almost every other day because its a cheap fruit in here. There is no problem with them.

 
I don't believe it, I woke up this morning, I saw the nymph not moving so I thought its dead. But as soon as I turn on the room light, it started moving. It regain some of its grip, and managed to make it to the water dish to drink. So i guess its recovering.

 
I know this topic is ages old but I just had to toss my own two cents in here. The vaper Katie was speaking of is called ethylene gas. Its a chemical that is naturally emitted by most fruits as they ripen. Its also used by grocery stores to artificially accelerate the ripening of bannanas. Ethylene gas is poisonous to breath in concentrated quantities (at least to humans) so it is possible that placing fruit in a warm poorly vented container could poison organisms sensitive to ethylene. I can't say that this was what effected said nymphs but it IS a possibility. Just something to think about.

 
Just to say I think one of my hisser nymphs is having this issue, he's on his back and waving his legs after being fed banana yesterday, but he is the only one out of six acting this way. He's also one of my healthy nymphs, though I expected one of my deformed nymphs to be worst affected.

Feeding him water with a paintbrush seems to have perked him up, have removed banana and washed their tank as well, but still unable to right himself, hoping he'll improve in the next 24 hours.

 
I have been having these issues with my Dubias. Thought it was the strawberries but Im still having issues and I switched to bananas too. Id seriously at this point stop feeding fruit all together. part of me thinks its the guy I got mine off of peddling bad bugs but another part of me is now thinking its something like pesticides. Who knows, maybe its one of these GMO things, but searching around I see its becoming an issue with many different people and fruit in general.

I do know that when I fisrt got my colony and all I was feeding was feeding carrots and apples and a small amount of dog food I had no issues at all.

 
Hi,

I just read your post for the first time from June, 2011 about your adult hisser turning upside down despite your attempts to help her and the nymph. I was touched that you were so concerned about individuals, most people would not. I imagine they're gone now (how long do hissers live I'm not sure). How's your colony now all healthy? I have similar problems with my German. When one turns on it's back, I put my finger down to it's legs to help it up. Best of luck with any you have now.

 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top