Zephyr's Amazingly Awesome Roach Thread

[Sputnik]

Rhea, is cricket quencher the same as the water gel? You are absolutely right then, if they were to ship the crystals dry, it would make a lot more sense. You could then hydrate them as you needed them.

I have a jar of the gel, too, but I'm not convinced I always want to get them.
I might be sounding as if I'm on a bit of an environmental trip today, but I do have lots of concerns about this. The husband of one of my former tutors at college, was a scientist doing research into disposable nappies (diapers) and said, that the swell gel used in them might hold the water well, but once it's on a landfill site, it starts oxydising and giving off toxic gases. He said, that that problem was worse still than the fact that the nappies take so long to rot. He recommended using the cheapest brand of nappy, if we had to use disposables at all, as they only contain paper pulp.

People here love their hanging flower baskets and for a while I worked at a friend's nurseries and made hundreds of them, all with a small amount of swell gel in the bottom to stop them from drying out. It's fantastic stuff, but I wouldn't want to know what effect it has once the baskets get emptied out into gardens and compost heaps at the end of the season. All those poor little hegdehogs, etc. munching on swell gel.

[Lori P]

You know, when I bring crickets home and offer them plain water out of a tiny container, they all go nuts over it. I keep wondering if they actually hate the gel stuff. They drink so much the first couple of days.

[anji1971]

For crickets I just put in a small container of water, and a slice of apple or carrot , maybe a leaf or two of lettuce. They all eat, drink and happily hop around, till it's time for them to be fed to Toadie.
I've never bought or needed the gel stuff.

[Sputnik]

When you gutload them with fresh fruit and vegetables do they even still need extra water? I always have some in there but I'm not sure it's necessary.


Edit: ha, Anji, you were quicker than me!

[anji1971]

I find they eat the fruit more, but I still find them around the water too; maybe when the fruit pieces are too crowded they use the water as a backup?

[Zephyr]

I now have an ad posted. :P

[Lori P]

I find they go after the fruit more too, esp. oranges. Cucumbers are a close second!

[Sputnik]

Ok, now this is going to sound a little weird..but they look more intelligent than crickets. I feel a little uncomfortable chasing them and throwing them to the lizards. Who, btw, haven't eaten a single roach yet, lol.

[Zephyr]

Are they big enough? The roaches?

[Sputnik]

Big enough to eat? Yeah, they are all mixed sizes. Not many adults, so I'm being careful to keep those safe.