roach housing other then egg crates

T

Twilightroach

Second Instar
Greetings,

The cardboard egg crates in my roach containers keep becoming wet and nasty due to humidity when the air conditioner in the room is off. It is cooler which is why it is off...but humidity is still kinda high.

So I am wondering is there anything else I can use besides cardboard egg crates as a housing option for my roaches? They are Red Runner roaches being used as feeders.

What else do people use for this? Are there any options besides cardboard egg crates?

 
All About Arthropods said:
Bark or untreated plywood could be useful.  
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I second the above statement.  Here are some photos:

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roaches_eating_food_waste.jpg


 
I might try that if I keep having problems. Thanks for the suggestion!

What about Styrofoam egg containers? can those be used for roach housing? or will they eat the styrofoam?

 
Twilightroach said:
I might try that if I keep having problems. Thanks for the suggestion!

What about Styrofoam egg containers? can those be used for roach housing? or will they eat the styrofoam?
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They'd definitely chew on the styrofoam, and I feel like that'd be bad for them... 

 
You could also add more ventilation to their enclosure, might lower the humidity enough to where the eggcrates don't get too nasty for you. 

 
Twilightroach said:
What about Styrofoam egg containers? can those be used for roach housing? or will they eat the styrofoa
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Hisserdude said:
They'd definitely chew on the styrofoam, and I feel like that'd be bad for them... 
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Well . . . mealworms can eat styrofoam without problems.  Check out this link: https://www.intelligentliving.co/styrofoam-eating-mealworms-absorb-toxic-additive/ and look up some info yourself, there's a bunch of info about mealworms and styrofoam.

Good Luck!  :D

 
Acro said:
Well . . . mealworms can eat styrofoam without problems.  Check out this link: https://www.intelligentliving.co/styrofoam-eating-mealworms-absorb-toxic-additive/ and look up some info yourself, there's a bunch of info about mealworms and styrofoam.

Good Luck!  :D
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Yeah but mealworms are as tough as nails, I kinda doubt roaches would handle eating styrofoam just as well... I could be wrong though. Certainly if they're being used as feeders, as the OP intends, you wouldn't want styrofoam in their systems... 

 
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I've been adding 3D origami things to my roach habitat and they love hiding in the crannies.  I like to make modular origami, but then I have this giant stellated dodecahedron and I usually don't actually want to *have* one; I just wanted to see if I could make it.  So I give them to the bugs and toss the old ones when they get ratty.

 
Shuos Zehun said:
I've been adding 3D origami things to my roach habitat and they love hiding in the crannies.  I like to make modular origami, but then I have this giant stellated dodecahedron and I usually don't actually want to *have* one; I just wanted to see if I could make it.  So I give them to the bugs and toss the old ones when they get ratty.
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I decided to read through this thread to see if anyone had come up with a cheaper alternative to cork bark (besides heavy lumber), and while it seems the answer is no, origami is one of the most original ideas I have heard of for a roach tank. Unfortunately, the only origami I can make is tactical origami (paper airplanes). 

Twilightroach said:
Greetings,

The cardboard egg crates in my roach containers keep becoming wet and nasty due to humidity when the air conditioner in the room is off. It is cooler which is why it is off...but humidity is still kinda high.

So I am wondering is there anything else I can use besides cardboard egg crates as a housing option for my roaches? They are Red Runner roaches being used as feeders.

What else do people use for this? Are there any options besides cardboard egg crates?
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Coincidentally, I came on the forum to look for ideas for helping my red runner colony. I have the opposite problem: they are far too dry. If your colony is so moist that it is causing cardboard egg flats to decay, then it may not be helping the roaches. While my tank has become a bit dry to the extreme because of the heat lamp, this species does seem to do better with lower humidity compared to some of the more tropical species in the hobby. Rather than replacing egg flats, maybe reducing misting (or however you add water) prior to the arrival of cooler temps would be a better long term solution? This species is not easily harmed by arid conditions in my experience, as at times my colony has become completely dry for weeks at a time and still survived. @Hisserdude also mentioned increasing ventilation, and I doubt that would hurt given the current humidity retention issues. 

 
Could try increasing cross ventilation if the egg flats are getting ratty or you can do what I do and just drive to your nearest IHOP and ask for some more haha

 
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