The Amazing Staying power of roaches

[Zephyr]

So yesterday I decided to transfer my whole hisser colony to a new bin. There were about 2-3 inches of dead bodies/frass/sheds/ food on the bottom, and after gathering as many babies as I could from the mix, I torched the bin with steaming water. I dumped the mix outside after double-torching, and today I walked outside to see a ton of ants, dead bodies... and baby roaches. Somehow, some of them survived the 50 degree night temps, and not to mention the scorching!
Just makes you wonder. :P

[Snake lover 3-25]

can't they live like 10 days under water w/ their heads cut off????? or is that ants??????:D

[Zephyr]

can't they live like 10 days under water w/ their heads cut off????? or is that ants??????:DDunno about the underwater part...
The head is an inferior cockroach organ. If it weren't for the fact that food must be processed through the mandibles, then cockroaches could live, reproduce, etc without one. :P

[Snake lover 3-25]

ICK!!!!! i REALLY hate them........... but i saw a comercial for ants on tv and they said that....:D

[Lori P]

Good heavens! I've always heard they can survive almost anything... I dreamed the other night I tipped over my whole bin and they all escaped. I was very happy to wake up and realize it was a dream! LOL

[jeanette]

i did hear that roaches would survive a nuclear explosion. i hate those things ewww

[Snake lover 3-25]

yeah!!! that was on myth busters!!!! but it was proved wrong.... they exposed them to various amounts of radiation along with some other bugs!!!! actually fruitflies held up better!!!!!!:eek: :D

[jeanette]

thats great to hear, they really make me cringe

[Snake lover 3-25]

ick me too!!!! i don't like bugs much.... but praying mantises (spelling??) are cool........:(

[jeanette]

im not a fan of bugs either. i dont mind some spiders, i think they are fascinating. locusts are only good for one thing and that is pyxie frog dinner. i cant have roaches in the house though even though i know that the pyxie frog would love to eat them lol

[Snake lover 3-25]

yeah....... i don't like spiders either.....:D LOL i think the praying mantis is the onnly bug i like:D LOL :D

[jeanette]

ive heard the praying mantis actually make good pets, dont know how true it is though, but i agree they are actually very cool top look at

[Snake lover 3-25]

yes i keep a new one as a pet each summer..... idk what i would do with them in winter though.... but in summer i just go out every night and catch some bugs near the light on our garage and watch him eat.... it's very cool........ they can catch a moth right between their hands no matter how fast it is!!!:D

[jeanette]

wow that is very cool, are they like an ambush predator then? using the camoflage as a weapon?

[Snake lover 3-25]

yup.... they just sit there and then suddenly attack!!!!!! it's really neat to see..... if you're close enough you actually hear the clap of their arms as they capture their prey!!!!!!!:D

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

praying mantids are ambush predators. they rely on their camoflage and sit and wait for something to come close. They have amazing vision, and once they see a meal they will inch their way towards it and grab it with their two front legs, which have spurs on them that act like teeth, holding their meal in place. They only live for one year and breeding season. Around here, they are born during the first few warm days, out of a large egg sac that looks a lot like foam. They spend the summer growing and usually by july they are reaching adulthood. The males then seek out a female, and 90% of the time, the female will reach back during mating and rip the males head off at eat it during copulation. I used to have a 6 foot little tree that mantids lived and bred on all summer, I would always stuff the females full so tehy didnt kill my males! The females lay their egg sac in late summer/fall, and even if you bring them inside when it gets cold, they will always die by the end of november. They make great pets, theyll take bugs right out of your hands, and if you scare them they will open thier wings up and do this creepy butterfly like dance.. oh yes and they will bite you and stab you with their pokers too!!! its just really sad that they are an insect you can actually really bond with and enjoy keeping, and then they are gone!!!

[jeanette]

awww they live such short lives, but i guess they really do know how to live full lives.

[Snake lover 3-25]

yeah..... but the one's i've had haven't bit or poked me yet!!!!! they usually just climb to the top of my head and wait for a meal to come by!!!:D

[aSnakeLovinBabe]

thats good though, you really dont want to expierience it... it actually hurts when a 6 inch insect starts tearing at your flesh.

[Snake lover 3-25]

oh lovely thaughts shannon....... that's just what i want to hear.....:eek:

[jeanette]

thats good though, you really dont want to expierience it... it actually hurts when a 6 inch insect starts tearing at your flesh.
doesnt sound pretty :(

[drache]

well you've got my interest now
my neighbour says we get them here
I'll have to keep my eyes open