So I have inherited the cockroaches-- much to my roommate's excitement. They have been very sluggish and I have been a little bit worried about their health. I think it might be we are still in the middle of the winter but unfortunately I can't take the cockroaches to Hawaii. So...we decided to put them close to the heater, add a cotton ball with water and hope for a humid climate. After observing them for a couple of hours I noticed that they were still extremely sluggish but decided that maybe they were just tired from the fun weeks they had been having. There were a few apple pieces in the box but they didn't seem to be eating them. I've noticed that the cockroaches have been simply sitting in the toilet paper roll and haven't been coming out very much. I cleaned the cage and dampened the paper towel that was in the cage.
So about the puffy cockroach... Because the cockroaches hadn't been eating the apples, I decided to try a banana. I had researched on line a little bit and so towards the end of the week, decided to put in a couple slices for them to try. I noticed over the next couple days that the cockroaches had become a little puffy...I thought this was strange and tried to research a little bit about it online but couldn't find anything. I guess we will just have to see what happens, I will continue to monitor the cockroaches and see how they do.
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Thursday, February 10, 2011
Breathing for Cockroaches
I have taken the advice of the other peeps in my group that Ricky and Sticky like warm, humid environments. Therefore, I put a little bit of water in their box, and I stuck their box on the heater vent in my room. When I came back from an activity, they were both up and moving around a lot around the box- more than I had ever seen.
Previously I had noticed that their abdomens contracted and expanded at regular intervals, which I assumed to be breathing. It turns out that I was right- it is a form of breathing; however, I decided to look up a little bit more about the whole breathing process for the cockroaches when I heard a little *squeak* sound coming from them when they exhaled (similar to the one our noses make when they are a little stuffed). Here is what I discovered:
Previously I had noticed that their abdomens contracted and expanded at regular intervals, which I assumed to be breathing. It turns out that I was right- it is a form of breathing; however, I decided to look up a little bit more about the whole breathing process for the cockroaches when I heard a little *squeak* sound coming from them when they exhaled (similar to the one our noses make when they are a little stuffed). Here is what I discovered:
"Q21: Ajay writes:
Could You please let me know how do cockroaches breath?
A: Ajay,
Cockroaches, like all insects, breathe through a system of tubes called tracheae, a word similar to the name of the tube leading to our lungs. The tracheae of insects are attached to the spiracles which are small valved openings on the side of each body segment, excluding the head. Thus the cockroach can breathe without its head! The valves open when the CO2 level in the insect rises to an unacceptable level; then the CO2 diffuses out of the tracheae to the outside and fresh oxygen diffuses in. The tracheal system brings the air directly to cells because they branch continually like a tree until their finest divisions tracheoles are associated with each cell allowing gaseous oxygen to disolve in the cytoplasm lying across the fine cuticle lining of the tracheole. CO2 diffuses out of the cell into the tracheole.
Most insects do not have muscular lungs and thus do not actively breathe in the vertebrate lung manner. However in some very large insects the diffusion process may not be sufficient to provide oxygen at the necessary rate and body musculature may contract rhythmically to forceably move air out and in the spiracles and one can actually call this breathing. This might be associated with such activities as the energetic flight of the migratory locust."
info from: http://www.bio.umass.edu/biology/kunkel/cockroach_faq.html#Q21
A music update: Sticky (the more active, brown colored one) appears to be a little upset with loud noises. He raises and inflates his abdomen when loud music is playing. Sticky (the less active, golden colored one) mostly just hides out in the egg carton.
Update: Right after I wrote my last post, I turned off the music. I watched Ricky and Sticky for a little bit without the music. Almost as soon as I turned off the music, they stopped moving: antennas, everything. I turned "You and Me Together" on again at 7:27 and watched them closely. Both cockroaches started moving their antennas again! When the music stopped, they stopped! THIS IS CRAZY COOL!
Our experiment is the following: how does sound effect the emotions of our two little critters, Ricky and Sticky.
So there I wasI am just sitting at my desk, working on a lesson plan, listening to some chill music, when I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to observe the little dears. Here is my playlist and its corresponding reactions.
Andrew W.K. "She is Beautiful": Pretty hard core rock music- both cockroaches were completely still, no movement at all- not an antenna, nothing.
Pink "Glitter in the Air": no movement at all again.
Jack Johnson "Wrong Turn": Started moving head, and arms, antenna, body-- slight movements in these areas
Dave Matthews Band "You and Me Together": Moved quite a bit- head, arms, antenna, body--antenna moved quite a bit
OK! THIS IS CRAZY!!!!! SO, I switched songs, and Sticky stopped moving around again. I switched back to "You and Me Together" and he started moving around- actually walking around! Climbing on the paper towel roll! Not only that, but he started bobbing his antenna TO THE BEAT OF THE SONG!!!!! I think that I will start experimenting to see if this antenna-bob-age is just his natural moving speed, or if he could sense the vibrations of the beat.
Landon Pigg and Lucy Schwartz "Darling I do": Bobbing antenna to the beat of the song- very pronounced beat because it is a waltz. However, slowed whole body movement.
This is a little more bizarre that I was anticipating...
So there I wasI am just sitting at my desk, working on a lesson plan, listening to some chill music, when I realized that this was the perfect opportunity to observe the little dears. Here is my playlist and its corresponding reactions.
Andrew W.K. "She is Beautiful": Pretty hard core rock music- both cockroaches were completely still, no movement at all- not an antenna, nothing.
Pink "Glitter in the Air": no movement at all again.
Jack Johnson "Wrong Turn": Started moving head, and arms, antenna, body-- slight movements in these areas
Dave Matthews Band "You and Me Together": Moved quite a bit- head, arms, antenna, body--antenna moved quite a bit
OK! THIS IS CRAZY!!!!! SO, I switched songs, and Sticky stopped moving around again. I switched back to "You and Me Together" and he started moving around- actually walking around! Climbing on the paper towel roll! Not only that, but he started bobbing his antenna TO THE BEAT OF THE SONG!!!!! I think that I will start experimenting to see if this antenna-bob-age is just his natural moving speed, or if he could sense the vibrations of the beat.
Landon Pigg and Lucy Schwartz "Darling I do": Bobbing antenna to the beat of the song- very pronounced beat because it is a waltz. However, slowed whole body movement.
This is a little more bizarre that I was anticipating...
Friday, February 4, 2011
Improving the Habitat
Today I added some leaves to the cockroaches little habitat. I noticed that they seemed to be avoiding what I thought they would like on the ground in the tub; Megan had the great idea of making the leaves moist. I still need to do that, but I think that Ricky and Sticky will appreciate it. Hopefully it will become a little more humid for them as well.
So, Ricky and Sticky and I were in a little car accident this morning. Nothing too serious, but as I walked to from the Marriott Center parking lot to class with the cockroaches one of them climbed onto the damp cotton ball. He stayed there for a few hours. I'm not sure why--maybe it was an effect of the cold, perhaps he wanted to see from a new position. I don't know. But, it was a new behavior. I'm excited to see what other behaviors come about.
So, Ricky and Sticky and I were in a little car accident this morning. Nothing too serious, but as I walked to from the Marriott Center parking lot to class with the cockroaches one of them climbed onto the damp cotton ball. He stayed there for a few hours. I'm not sure why--maybe it was an effect of the cold, perhaps he wanted to see from a new position. I don't know. But, it was a new behavior. I'm excited to see what other behaviors come about.
Thursday, February 3, 2011
Making Utah a Little More Tropical
So, the cockroaches have seemed extremely sluggish. I haven't heard anything from them since picking them up from Whitney yesterday. Comparing their behavior in the past 20 hours to the first five or six hours I had them on January 20, I am wishing that they would be a little more active. They haven't been moving much, let alone fighting, and I am worried that they are sick or unhappy.
I decided to put them in front of the fire. My room's in the basement, so I figured that maybe they are cold. I put them in front of the fire twice today, and each time, the cockroach not in the egg carton moved to the wall of the tub right next to the fire. I think he wants to be warm. I wasn't sure if the wet cotton balls were giving much more humidity, so I put a wet washcloth over half the tub to hopefully build up some more humidity for Ricky and Sticky.
Maybe I'll put in some leaves or some pictures of Madagscar. They may never have been to their Motherland, but maybe they are yearning for that distant land. The second time I put them in front of the fire, the cockroach in the egg carton turned around (he's been head-down in there) and had his head sticking out. So, maybe he's simply been trying to conserve heat. I'll have to keep putting them in front of the fire and comparing that with their behavior when they are not in direct line of such warmth.
I decided to put them in front of the fire. My room's in the basement, so I figured that maybe they are cold. I put them in front of the fire twice today, and each time, the cockroach not in the egg carton moved to the wall of the tub right next to the fire. I think he wants to be warm. I wasn't sure if the wet cotton balls were giving much more humidity, so I put a wet washcloth over half the tub to hopefully build up some more humidity for Ricky and Sticky.
Maybe I'll put in some leaves or some pictures of Madagscar. They may never have been to their Motherland, but maybe they are yearning for that distant land. The second time I put them in front of the fire, the cockroach in the egg carton turned around (he's been head-down in there) and had his head sticking out. So, maybe he's simply been trying to conserve heat. I'll have to keep putting them in front of the fire and comparing that with their behavior when they are not in direct line of such warmth.
Wednesday, February 2, 2011
Moving again?
Tonight I smuggled the two cockroaches into my aunt and uncle's house; I don't think anyone knew what the plastic tub in the grocery bags was. Phew! Because after my mom's reaction to my participation in this project I don't want to tell my aunt about the new inhabitants of her home. Ricky and Sticky have been quiet, the haven't moved for the past couple of hours. While studying, I read that Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches like warmth and humidity. I put a couple of wet cotton balls into the container to hopefully add some moisture to the air; and if they get thirsty they can drink some water. I'm interested to see if I hear them moving around in the night; my bedroom gets pretty dark. One of the cockroaches has been sitting in the egg carton and the other has been hanging (better word?) on the wall of the container.
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