d.g. Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 *NOT for the bug phobic or squeamish!!* This is probably the only place I can post about our exciting discovery this morning without being thought weird. Er, ok...*too* weird. Last month, as part of our Plants & Bugs study for my Ker DS, I ordered 3 Giant Hissing Roaches. When we got them, I noticed we had 2 males and 1 very fat female. Ok, cool. We set up the terrarium for them and have been happily feeding/watering/tending them ever since. When I went to feed & water our roaches this morning, I found baby roaches everywhere. I finally gave up counting at 25 of the little guys, who not so surprisingly can move very, very fast and fit through very small spaces. Suddenly I'm very glad I opted for the super-fine screen top for this particular tank! Anyone interested in a Hissing Cockroach unit study, complete with living baby cockroach? :lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jenny in Atl Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 What no pictures? We need pix! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corraleno Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 What no pictures? We need pix! :iagree: Pix please!!! Jackie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.g. Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 Hehe...my camera batteries were dead. I'm charging them now. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NavyWifeandMommy Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 EWW GROSSS from me but COOL from my DDand DS. Please post pictures. We saw one ofthem critters the other day at a bug exhibit at our museaum. Not a fan but for the kids I would do it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabeth in IL Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Can't wait to see the pix!! I'm also thinking that this is an outside kind of study!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.g. Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 Can't wait to see the pix!! I'm also thinking that this is an outside kind of study!!! Possibly a bad idea to do this outside, since they're a non-native species and all of that. I guess they are pretty creepy looking, probably why they feature in so many scary movies and reality stunts. I'm a bug person, so I'm biased...I think they're really neat. I found some other batteries for the camera, so some pics on my blog here. DS's comment: They're so CUTE!! :lol: I think he gets it from me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ferdie Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 You get the "Coolest Homeschool Mom of the Week" award. Wow! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.g. Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 Nah, not that cool. Is there a "Homeschooling Bug Freak" award? I might qualify for one of those... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HayesW Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 I just got a mad case of the heebie jeebies, and I like MOST bugs. EW!!! Glad you aren't freaking out over there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elisabeth in IL Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Do they give birth to live baby bugs or did she lay eggs that you watched hatch? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncmomo3 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 wow. roach babies. weird. cool... but weird.:lol: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scarlett Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 You should post this on the 'you know you are a homeschooler when' thread. :tongue_smilie: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.g. Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 Do they give birth to live baby bugs or did she lay eggs that you watched hatch? Ah...that's the really cool thing we learned about Hissers. The female carries the egg case inside her body, and the eggs hatch there. Then they're "born" live. We missed the birth part, which I'm guessing probably happened yesterday or the day before. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.g. Posted September 17, 2009 Author Share Posted September 17, 2009 You should post this on the 'you know you are a homeschooler when' thread. :tongue_smilie: You know, I hadn't even thought of that. Maybe I should. :D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ncmomo3 Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Ah...that's the really cool thing we learned about Hissers. The female carries the egg case inside her body, and the eggs hatch there. Then they're "born" live. We missed the birth part, which I'm guessing probably happened yesterday or the day before. Ovoviviparous! I remember that word from 10th grade biology class!! WOO HOO!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LibraryLover Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 What will you do with them? How far away from your house is your compost bin? Ok, I'm squicked. :auto: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tree House Academy Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Gross! Cool...but gross. Giant hissing cockroach times 28+??? Ewwwwwww Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Could you make money by selling them? Does E-Bay allow that?! (Who thought it kind of exciting and creepy at the same time when we got live ants in the mail this morning! You've got me beat hands down!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.g. Posted September 18, 2009 Author Share Posted September 18, 2009 I don't think you can sell live bugs on ebay, and I'd worry about mailing them to people even if I could. Can you imagine what would happen if the box got damaged/ripped?!?! Not to mention, several states require a special permit for the biological supply company to ship you roaches, I'd hate to see what it would take for me to ship them somewhere myself. I might sell them locally, maybe see if any of the homeschoolers around here want a few. For now, I think we're just going to keep them all and watch them go through the 6-month growing up stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.g. Posted September 18, 2009 Author Share Posted September 18, 2009 Could you make money by selling them? Does E-Bay allow that?! (Who thought it kind of exciting and creepy at the same time when we got live ants in the mail this morning! You've got me beat hands down!) Oooohhh...are they the big harvester ants?? DS wants some of those, too...I told him we had to wait until spring, since we have so many bugs already. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Oooohhh...are they the big harvester ants?? DS wants some of those, too...I told him we had to wait until spring, since we have so many bugs already. Yes, they are the big harvester ants. We had quite the scene when I tried to tip them into the ant farm and some of them ran for freedom. I had ants, a cat and two children under foot until I shooed everyone but the ants out. I did get all the escapees (except for two who ended up going down the drain). They have started to burrow already. The cat is so fascinated by them. He sits with the ant farm between his paws just staring at them while they work! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
d.g. Posted September 18, 2009 Author Share Posted September 18, 2009 :lol: My cat will sit on TOP of the roach terrarium with nothing moving but her tail tip. Twitch...pause...twitch...pause...twitch. I swear, it's her favorite non-eating-related occupation. And YIKES! on the escapees. Giant roaches, I can manage; ants running around free would get me twitchy. I can't stand the little buggers, they always seem to get around my anti-ant defenses and invade the kitchen. Did you manage to avoid getting bitten while rounding up the daring adventurers? And while we're at it, which brand of ant farm do you have? I've been eyeing the fancy AntWorks gel ones, but haven't heard any personal reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slartibartfast Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 We have an antworks farm but just the basic thing. Dd got it for her bday. We need some ants. Where did you order the ants? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean in Newcastle Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Did you manage to avoid getting bitten while rounding up the daring adventurers? And while we're at it, which brand of ant farm do you have? I've been eyeing the fancy AntWorks gel ones, but haven't heard any personal reviews. We have the Antworks gel one - the basic one, I think. The ants come live, in a small vial that was in a padded envelope. There are coupons with the ant farm. We chose the one from Life Studies. We ordered it off the internet. The ants came with a paper that warned in large type CAUTION! DO NOT TOUCH THESE ANTS. (They will sting.) I did not get stung because I used a combination of a dustpan and a sheet of paper to capture the escapes. So far, I am happy with the ants. Apparently they will only live for 3 months, maximum. I was surprised to find that out. But they seem to be happy ants. They have burrowed in little looping tunnels. They take the excess gel out the tunnel doors and are building little ant hills in there. My ds thinks they will use the ant hills to make an all out assault on the lid and on to freedom! We have them in the bathroom. One unexpected twist is that if the bathroom light is off, they think it is night and will all go to bed in their tunnels. But if you turn on the light, they will immediately think it is day and will scurry out of the tunnels and start right in to work again! There is no slow, getting acclimated to the day stuff for them. We have an antworks farm but just the basic thing. Dd got it for her bday. We need some ants. Where did you order the ants? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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