# Pet Hissing Cockroaches Dying - Help!



## PoppyinJuly (Sep 20, 2011)

Hallo all!

Emergency post here - I've a faunarium of hissing cockroaches that's been set up for around 3 weeks. The guys were doing fine - eating, hiding, moving well (all the things hissers do) - until two days ago...

Two of hissers are now very slow, wobbly, and cannot right themselves when they roll on their backs. It's quite upsetting to see. I think they might not be long for this world 

I've done a bit of Googling and it seems this might be old age. Bit odd how two are showing this behaviour at the same time, though.

For info: the faunarium has a (small) reptile heat pad and the temp. gauge shows a decent reading (although not high enough for them to breed - wanted to establish them first). I humidify the tank so the substrate's damp, provide ground dog kibble and veg every other day, and a dish with soaked cotton balls is always present.

Any advicemost appreciated


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## piggybaker (Feb 10, 2009)

Did you wash your fruit veg first. This sound similar to our spiny stick insects demise I think you cockles could have been poisoned if the fruit veg was treated with pesticides ,,,, sorry to make it sound so bad but only the old age thing fits and what is the chance that two are doing this, just like us loosing two stick insects the same morning.

I am sorry hope you get to the bottom of it


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## Acrophylla (Apr 16, 2008)

Insects dying of old age can topple over and look weak. Insects that have been poisoned lose co-ordination of their legs and twitch for a few days before they die. The best way to keep Madagascan Hissing Cockroaches is in a tall cage with lots of air holes. I've kept loads over the years and they like to climb and rest on the sides of the cage. I've always fed mine on slices of fresh cut orange and dead oak leaves. Leaves bought from supermarkets are best avoided because many contain pesticides and these do not wash off because they are taken up by the plant roots and so are within the leaves.


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## PoppyinJuly (Sep 20, 2011)

Thanks for the advice, guys. Sadly the two wobbly 'roaches died . I'm thinking it must have been poisoning since it's a bit of a coincidence otherwise. I'll be sure not to give supermarket fruit/veg since that was likely the culprit (thought it'd be safe for the little dudes - oh, hindsight...).

Thanks again, folks - much appreciated.


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