Cockroach Diary

06.21.08 - Two years later

Yikes. The Cockroach Diary has been off line for over a year (after changing web hosts). It would still be tucked away on my hard drive if not for a friend. His little girl wanted to read it because she wants pet cockroaches so here it is, here they are, for her and anyone else interested in this ancient family from earth's primordial beginnings... the life and times of three giant, hissing Madagascan cockroaches living in the Nevada desert.

Delicata, Nugget and Ha'penny are gone but their lovely, shinny dry shells remain together in a small brass dish on my music table. You know what I regret most? Seems there are always regrets. What I regret most is that I did not interact with them more. While I'm not sure Delicata would have liked riding around on my shoulder, she could have tucked in under my hair. She liked tucking in and being very still. So, maybe. But Nugget, the adventuresome one, she would have liked seeing more of the world. No doubt about it. Ha'penny? Again, I'm not so sure. Looking back, she may never have been all that well. She never attained full size and, although she was the youngest, she was the first to die. She liked snuggling up with the others. I believe those were her happiest times. But Nugget would have liked more walkabouts. I wish I'd taken the time to provide them for her. I don't believe anybody likes living in a cage, even if it is the only safe place to be. Anyway, I will add a few more photos just to wrap things up and, this time, it won't take two years.

NOTE: La Danza is not available at the moment. Roy is going to repost it but until then, you will just have to imagine three cockroaches dancing.

06.12.06
Roy from The Busy Bee Cafe wrote some lovely dance music for Delicata and friends called La Danza de los Treis Insettos Elegantes. Makes me smile to think of it. Thanks Roy! I'm a little reluctant to finish the story. The 3 of them are tucked in together on my music table...Nugget, Ha'penny in the middle, and La Delicata side by side...among a few of my favorite things, the Lady from Beaver Damn Wash, who we found wedged into the crotch of a giant old cottonwood growing beside the stream, a shark bone a poet I met in the Yucatan gave me and a copy of the Holiness of Potatoes, a lovely poem we would have published in Ash Canyon Review had not a Seattle paper grabbed it first. Anyway, I haven't forgotten or maybe I should say I haven't forgotten enough yet. I did finally throw away the terrarium though. It was a wreck, that big crack being held together with shipping tape, so was no use to anyone. That's only been gone a week, so you see, by asha time, things are clipping right along. By the way, Amy commented that after following the lives of Nugget, Ha'penny and La Delicata, she decided to raise some cockroaches of her own. Be sure and visit them at The Giant Cockroach Journal.

It's nice knowing that Delicata's last orange was really sweet, nearly as sweet as the oranges she enjoyed two years ago and those were the sweetest oranges I remember. It's, well not sad, but I'm touched that nearing the end of her life,
Delicata produced two othecas, her effort to secure a future for her kind. She was just a bug but I miss her when I come home. I had a habit of glancing at her terrarium to see if everything looked okay. And I still look over at her spot
whenever I go to or from the kitchen and feel a bit incomplete not saying hello to her when I get my coffee in the morning. Because of spring cleaning, the terrarium was on the kitchen table the last few days before she disappeared.
She hung out by the glass and, in my typically sentimental way, I felt like she wanted some company, so I spent time with her, reading. I'm glad I did.

I'll post more photos later. I'm in no hurry to break their world down. It will be gone soon enough so, for now, things are pretty much as Delicata left them. I've started a little piece for the piano called Coda for Three Cockroaches and will post it at some point, although it may never seem quite finished.

....05.15.06.....~.La morte di La Delicata.~......
She left her body behind, facing east, nestled in the soft bedding outside her hut and so ends the story of the three hissing cockroaches from Madagascar...Ha'penny, Nugget and La Delicata. photos and a recent short video clip of Delicata yet to come...

05.14.06
No Delicata and I'm not sure she's been eating lately so I put a new orange slice out for her tonight. If she doesn't eat any of it by morning I'll have to look for her tomorrow. I've been putting it off. I don't want to do it but, one way or the other, it's time.

05.11.06
I haven't seen Delicata since she borrowed into a big pile of bedding a couple of days ago. However, she's been nibbling on an orange at night so I guess she's okay. Odd though. She loves the hot hut and since Ha'penny died almost never leaves it. I hate to disturb her but if she doesn't move back soon, I'll have to take a peek to see if she's still alive.

04.16.06

Delicata has finally settled down after a couple of bad weeks. Coincidently, her mood improved immediately after Fatty Leland moved to the river. Suspicious. Mr. Lee thinks Fatty was probably bothering her at night. She always has a pile of goodies on hand. How horrible if he'd managed to get into her little world. He was a pretty crafty guy. I wouldn't put it past him. I'm glad I still had the rocks on the top of the screen covering her terrarium. Who knows? That may have been all that kept him out. When Nugget, Ha'penny and Delicata first arrived, I read how strong Madagascan cockroaches are supposed to be so I put four rocks on top of the screen to keep them from muscling the lid off and getting out. I know I over did it but I wasn't sure what they might do and didn't want anything dreadful to happen. These days, there's only two rocks on the top even though Delicata is now too old to even climb the glass. I just feel better with them there. Anyway, Fatty Leland has joined the other twenty-nine Leland's out at the willow grove by the river and harmony has returned to Delicata's little desert oasis.

O4.04.06
Delicata is still in a horrible mood. She hissed like crazy this morning when we were in the kitchen. It's only separated from the front room (where she is) by a narrow breakfast counter and at the moment that is way too close for her. Since the other day, the ootheca has been moved into her house and when I peeked I saw she was standing near it ... yes ... hissing at me. The last time she produced an ootheca I removed it from terrarium. I'll leave this one. What the hell? It's like a toenail. No problem leaving it there.

04.02.06

Delicata's very crabby today and hissed me out of the front room. I've got the whole house to bump around in and she is confined to a very small world so respecting her mood was the least I could do. Sometime yesterday, she laid an ootheca, surprising at this time in her life but there it is. There's a bit of blood on one end, something I've never seen before. Very odd but she always was the most maternal of the three so I suspect she's feeling a bit protective at the moment. Other than that, she's been been enjoying a tasty Manila Mango for the last few days, which she seems to like second only to a sweet orange.

03.04.06
It's pretty quiet around the Ha'penny Hot Hut these days. Delicata is working her way through a slice of orange, a bit of fig a bit of apple and the usual crumbly food. No news is good news, I guess. One thing. When I say goodnight to her these days she often responds with a tiny, little hiss. I say she's saying "good night". The BF says she's saying, "so get outta of here already". Who's to say?

01.21.06
I cleaned Delicata's terrarium yesterday and got a better look at her. It seems she is mostly over whatever was ailing her, for which I am much relieved. Maybe it's the healing power of the tasty orange? Probably what she would say. I put in some great new bedding that I highly recommend. It's called "crittercare, natural bedding for small animals." and is made by Absorption Corp. in Bellingham, WA. It's composed of reclaimed cellulose fiber and doesn't contain the inks, solvents, or dyes found in many recycled paper products so it's hypoallergenic. Most recently, I have been using aspen shavings as they don't have the aromatic compounds found in pine and cedar that are linked to liver damage and changes in blood chemistry. However, the problem with any wood shavings is that they are prickly and damned uncomfortable. "crittercare" is soft and expansive so it makes a nice, fluffy nest and fun place to burrow, something Delicata has not done in the shavings.

When I removed her hut to clean under it she didn't run like she usually does. I'm not sure if this is because she isn't feeling quite right yet or because she's warmed up to me. Hope it's the latter. Anyway, I put my finger in front of her and she tapped it a bit with her old, broken antennae. Then I just sat and watched her for while. I have to say, Delicata is one funny bug. She walked around the empty terrarium and I swear, because she couldn't find her house, she started cursing. She walked around and around muttering to herself; short little, under the breath curses, if you ask me. Before now, it never occurred to me that cockroaches might cuss, but they do. I'm sure of it.

01.18.06
Delicata made it through the night. She was very restless, turning in circles, sometimes bumping her hear on the wall but she stopped making the distressed sounds. Seems she just couldn't get comfortable and I can't tell if she ate any of the orange. She was moving around a lot this morning as well but this afternoon she's quiet. I don't what's up. I don't want to disturb her. I'm just keeping an eye on her. A lot of attention for a cockroach. I know. A bug. But hey, she's my bug.

01.17.06

It seems Delicata is not well tonight. She has been having intermittent spasms and making odd sounds, something between a sneeze and a hiss. I'm sad there's nothing I can do for her. At least she's in her little home where she's warm and safe ... except from death.

Well, there is one thing I can do...give her a nice, fat, juicy slice of orange, which I just did. I cut open all the oranges in the house and tasted every one but none were very sweet. The last time we had any really sweet oranges was a couple of winters ago. They were like candy. Delicata and I were both crazy for them. B.B. suggested I put some honey on the orange. An excellent idea. I only used a couple of drops and
smeared it thoroughly into the diced section. I certainly don't want Delicata getting mired in a puddle of goo. And who know? It might be just what she needs to shake this thing off.

Tonight is the 27th anniversary of my mother's death. I have a candle lit for her already so I put a good thought for Delicata into the flame. I know my mom wouldn't mind.

01.02.06
New Year Carrot Feast
Delicata has never been one to move around much but I watch her more closely since Nugget died. This morning she didn't respond when I said good morning and tapped on the glass so I opened the top and put my finger by her head to get a response. What happened next was a total surprise and very cool. Instead a withdrawing like I expected, she came forward and started stroking me with her antenna. Eventually she came completely out of the hut to rub against my finger. Whatever her reason, I was flattered.

Originally Delicata & Company came from the University of Southern Carolina. Apparently their (many) cockroaches love carrots and will eat a whole one in a day. Not so here. I've even shredded carrots, but nobody ever paid the slightest attention. Today however, for some reason, I decided to try again. After Delicata went back into her hut I shredded up a organic, baby carrot and put in her dish. Another surprise! She came right out, threw herself face down on the pile and ate a big (for a small bug) heap of carroty goodness. Around here it was big event so naturally I photographed the hell out of. It's in the shaky cam mode but what the hell? It was, after all, a wild, new year's feast.

12.25.05
This Christmas is the third anniversary of Delicata, Nugget and Ha'penny joining us and this Christmas Delicata is the only one left. Nugget died this September and Ha'penny the September before. Delicata is an old lady now so this may be her last holiday but I did everything I know to make it a good one. Before we left, I gave her a sweet, fat, juicy, fresh slice of orange, her favorite.

There was, however, a small catastrophe the day before we left. I cracked the side of her terrarium when I accidentally knocked a rock off the top of it. The glass broke, exploded actually, with a terrible sound. It was such a drag. Delicata's world is a peaceful place. Plus, she is a member of an ancient species that has lived peacefully on earth since long before we swaggered out of the jungle and that will most likely live peacefully here long after we stagger off into oblivion. Thinking about her simple life gives me a bit of relief from the unrelenting, mind boggling, soul draining shit storm of human news and events. When I cracked the terrarium I not only violated her tiny sanctuary, I violated the vicarious refuge I find there. To make matters worse, like a fly to shit, Mr. Lee instantly zoomed into the room and, seeing how distraught I was, could not help suggesting that perhaps one of Delicata's tiny legs would get stuck on an edge of tape and be ripped off. Evil bastard! But the tape is tight and smooth and the cracks are contained. I ran my hand over and over the surface checking for splinters or glue and found nothing. The rest is up to the god of small beings.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, cracked glass and all!

12.15.05
Seems La Delicata is doing just fine. She stays in the hot hut most of the time but she is working her way along another big, fat orange slice. Her favorite. This is her 3rd Christmas with us and the first one she's spending alone, without any companions from her own species. I talk to her a bit everyday. Makes me feel better anyway.

We're going to be leaving on Monday for a while and I've still got a lot to do before that, not the least of which is take Delicata over to the friend's house who will be looking after her while we are gone. Funny thing about Delicata. The other evening I said good night to her and she instantly came over to my voice; well as instantly as a 3 inch cockroach can do anything. The point is, she's never responded to me like this before. I think she's lonely. And why not? She certainly seemed lonely when Ha'penny died, at least she completely changed her behavior. Now that Nugget is gone and she's completely alone. I make a point of talking to her every day now, at least a "good morning" and "good night". I wish she had a companion but otherwise she's got a good life. I hope she likes it at Mike's. This probably sounds pretty wild, especially if you're just reading this diary for the first time, and maybe it is, but I don't think so. Words like "care" and "love" aren't just nouns and feelings. They are verbs, action words. I've caredfor these little guys for 3 years now, and in that time I've come to care about them. I became their well-wisher. What's love if not that? In cockroach years, Delicata is already a grand old lady but I hope she lives a lot longer.

It's a sad day here in the desert jungle. Yogi Nugget died. It was a few days ago, judging by how dried out her body is. I discovered it this morning when I went to clean the terrarium. It had become a shell and very small, not any bigger than
Ha'penny's. I find that odd as Nugget was a lot larger in life. She died in her favorite place, on the heat pad in the hot hut. The heat must have shriveled and mummified her. It couldn't have been more than a few days ago. She seemed fine last week. Funny, but on Monday I started thinking about writing a little piece called "Requiem for a Cockroach in B flat minor". That key reminds me of cockroaches because it has five black keys and is sad. I have to say, she had a good run and died an old lady at home where she felt safest. Delicata is alone
now.

08.08.05
Nugget's hot August night
It's a hot August night, the kind Delicata and Nugget, natives of Madagascar, thoroughly enjoy. I just wandered out into the living room and peeked in on them. It's around midnight, the time when they are most likely to be about. A fortunate decision. I managed to photograph Nugget dozing on the deck of the hot hut. If you look closely you'll see her midnight adventure ............

08.07.05
Seems like a diary entry is in order. It's been several months since the last one but time moves slowly in this little jungle in the desert. Delicata and Nugget seem to be doing just fine. I increased the amount of shavings on the terrarium floor and now they use a specific corner to poop. Connected? You decide. Also this morning Nugget spent a lot of time sweeping the area by the back door. Coincidence? Maybe. I think it's because they really love their little hut and have settled on a routine to keep it tidy. After all, they spend nearly all their time inside. To give credit where credit is due, Nugget does all the work.

Oranges continue to be the really big event, especially since I started dicing the slice into tiny squares. Now they eat a segment right down to the rind, even after the orange appears to have completely dried out. Mooshed bananas are okay but oranges? Heaven.

05.30.05
Delicata loves (sweet) oranges so after I cleaned the terrarium the other day I put a slice in the dish. She shuns ones that aren't sweet. I don't blame her. They have to be sweet. Nugget ran right back into the hut as soon as I replaced it but Delicata stayed out and feasted. She's a simple little bug. Lucky for her, the dangerous human world is far away, beyond the glass.

Ecstasy. Delicata feasting on an orange.

05.25.05
Spring has finally come to the desert although it seems winter jumped right over it and turned instantly into summer. Nugget and Delicata spent the long, cold season snuggled in the Ha'penny Hut but now that temperatures are climbing, they are too. Delicata was out on the block last night. My god, she's huge! Nugget is out right now, or at least was. I couldn't sleep so I got up and made myself a tall mug of steaming hot banana, soy milk with honey. Naturally, they got their share of banana. They're very shy right these days; been inside too long. I tried photographing Delicata last night, but she heard me rustling and slipped out of sight. Maybe I can catch a quick shot of Nugget now. Hold on.

03.28.05
I haven't seen Edgar Beetle for some time now. I've waited to mention it hoping he'd show up but I think it's finally clear that he's gone. Poof. Naturally, since I nearly flushed him down the sink last month I've been very careful changing the water. The last time I remember him he was in his usual place, hanging upside down from the screen but then he disappeared. I hope he didn't crawl inside the natural sponge that's in the water dish and end up down the drain after all. Bye bye Edgar. If you did die, I hope it was from ripe old age. Delicata and Nugget seem to be doing just fine. They're in the hot hut most of the time. We're still having cold nights here in Nevada.

02.18.05
Activity is at its winter low around the terrarium, but everyone's still doing just fine. Delicata and Nugget are getting kind of old but they're shinny and fat. They must be at least 4 or 5 years old now. That's a lot for a Madagascan cockroach, which generally lives only 2 or 3 years. Edgar Beetle is also doing just fine. I doubt he would have made it through the winter outside the terrarium. BTW, I changed things around in there again. I put a small terracotta tube on the top of warming hut. I'm hoping Delicata and Nugget will spend some time on it. All they do is stay inside the warming hut. We almost never see them anymore. Edgar Beetle doesn't associate with them at all. He spends most of his time upside down on the screen lid. Actually, there was a bit of excitement the other day, a near accident. I took the water dispenser out to refill it. I had it over the sink and was beginning to unscrew the lid when I noticed Edgar clinging to one of the wires encasing it. Luckily, he hadn't been squished. Anyway, it ended well. I pushed him off the wire to safety. Until then, he didn't seem to even notice the commotion. Perhaps he's trying to hibernate.

01.13.05
Lazy day at the Ha'penny House. Delicata is just hanging out by the front door. I put some Spanish moss in the terrarium as I thought Edgar might like to do some exploring and a small handful is a jungle to him. I bought everybody some veggie puffs the other day but can't tell if they like it or not. It should be okay. It's a made with small pets in mind. I feel pretty jaded doting on cockroaches these days with so many millions of people and critters suffering such terrible devastation from the tsunami but what ya gonna do? Trouble gets around to all of us eventually so I certainly don't have a sense of entitlement about the good days I, and we, are currently enjoying. However, I am probably one of the few people on the planet wondering how cockroaches were effected by the tsunami. The east coast of Madagascar, where these guys are from, is relatively steep and under populated so, last I read, there haven't been any reported damage or deaths, but that's just human news. And, there are cockroaches everywhere. Well, no tsunamis here in Nevada and there won't be unless the California coast is swallowed by the ocean and the Sierra mountains sink into the sea. We've got other things to worry about, such as the nation's nuclear waste being stuffed into Yucca Mountain. There's a disaster waiting to happen. It's not if but when.

Delicata outside Lab sign.
Ha'penny house.

01.01.05
Happy New Year from La Delicata, Nugget and Edgar Beetle. All's quiet in at the Ha'penny house. Edgar Beetle is still fat and happy and Delicata and Nugget are tucked in and warm. They got New Year's treats: cereal, fruit and celery. Nobody's been on a walkabout lately so I'm planning one in the near future.

12.10.04

Today is International Animal Rights Day. Write a letter. Do something nice for a friend. As much as
I'd like to, I won't be giving Delicata and Nugget their freedom today. They're far too far from home
to make a go of it, but they're doing pretty good here. Edgar is staying put too. He'd probably be
dead by now if he were on his own. They got a grape for a special, Animal Rights Day feast. Also, I
named their hot hut, Ha'penny House. Delicata hissed when she heard the news.

11.30.04
All's well these days. Edgar is still alive. Delicata is still touchy but hasn't been hissing at me quite much. But she's had another walkabout. This time she really jetted around, poking into everything. Nugget wasn't interested. She's content just lounging around in the hot hut.

11.13.04
The arrival of Edgar Beetle

The cockroaches now have a pet of their own, Edgar Beetle. It was Lee's

idea. Edgar's been hanging around the house for a few days but this morning Lee suddenly had this inspiration. At first, I was concerned for Edgar's safety but he reminded me that Delicata and Nugget are vegetarians, so they won't eat him. It's a lucky turn for Edgar; a safe house, good company and all the food he can eat. He's a cute little guy and pretty mellow and didn't seem upset when I herded him into a jar and transferred him to the terrarium. I added a few veggies for a welcome feast.

10.23.04
Nugget took right to hut. Delicata was a little slow adapting but after a few days she moved in. Then she got territorial. I came out this morning and said hello them and she hissed at me three times. Astounding. It's the first time she's ever done that. We take it to mean that she likes her new house and doesn't want to be bothered.

10.18.04
Big day today; the end of the tube. It had to go. No room. I built the hot hut and put the heating pad directly underneath, so it's nice and warm inside but that's only the half of it. Delicata and Nugget had a walk-about. I've never let them out before this this was a big event. I wish I'd done it while Ha'penny was alive but, unfortunately, I couldn't be bothered. However, the language on the heating mat box got to me. It refers to the pets as "inmates" and indeed they are. Of course, on their own, Nevada is a hostile environment and I am their unwitting jailer so to remedy this a bit I've resolved to let them out from time to time to stretch their many legs. I like to think of myself as respecting all life, so here's a chance to put.

Madagascan cockroaches are very slow moving and wingless so it's not hard keeping up with them. I left them in a big, open box while I built the hut but they didn't immediately run for freedom. I had to force Nugget out of the tube. They were both pretty listless at first but a slice of avocado got them going. I think they've been depressed. Don't bother lecturing me about anthropomorphizing. It would waste your time and mine. I took lots of pictures so here's a little photo journal of.....

The Big Walkabout ...

10.05.04
They are both still hunkered down. Even Delicata is pretty much out of sight.

09.28.04
Things sure have been different since Ha'penny died. I put the mat under the tube and a day later, Nugget disappeared inside and hasn't come out since. Delicata stays outside, on the glass above the mat. I miss seeing them all together on the end of the tube. It was a small thing but a reminder that, no matter how badly we humans mess things up, all is well somewhere in the world. I'm going to build a hot hut next time I clean the terrarium and then hopefully they will get together again.

I have sad news. Little Ha'penny is dead. We were out of town and there was a cold snap. The heat wasn't on in the house and it just got too cold for her. It probably sounds very odd but I will miss her. I enjoyed seeing the three of them snuggled up together. She never did grow to full size and was especially attached to Delicata. Mr. Lee thinks she may have been Nugget's offspring, born from one of her unfertilized oothecas. That would make her a "virgin birth" with only half the chromosomes. If that's true, it should account for her greater sensitivity to cold. Anyway, 30 degrees was just damn cold for a native of the tropics.

As always, the neighbor was checking in on them but when the cold snap hit it didn't occur to him to turn the house heat on. But I blame myself anyway. They should have had a heating pad all along. They are from the tropics and cold blooded. They can't generate their own body heat. I talked plenty about getting a heating element but never did. Tonight I did. It's a nifty little mat. I taped it to the outside bottom of the glass, plugged it in and it heated right up. It's sadly too late for Ha'penny but Delicata and Nugget are nestled in right now. very odd but I will miss her. I enjoyed seeing the three of them snuggled up together. She never did grow to full size and was especially attached to Delicata. Mr. Lee thinks she may have been Nugget's offspring, born from one of her unfertilized oothecas. That would make her a "virgin birth" with only half the chromosomes. If that's true, it should account for her greater sensitivity to cold. Anyway, 30 degrees was just damn cold for a native of the tropics.

It's funny the things we can get attached to. Mr. Lee and I were both really shocked when Ladyb

ug gave us the cockroaches as ourBig Present, Christmas 2001 but taking care of them changed that. Life is life, big or small and she became part of mine. So I will miss her now and then. I put a chunk of crystal in the terrarium to hold her place for me. Her absence adds its small measure to the mystery of things.



06.02.04

Nugget                     Ha'penny and Delicata

I'm back from Mexico and picked up the cockroaches yesterday. Good news! No babies. They didn't like my neighbor though. She said they hissed every time she opened the cage. Besides that, Delicata and Ha'penny hid in the tube most of the time, over three months. What's cool is the day after they got home, they started hanging out on the terracotta tube again and when I changed their bedding, I only got one, quiet little hiss from Nugget. That makes two hisses for me in year and a half. Whose yer mama?

ootheca
03.11.04
Cockroach babies may be on the way. Today I found Nugget in the process of extending an ootheca and rotating it, just as described at the University of Carolina site. When she was done, she drew the egg sack back into her body and then returned to the others as though nothing unusual had happened. I photographed the whole thing and am including a selection here. If you're squeamish, be warned. The photos will probably gross you out. I find them really interesting but I've had a year to get used the idea that cockroaches are cool. They are, after all, some of the oldest creatures on the planet. Their species will most likely still be around long after we've wiped ourselves out. The thing that make my stomach flip/flop is the possibility that when when we return from Mexico in a few months, we'll be greeted by thirty instead of three. I don't want to even think about that. I'm still hoping that Nugget is going through some kind of cockroach "change of life" otherwise little Ha'penny just may be a little dude after all. I swear, they all look like females but we shall see.

This is a time lapse series that took a couple of hours to photograph. The pictures are in their original sequence.

03.09.04
We're leaving for Mexico in about 10 days and a friend is going to take care of my little cockroach friends. We're planning to be gone for a couple of months so I hope it goes well for them. They all seem pretty content these days. It's been a month since Nugget started hanging out with Delicata and Ha'penny again and they are as tight as they've ever been. I removed their terracotta tube for a few days and put very soft Spanish Moss in its place. I wanted to see if they'd burrow in and make nests. They hated it so I put the tube back. It took a few days for them to get back into the routine. Until they did, they hid whenever I came around around. All's pretty much back to normal now though. The love fest continues.

Dark days with Spanish Moss Cockroach Pyramid of Happiness on the Terracotta Tube

During the time I had removed the terracotta tube, I found an ootheca (egg case) on the floor of the aquarium. It was a golden worm shaped case about an inch and a half long divided into many compartments. Each compartment is supposed to contain an egg. I'm just about certain that all three roaches are female so this was a surprise. I read that sometimes stressed females release the case before the eggs can develop but don't know if they have a one if they've never bred and I haven't found any answers on the web. I hope we don't come back from Mexico to find we have 60 more cockroaches than when we left. Lee thinks maybe Delicata is going through "cockroach menopause". I'll take that as an answer.

02.04.04
Well, the shrimp we got for Christmas are dead. Zip. Gone. Some self-sustaining world. I'm thinking they may not have gotten quite enough light, but who knows? As pets, they were about perfect. Don't tell Delicata, Nugget and Ha'penny I said that. They run a close second. But then, the shrimp are dead, aren't they and after all, how many heartbreaks can a person sustain in this loving-pets thing? I guess the cockroaches are the best after all and youcan them I said that.

As for life in jungle, Nugget is still hanging out with the others. Is this because of the warm sense of well-being that has spread through the tiny desert jungle since I put an orange slice on top of the brick? Whatever the cause, the gloom of recent weeks has broken. It's been a regular, damn love fest in there lately.

02.01.04
I gave the cockroaches a slice of a nice sweet orange last night and that seemed to perk up old Nugget. She's been hanging out in a crack for at least a month and I've kept checking just to see if she's even alive. This morning she was out with the gang. Coincidence? Who cares? Well, maybe Nugget.

01.21.04
I recently put some pipe insulator tubes in the aquarium for the cockroaches to sleep in. I thought they'd like them because it would be a warm crawlspace. They hate it. I've never seen them inside one of them, once. Nugget lies between one and the terracotta tube but I don't even know if she's still alive. I haven't seen her move ever since we got back from Oregon after New Years. Today or tomorrow, I'll get rid of the damn tubes, clean things up in there and see what's up with Nugget.

This year, once again, some other friends gave us a live gift for Christmas, this time three miniscule shrimp in a glass ball. It's put together by a company calling themselves EcoSphere. It's actually pretty cool. It's basically a self-sustaining world (with a little help from friends for proper temperature and light). So now we have cockroaches and shrimp for pets. Much as I appreciate the Gift of Life, I hope this Christmas pet thing ends with the shrimp.

Removed the insulation foam and checked on Nugget a bit ago. She's still alive.

12.20.03 Winter Solstice Eve
10 pm. I'm leaving in the morning for a couple of weeks so I changed the bug bedding a few minutes ago. I have to say, they really hated it. This time I took out the bricks. They are just to dense. In their place I put 3 tubes that I'm hoping will help keep everybody warm. They guys are from the topics after all and don'tgenerate heat on their own. The tubes are the kind people use to wrap water pipes so I'm hoping they will make things a bit cozier around the jungle. Everyone was thoroughly traumatized by my intrusion, but no one hissed. I think that's pretty cool. As a solstice treat, I gave them a chunk of fresh mango. I'll remove it in the morning. I've read that too much fruit makes cockroaches gassy. I've don't know if they fart or just bloat and suffer. Ever wondered if cockroaches fart? I never did before. If they do fart, I wonder what one would sound like.

About an hour later. Nugget and Ha'penny are still hiding. Nugget's in a crack and Ha'penny is hiding in plain sight by remaining motionless. La Delicata, on the other hand, has already dined on the mango and is currently washing her face. No wonder she's the huge one. Her body measures longer than my index finger so she must be about 4 inches long by now. Nugget is a close second and Ha'penny, as her name suggests, is the small one. That means she's now about 2+ inches long. Small, but that's quite a bit of growth when you consider that last year at this time, she was the size of a watermelon seed. She wasn't even supposed come with the other two but was so small she was overlooked and came along in the bedding.

The one year anniversary of their arrival is coming up... Christmas day, the present NOBODY ever imagines getting. At least, I never imagined getting 3 giant, hissing Madagascan cockroaches at Christmas or any other time, for that matter. Now it's already been a year. I'm still not letting them ride around on my shoulder nestled under my hair. I don't mind touching them (when necessary) as I did this evening to nudge them out of the way during an aquarium cleaning. However, they prefer being left alone and so do I. Harmony. But Christmas is coming. It's only 5 days away. Maybe you'll get cockroaches for Christmas this year. Ya' never know.

12.03.03
It has been said of the Kali Yuga that in end cockroaches will survive the humans. I believe I'm witnessing the basics of that here. The cockroaches have one virtue that we human are losing touch with. Patience. Of course these particular cockroaches are imprisoned so their movement is naturally restricted but waiting seems first nature to them. For example, Nugget has been in the space between the tube and the bricks for the last couple of days. It appears from day to day that she hasn't moved at all. I began wondering (and yes worrying) that she died. This morning she was still there, along with Delicata, so I rolled the tube back a bit and blew a puff of wind at them. I am the little god of this particular jungle. They both jolted then hunched up and waited for me to pass, which I did, being a benign god. Now they've abandon the tube for the moment and are clinging to the brick. Ha'penny, on the other hand, wasn't hit by the mysterious wind. She was outside, loitering by the tube. She hasn't moved at all.

11.25.03
The avocado has made it to New Madagascar and man, do the tre blatte (Italian for "three cockroaches) love it.
I generally don't buy avocados. They are kind of expensive but no longer. The staff is demanding they be an ongoing part of the cycle of treats.

11.15.03
The Terracotta Tube. This has been like heaven for the trio, especially the center of the tube where there's an indentation. La Delicata snuggles her fat belly into it most of the time. I believe that's because its tiny shelf keeps her from slipping down onto the bedding. I've taken many photos of them on the tube but just haven't gotten around to posting any. Sorry. I'm sure you're gripped with curiosity.

The Tube was originally made to be a nice terracotta container for a bottle of, what was probably fine, Italian wine. I found it at a second hand store. They love it. Given their taste for glue, they probably would have also liked the wine it once sheltered. The odd thing is that, instead of living inside The Tube where it's nice and dark, they prefer hanging off the outside. It's been great for us because now we can see them most of the time. The end of The Tube is very close to the side of the aquarium. I guess they prefer being in a narrow place to a dark one. Real crack dwellers. I can relate.

So, in the briefest manner, I've now caught up with the life and times of my Madagascan house mates and fellow staff members here at the Ashabot. When I can grab a minute, I'll upload some photos so you can see the glorious Terracotta Tube, heaven in Nevada, if you're a cockroach from Madagascar.

9.10.03
I've been greatly in the rears with the Cockroach Diaries. Much has changed since last April. First off, let me assure you that, clumsy as I am, I have not absent-mindedly stepped, squished or sat on any one of them. Nor have I, in a fit or horror or deflected rage, maimed or killed any one of them. In fact, in the nine months since these refugees from the Madagascan Rainforest brightened our lives, only one of them, and only once, hissed at me, that being the big fat pig, La Delicata. They have been living peacefully, going about their business as the Ashabot Night Crew and doing a fine job of it. However, since April they have made several residence changes.

When the diary left off last April, they had just moved into the Roach Motel, which was a step up from the bark chips they arrived in from the University of Carolina. They loved the motel. They seldom left it, in fact when I changed the bedding, they stayed in their room. You might ask then, why did they move out? The answer is, by the next time I changed the bedding, I'd built them a couple of little cottages that had formerly been tiny gift boxes. I thought they'd like them as there were two of them, each with little, coach roach size entrances and their preferred low ceilings. I got them two cottages to fit the social order. La Delicata and Nugget stay together and little Ha'penny is always by herself. Yes, there are no babies and, as it's September now, I guess it's safe to say they're all female. Anyway, one of the cottages was even bright red. Quite stunning. Maybe cockroaches hate red. I don't know why but they hated the cottages and spent almost no time in them at all as far as I could tell, so during the next bedding change, I got rid of them. There are no photos from this period because it was an unhappy one. I tore up the cottages and created Cockroach Manor.

Cockroach Manor was definitely a step up from the cottages. Delicata spent some time there but after awhile they all moved to the outer aquarium. Delicata and Nugget burrowed under the inner tank and Ha'penny spent most of her time in the cardboard tube next to it. Eventually, they discovered the glories of glue and ate all the glue off the tube. Little junkies. However, nice as the manor was and nice as living in the tube was, at the next bedding change they got the Terracotta Tube.

Sorry, that's all the time I have for the update right now. I have to finish getting ready for several days in the mountains. To be continued...

4.23.03
Things are back to normal, footprints everywhere.

4.21.03 - The jungle comes to the desert.
I put a small plant in the aquarium today. These cockroaches are from Madagascar after all which is a moist, warm jungle and Nevada is a cold desert. Seems they love the plant. The day after it arrived Ha'penny stayed in the tube near it all day.

4.13.03
No footprints yet.

4.10.03
Changed the bedding today. I was determined to figure out everybody's gender but unfortunately I still have my doubts. They got so freaked out, I didn't have the heart to pry them out for a closer look. They personify hunkering. All three were in the same egg cup clinging to the cardboard and burrowing under each other by turn. I even got a Q-tip and gently tried dislodging them but without much luck. Still looks like they're all females but that could be wishful thinking. Courting weather's coming up so, I've got to force the issue pretty soon, but not today. Took some great photos though and smoothed the dirt so I'll be able to see when they start venturing out again. Also added a cardboard tube in the outer space. If anyone stays there during the day, I'll be able to photograph them. We'll see.

A clutch of cockroaches(click photos to enlarge)

3.24.03
Today is the first day the cockroaches ventured out into the new uncharted territories. It took them two weeks to get up the courage. This morning there were tiny footprints running completely around the outer case. Cool.

3.14.03
Still no sign that anyone has explored the new surroundings. The new case is covered with soft, combed Nevada dirt and so far, no footprints.

3.08.03
Bought a larger aquarium for the roaches at second hand store today and put the smaller case inside the new one. As they use vertical space it adds a lot more room. Their new home is about 3xs larger than their traveling case.

2.23.03
I read yesterday that Madagascan cockroaches love carrots so I put three pieces in their bowl last night. This morning it didn't look like they even tasted them. Hard to tell. They're very light eaters. The two things they really go for are oranges and the stuffing Lee gave them at Christmas. They were so wild about it that they started eating in the afternoon.

2.22.03
Still no sign of the roaches so Lee finally peaked under the egg carton. There they were, all three of them. Delicata and Nugget were curled up together in one compartment and Ha'penny, as usual, was off by herself. So now the egg carton has been officially named, you guessed it, Roach Motel.

2.17.03
No sign of the roaches lately. Since we changed the bedding they don't sleep under the water dish any more. It's impossible to see if they're in the egg carton so I have no idea where they are, or even if they're all still alive.

Roach Motel. Moving day.

La Delicata & Nugget in old bedding	Moving day	Ha'penny, leaves last.
Baby Ha'penny, waiting in the bubble wrap.	La Delicata, checking out a piece of bark. The dark form under the layer's of bubble wrap is Nugget, hiding out.	The Roach Motel New home sweet home.

2.8.03
Here they are. La Delicata's the biggest one of the three. Of course, exactly which one is actually the biggest is up for debate. Anyway, La Delicata and Nugget are friends and lay belly up, side by side under the water dish all day. Ha'penny sticks to herself. Bad sign. Females keep males at bay until it's breeding time.

2.7.03
We changed the bedding for the first time today. I got the first good pictures of them. Also, we may be in luck. They may are all female. I sure hope so. I'll post some photos later.

1.30.03
Okay, after serious deliberation, Lee and I have come up with names. L1 is now La Delicata. She's very beautiful. L2 is Nugget. We live in Nevada, after all, so one of them has to be called Nugget. It's a Nevada tradition. L3, the hitchhiker with only one and a half antennae, is now Ha'penny.

1.28.03
It's a slow go developing a different attitude towards cockroaches. They are among the few species left that still creep me out. Some humans, of course, rank undisputed tops on the creepometer but my feeling towards cockroaches are changing. They've gone from shock, alarm and disbelief to curiosity and even a bit of wonder. It's kind of fun in the morning seeing the chewed edges of the fruit in their dish. It's time they got names.

1.15.03
I've been reading up about Madagascan Cockroaches lately. We haven't figured out what their sexes are yet but I'm very concerned that they don't breed. I'm okay with these three but I read that they produce up to 60 watermelon sized live offspring at a time; 120 babies in a pop would be overwhelming. I don't want to kill them, but I don't want a teeming colony either. Seems the males have a small "horn" on their head while the females don't. Looks like the two larger ones may be females but it's too soon to tell about L3. Too young. We're okay for the moment though. According to the experts, it's still too chilly for them to breed. They prefer temperatures to be around 80. Who doesn't?

1.03.03
We haven't see much of the roaches since their arrival. They're nocturnal creatures and spend their days sleeping upside down under the water bowl. Naturally, they're now part of the staff here at the Ashabot, the night crew. Besides the fact that they are cockroaches, another alarming thing about them is that, according to Ladybug, there was supposed to be only two but a baby hitched along, hidden in the bark. We don't know their sexes yet but Three is definitely a disturbing wild card. I can't believe the university sends out mating pairs on purpose but then again, maybe they don't care.

bottom
12.25.02
The newest members of our household are three giant, hissing Madagascan cockroaches, Christmas presents from Ladybug. She thought the place seemed empty without the pitter-patter of little feet. Lovely. For the time being, we've named them after her, L1 - L2 and L3. She's not too fond of that, but it makes perfect sense to me.

    Remember:

Don't scare them.

Experiment with different fresh fruits and veggies.
Find out what they like.

Treat them with kindness and respect. All living beings
         deserve that.

Keep learning. Google for more information.

Learn a little bit about Madagascar, their original home.