why are my woodies dieing?

[bluetongue]

hey all, as some may know i set up another thread asking about starting a woodies colony well, i have a question i got them right 2 days ago and their was already babies in their with the adults and in the bottom of the containers their was heaps of dead adults that had been eaten... so thats not a good start obviously the petshop people didnt feed them anything as their was no carrot in their when i bought them too... so anyway i get them home and setup a container for them and fed them they ate a fair bit and then they just started dropping dead? most of the adults too.. then the next day some more adults and babies and now this morning 3 looks like 2 more adults to follow and 3 babies so im not happy bout this .. but the rest seem ok at the moment now does anyone know why this is could be cause all the time si have bout roaches they never died? some people suggested the adults that are at the end of their lifes get picked out and sent off could this be the case? and i dont know if i should feed the dead ones to my lizards because i dont know if theirs just someone wrong with the woodies? so yeah any help would be great thanks sorry about the long post

 

[JasonL]

keep them dry and at 25 - 27 degrees, dry dog food and a carrot every now and then, keep moisture to a minium so you will need good ventilation, if you have too much (any) moisture it will get gassy and they will all die quickly.

 

[pythoness]

most likely the food you gave them contained pesticides.

 

[bluetongue]

pythoness i dont think the food i gave them had pesticide because i eat it its from the shops? and if it contained pesticide woudlnt i be dead too haha? ok jason so no moisture so your saying hot dry place so the shed? its just i dont want to cook them haha?

 

[Twin_Rivers]

Most of the food you buy from the shops has pesticide residue on it unless it is a registered organic product then it has more than likely been sprayed with pesticides. The small amount of residual pesticide will not be enough to harm a person in small doses but maybe enough to harm small insects as this is what it has been created for.
Wash all food thoroughly before using it or buy organic (still give a rinse) or grow your own. We use bran and dry cat food and sometimes a bit of soap (natural handmade) as well as carrot or cucmber for moisture rinsed well (carrots are from my garden) good ventilation in sides and top of enclosure and keep away from all chemicals.

 

[bluetongue]

ok well thanks for the replys guys ill see if they all die out or if its just some i hope they will be right though only time will tell cheers

 

[JasonL]

You can easily cook them, I recommended 25 - 27 degrees, not 35 plus degrees. I have mine on a heat cord run off a thermostat.

 

[bluetongue]

yeah jason trust me their not over 30 their bout 27 or 28 so that wouldnt be the case

 

[Lollypop]

What's the container like re ventilation & colour - one lot I had all died in a black container with lots of small drilled holes in top - all do well in a foam box with half lid mesh.
I always just chuck the veg in from the shops & has never affected mine..........
I wouldn't feed your beardies them 'til u sort their health out.

 

[Southside Morelia]

It's the quality of the roaches you purchased not what you have fed them...
They don't just die after a day unless they are already going too...lol
As Jason mentioned around that temp is fine although at this time of year depending on where you live, no heat is also OK. I just heat mine in winter to keep them breeding, all the cold does is slow them right down and lessen the brood numbers.
Best food is the dust in the bottom of the rat pellet sacks....waste nothing that way. I also feed vegies for moisture as mentioned and house them in a tub that has multiple layers of the packing you get from fruit shops that apples are packed in, I use a fully ventilated lid ie tub lid with centre cut out and fly screen burnt into the plastic with a soldering iron. Paint the sides with fluon or teflon to keep them all in the tub and not on the lid which prevents escapees.
Easy peasy and they will thrive in that environment so long as you do clean out all the crap and any dead ones that may be lying around every week or two.
Mate, I honestly feel it was the quality of the animals you brought, give Herp Shop a go , they are really good and you won't need anyone after you get the colony going!
PS. Buy a heap of all sizes for feeding in the interim while your colony grows and starts producing in a sustainable amount for your needs.
Good Luck!

 

[Chris1]

nooooo, dont feed the dead woodies to ur beardies, throw them out!!

good ventilation is the key to keeping them alive,..mine have been exposed to 40C temps in the past (last house had no insulation whatsoever) and they were fine. they just bred more.

mine get fresh carrot and dry cat bikkies, i only feed them twice a week cos feeding them more meant soggy cartons and mroe death,...

 

[gozz]

I have mine in a 120 L tub with no air holes i kick them around
give them a carrot once a month heaps of egg cartons and egg shells
i must have at least 1,000 of the buggers

 

[Southside Morelia]

nooooo, dont feed the dead woodies to ur beardies, throw them out!!

good ventilation is the key to keeping them alive,..mine have been exposed to 40C temps in the past (last house had no insulation whatsoever) and they were fine. they just bred more.

mine get fresh carrot and dry cat bikkies, i only feed them twice a week cos feeding them more meant soggy cartons and mroe death,...

Thanks Chris forgot to mention about the deaduns....that's definitely a no no feeding them to your animals!
I guess I should be responsible and clarify my last post, you don't feed soft vegies as they will grow mould on them in a day, it's hard veg ie carrot, pumpkin, potatoe....get the drift, carrots are the best though and cut them thick as they dry out quick if cut thin.

 

[Southside Morelia]

Too true....but they are only learning Gozz...LOL :lol::lol:

I have mine in a 120 L tub with no air holes i kick them around
give them a carrot once a month heaps of egg cartons and egg shells
i must have at least 1,000 of the buggers

 

[JoshMVG]

I agree the woodies most likely would have been terminal when u got them
if u arew forced to get them from ur petshop ask what day he gets them in and make sure you pick them up that day
also alot of pet shop large woodies have already been bred for a while b4 sold so they may not be all that young
ask for a bulk order in one container

 

[JasonL]

As Jason mentioned around that temp is fine although at this time of year depending on where you live, no heat is also OK. I just heat mine in winter to keep them breeding, all the cold does is slow them right down and lessen the brood numbers.
QUOTE]


Yeah, I never mention that, I thought everyone had 400 mouths to feed :lol:, I have my woodies on "turbo" 24/7 year round...

 

[RCW74]

Yep, don't bother with pet shop bought woodies, get a proper breeding colony.

I had two colonies going, (both 90L opaque plastic tubs) one with a flymesh cover, the other with the lid with multiple holes melted into the top. Had a high mortality rate with the lid cover woodies (gassy smell). The mesh cover works great, they are breeding like.... well, roaches . I occasionally tap out some waste and deadite roaches too.

I have an ample supply for 2 beardies, 2 frogs (soon to be 5), and as treats for 2 shinglebacks (when they can catch them!) and a bluey from the one tub (started with ~1200 roaches). The roaches will live for up to a year, so should provide plenty of offspring on an ongoing basis.

I feed them the same carrots we eat, plus some apple and celery stalks and tops chopped up (put these on the plastic floor of the tub so as not to wet the egg cartons) and occasionally some tomato. They aren't fussy eaters - I observe them at night, and these food offcuts are usually swarming with roaches of all sizes. Temps around 25 -30c.

Good luck!