Self-cleaning Dubia/Discoid Bin

[maggie311]

Hi friends!
I'm expecting a delivery of Discoids today and want to set up a feeder bin - possibly evolving into a breeder bin. Does anybody use a self-cleaning system? (I'm not ready for bioactive, yet). I saw a tutorial on YouTube and wondered if anyone finds it useful to cut out the bottom of the bin and line it with mesh so the frass falls through? Just curious if it's worth the extra hassle or just wash out the bottom of the bin periodically. Thanks!

 

[Beman]

So if you are breeding these the last thing you want to deal with is moving them to clean bins. But depending on the mesh size the frass may be too large to fall through. OR too large and the babies will fall through. Bio active is normally a really good way to go about this.
@jamest0o0 knows far more about this then I do. I have tagged him for you.

 

[Delef3]

Can you just add some cleaners in there or do you have to go totally bioactive? I am in a similar boat where my colony is growing and needs cleaning more often. It is a pain and involves moving them over to a clean bin each time. I’d like a more self sufficient way, but not sure if I want to go totally bioactive - unless it is pretty easy to accomplish.

 

[maggie311]

So if you are breeding these the last thing you want to deal with is moving them to clean bins. But depending on the mesh size the frass may be too large to fall through. OR too large and the babies will fall through. Bio active is normally a really good way to go about this.
@jamest0o0 knows far more about this then I do. I have tagged him for you.

Thanks! I have an old window screen. I'm going to try to sift some frass through it and see how it goes!

 

[MissSkittles]

I keep my roaches in about 1-2” of organic soil mixed with a bit of coco coir and topped with some leaf litter or other organic matter. I’ve got dwarf white isopods and springtails in there…or I used to. I had a lot of dermestid beetles from my crickets and added those and I think they ate them all. I have something for them to hide under. Right now it’s an old leopard gecko hide, but I prefer cork half rounds. I mist one side about once a week (more when it’s really hot or dry). Every month or two I move the adults out and collect the babies, which I keep in a separate little bin.

 

[maggie311]

I keep my roaches in about 1-2” of organic soil mixed with a bit of coco coir and topped with some leaf litter or other organic matter. I’ve got dwarf white isopods and springtails in there…or I used to. I had a lot of dermestid beetles from my crickets and added those and I think they ate them all. I have something for them to hide under. Right now it’s an old leopard gecko hide, but I prefer cork half rounds. I mist one side about once a week (more when it’s really hot or dry). Every month or two I move the adults out and collect the babies, which I keep in a separate little bin.

Very cool! I might give it a try once I get the whole Chameleon and Discoid roach husbandry down. My head is swimming with all the new info I've learned over the last week and a half!

 

[jamest0o0]

I’d agree with the above it can be hard to get holes that the frass falls through, but not the nymphs. The nymphs also benefit from the frass. Btw save the frass to use as fertilizer for plants .

I always felt like discoids didn’t do as well without somewhat moist substrate. Maybe with higher ambient humidity it wouldn’t matter as much though. Bioactive is really so easy if you want to give it a try. Some coco fiber or similar with safe leaf litter. Can add sphagnum moss if you’d like too. Throw in some springtails and maybe a tougher type of isopod like giant canyons(more fragile ones could get beat up or even eaten by some roaches). I don’t like using beetles as cleaners, IME they can start to get out of control, stress roaches out, and even eat molting roaches.

 

[maggie311]

I’d agree with the above it can be hard to get holes that the frass falls through, but not the nymphs. The nymphs also benefit from the frass. Btw save the frass to use as fertilizer for plants .

I always felt like discoids didn’t do as well without somewhat moist substrate. Maybe with higher ambient humidity it wouldn’t matter as much though. Bioactive is really so easy if you want to give it a try. Some coco fiber or similar with safe leaf litter. Can add sphagnum moss if you’d like too. Throw in some springtails and maybe a tougher type of isopod like giant canyons(more fragile ones could get beat up or even eaten by some roaches). I don’t like using beetles as cleaners, IME they can start to get out of control, stress roaches out, and even eat molting roaches.

Good point about the babies benefitting from the frass. And I will definitely use it as fertilizer! I'm going to start researching bioactive

 

[jamest0o0]

Good point about the babies benefitting from the frass. And I will definitely use it as fertilizer! I'm going to start researching bioactive

Yeah it’s as simple or complicated as you want to make it. Don’t get scared by the word bioactive and how complicated people make it, it works all the same. Most of what people add is regarding plants/drainage which isn’t a concern when dealing with roach bins.

 

[MissSkittles]

I was inspired by this thread to redo my adult roach bin last night. It was time to remove the babies, so perfect timing. @jamest0o0 comment about using the dermestid beetles also played a big part. @maggie311 you’re quite new so probably don’t know that James was, is and always will be the forum’s bug lord. Anyhow, I did exactly as he outlined - clean bin with some fresh moistened coco coir, springtails (some chunks of charcoal accompanied them), sphagnum moss and a generous dozen of giant canyon isopods (still have from your lineage James ) and a handful or so of the soil they were in. I always add a small piece of calcium or crushed eggshell for the isopods. Not sure if the roaches need it too. Couple of chunks of cork bark, some leaf litter and put the roaches into the new bin along with some food. Easy peasy!

 

[maggie311]

I was inspired by this thread to redo my adult roach bin last night. It was time to remove the babies, so perfect timing. @jamest0o0 comment about using the dermestid beetles also played a big part. @maggie311 you’re quite new so probably don’t know that James was, is and always will be the forum’s bug lord. Anyhow, I did exactly as he outlined - clean bin with some fresh moistened coco coir, springtails (some chunks of charcoal accompanied them), sphagnum moss and a generous dozen of giant canyon isopods (still have from your lineage James ) and a handful or so of the soil they were in. I always add a small piece of calcium or crushed eggshell for the isopods. Not sure if the roaches need it too. Couple of chunks of cork bark, some leaf litter and put the roaches into the new bin along with some food. Easy peasy!
View attachment 356652

That looks great! Rookie question, here...but can I get the leaf litter and isopods from my yard? I'm guessing they may bring in fungus and parasites, though?

 

[jamest0o0]

I was inspired by this thread to redo my adult roach bin last night. It was time to remove the babies, so perfect timing. @jamest0o0 comment about using the dermestid beetles also played a big part. @maggie311 you’re quite new so probably don’t know that James was, is and always will be the forum’s bug lord. Anyhow, I did exactly as he outlined - clean bin with some fresh moistened coco coir, springtails (some chunks of charcoal accompanied them), sphagnum moss and a generous dozen of giant canyon isopods (still have from your lineage James ) and a handful or so of the soil they were in. I always add a small piece of calcium or crushed eggshell for the isopods. Not sure if the roaches need it too. Couple of chunks of cork bark, some leaf litter and put the roaches into the new bin along with some food. Easy peasy!
View attachment 356652

Great set up, i like adding the charcoal as well. I’m still not an expert with bugs, just had a lot of experience with them lol. And now that it’s been a couple years I’m finding I’m pretty rusty on everything But thank you for the kind words!

That looks great! Rookie question, here...but can I get the leaf litter and isopods from my yard? I'm guessing they may bring in fungus and parasites, though?

Leaf litter just depends what type of leaves and if any pesticides have been used in the area? I like to use common sense with collecting, if it’s a heavy traffic area that looks like the air/soil could be polluted or has pesticides then I avoid. If you’re out on the country with untouched healthy land then go for it. lots of salamanders or other sensitive amphibians/inverts in your yard/streams can be signs of a fairly healthy environment.

My one concern with collected isopods is that they can take up lead and other toxic heavy metals, even storing them from what I understand. If you do, maybe breed them out before adding. Honestly, giant canyons and others are pretty cheap and reproduce fast. They may also hold up better than a native species.

 

[MissSkittles]

When my neighbors cut back their oak trees and I score a big haul of branches, I also get leaf litter. I let the leaves dry naturally on the branches and then collect them. My most recent haul I needed to use the litter right away, so baked it to make sure it was clean. (250F for 20 mins single layer on a baking sheet). I’ve also used chopped up palm fronds before.