Allergy to dubias?

[reptoman]

I saw that KCham had mentioned an allergy to discoids. I think I have developed an allergy to dubias over the last year. How many others feel sick after messing with their feeders? I tend to get a cough and start to itch after cleaning my dubia bins. It passes after a couple of hours but it didn't used to affect me that way. I wear a dust mask now and it seems to help but I still get the itch.

 

[VeiledChams]

I know with FFs you get mites.. They will make everything itch, could it be possible that they can be in the roach colony?

 

[reptoman]

Its not mites. Its more like the kind of itch that comes with anaphylaxis but not nearly as intense. I don't stick my head in the bin I have taken benedryl before cleaning the bin and it reduced the itch quite a bit.

 

[jrh3]

I could trigger respratory problems from inhailing the fine fras dust.

 

[KCcham]

I saw that KCham had mentioned an allergy to discoids. I think I have developed an allergy to dubias over the last year. How many others feel sick after messing with their feeders? I tend to get a cough and start to itch after cleaning my dubia bins. It passes after a couple of hours but it didn't used to affect me that way. I wear a dust mask now and it seems to help but I still get the itch.

That is what happens to me....but I start sneezing as well. Wy wife always knows when I have been cleaning out their tub because my eyes are all watery and itchy and start coughing and sneezing.......just like I am right now

 

[UrbanChameleon]

There is a guy around my area that has a HUGE colony of Dubia's. He said he is extremely allergic to them but he found ways around it. He has a separate room for them and says he doesn't have much of a problem anymore. Maybe your body will get used to it. I'm not exactly sure what kind of precautions he takes but he said it's manageable. If you feel like it's really bad I would recommend against it. Just do whatever makes you comfortable, but you are not the only one. Just wanted to let you know. Maybe if you clean the Dubia's habitat fairly often it won't be as bad.

 

[tkilgour]

No kidding? Very interesting! Maybe that is why I seem to get stuffy, get a headache, and watery eyes after cleaning up after them. I never put two and two together.

 

[Elizadolots]

It's probably the roach's poop, not the animals themselves. Roach poop is pretty high on the list of troublesome allergens. It is blamed for a great deal of respiratory illness in crowded urban areas. I have this problem with cricket poop. Just being around them for any length of time makes me feel sick.

 

[jessica]

Ugh I hate it!

Any time I get near the frass I sneeze, cough, get congested and my eyes itch and swell up Right now I dig through them alot getting nymphs for the babies so I am always stuffed up .

 

[KCcham]

Ugh I hate it!

Any time I get near the frass I sneeze, cough, get congested and my eyes itch and swell up Right now I dig through them alot getting nymphs for the babies so I am always stuffed up .

Check out my recent thread about stating the nymphs out. Had some great suggestions there!

 

[sharlaxle]

Actually you are correct in the fact that it is most likely the roach feces. They excrete a enzyme and protein that causes some severe allergies in people and pets. While Benedryll is a good way to proactively treat this you do need to be careful. Wear a surgical/ bacterial mask ( Not a dust mask the enzymes go right through it) but the kind you get at wal-greens for flu outbreaks. This will help reduce the particles you breathe. Obviously wash your hands, arms and neck after you clean up. (Chances are you have washed your hands and arms, but at some point I am willing to bet you itched your neck without thinking about it, and therefore have introduced the enzymes into your skin. This will cause hours of reactions.)
Also in a nasty reaction (say hives appearing) I would suggest that you actually wear clothes that you only wear for this job. If you have started getting hives when you did not in the first place chances are your allergy is growing more severe and the Benedryll could possibly mask a severe reaction until it becomes life threatening. Yes this doesn't happen all that often, but do you really want to be the one it happens too?
Also just a warning keep children away from the cleaning and you until you have had a chance to clean up. Kids under the age of 9ish are prone to developing allergies, and we have found that roaches are one of the leading triggers.
Ok just my two cents worth, for what its worth.

 

[reptoman]

Thats good information! Thanks for posting that. I have had a couple recent episodes of severe chest congestion that seem to pass within an hour and the timing makes me think it is caused by the frass getting into my lungs. This is not from cleaning either, just getting feeders out and closing the bin. I will have to be more careful from now on and probably should get a surgical mask. I would hate to give up my dubia colonies. They are an awesome staple feeder

 

[shaunaroxanne]

My 9-year-old daughter has allergy-induced asthma. Her allergist said roaches are extremely unhealthy for children to be around because of the reactions caused by inhaling air-bourne particles of their feces. Yuk.

 

[fluxlizard]

I used to have a friend who was a doctor who specialized in allergies. He once told me that roaches are one of the most common allergies people develop, and can cause serious health problems in homes infested because of allergies compromising health. My roaches have never been a problem for me after many years, but I don't keep them in my home either. I raise them in my lizard building...

 

[KCcham]

Thanks for all of info shared here! I had a feeling it was the frass.......I am going to start taking precautions when I deal with these things

 

[reptoman]

I used to have a friend who was a doctor who specialized in allergies. He once told me that roaches are one of the most common allergies people develop, and can cause serious health problems in homes infested because of allergies compromising health. My roaches have never been a problem for me after many years, but I don't keep them in my home either. I raise them in my lizard building...

I will have to talk my wife into letting me get my own lizard building Maybe then I won't have to hear about our lack of a guest room