Small roach problem.

[SiotehCat]

I ordered 20 blaptica dubia roaches for my chameleon. I have a terrible fear of roaches, but these dont climb/fly/bite and they are very clean. So I bought them a tank and food and the likes. My problem? I cant handle them. Ive tried using my knitting needles like chopsticks, but they keep slipping off. They dont fly, but when I look in one of them spreads their wings a little bit and gives me the evil eye. Im in a pickle. It looks like I have 20 pet roaches now.

Sio

[SpikeyTheYorkie]

Cockroaches and I are bitter enemies. Due to the humid climate in South Korea, we had them there and I had many o' nightmares about opening a jar and there were cockroaches encrusted on the lid, and I would wake up throwing my covers all over the place. Ok, so I had other bad icky gross nightmares at this place, and my superstitious Korean boss fortunately found another place for me, I was much happier after that). Anyway, lots of Cockroaches, big or small they're all the same to me, DISGUSTING.

Of course, my brother the intellectual has to throw in: "If it weren't for cockroaches, we'd be swimming in 6 feet of garbage everywhere." Nice, way to give us a CHOICE!

Tammy in Utah

[nuk]

just let your chameleon go for a walk in the roach motel.

[c.c.]

How about something like salad tongs or maybe a net like people buy for aquiriums. Truthfully, I'd have trouble making the transfer myself. I understand the 'live food' thing and I am a meat eater, but I'll confess to being a little squeemish about the process. I love watching nature programs but I'm always hoping the 'prey' gets away....then I feel bad for the hungry lion (sigh)!!

[sheilabgroomer]

just let your chameleon go for a walk in the roach motel.

That would be my plan. Either that or I would kill 9 roaches so I only had to catch 1. Will your Chamelion eat crickets? That would be my bug of choice, I can handle a cricket.

[Helly]

Have you tried wearing gloves? A pair of gardening gloves would probably work pretty well.

[wet noze]

ROACHES!!!!!!!!!
I'm know nothing about reptiles but wouldn't crickets do???
I would have nightmares that they escaped and decided to have a meal in my cereal box or on my toothbrush!!!!!!!!!!!
Sio- Just the thought is just too gruesome for me.

[Maggy]

Why not put paper cups in the tank with some tasty morsel inside, when you see one in the cup pick it up and put something flat and hard over the opening and take it to your cameleon's cage.

[rapuzzled]

How about something like salad tongs or maybe a net like people buy for aquiriums. Truthfully, I'd have trouble making the transfer myself. I understand the 'live food' thing and I am a meat eater, but I'll confess to being a little squeemish about the process. I love watching nature programs but I'm always hoping the 'prey' gets away....then I feel bad for the hungry lion (sigh)!!

When I go into the pet store, I always avoid the reptiles because there are always pinkies in there! And usually alive! I know the reptiles have to eat, but it's soo sad!

[SiotehCat]

Gardening gloves wont do. There are too many of them. They are waiting for me to stick my hand in there so they can jump on it and escape. I feed her crickets, but my girl needs a variety. She gets all kids of worms on top of the crickets, but I heard how much they LOVE roaches.

Im also scared of them escaping! I put their tank in another box and lock that box in my entertainment center. The first night, I tried leaving them in my room, because the cats cant come in my bedroom without supervision, but that didnt work. They get out of control at night! When I set them down to take out old food and give them new food, my cats sit in a circle around the tank. The cats sit there with their whiskers twitching till I put the roaches away. Sooo... if any of you girls are in northern Virginia and need some roaches, I have some to give you. Let me know. You can keep their cage.

Sio

[luvpups]

When I used to buy and feed crickets I had the same problem. when they moved i would freak out. My hubby fishes with live shrimp and I cant do that either.

[Doggone]

Having lived in N.VA.for years,ya don't need a cage or to buy them as those "La-kooklaracha's "are evey where! Just let your guy out every now and then and he can be the clean up crew!

[goldiphlox]

Thanks Alot!

now i'm gonna have nightmares!

[Pixie]

Just thinking about those nasty things gives me the willies!
I lived in Texas for a couple of years and in S. Carolina (in Army) and the thing I remember most about those two states are the roaches. I'd get up in the middle of the night go to the kitchen to get a drink of water, turn on the light and my floor would move, roaches running for cover!!!! It didn't seem to matter how often we fumigate (sp) the house they were ALWAYS there. Don't see them in Utah, thank goodness.

Sorry, can't help you with your problem.

[rapuzzled]

Ewwwww...that's gross. Sorry I can't help you much they freak me out too. Of the two times that I have gone fishing I have had to have someone else put the worm on the hook because I couldn't...yuck.