When “Vacation” Turns into Chaos: Truck Troubles, Spider Wars, Feather Explosions, and a Breeding Boom

This past week was supposed to be our staycation. You know, that magical little break where we could finally catch up on winter prep, finish barn projects, and maybe even relax a bit. The plan was simple: winterize the barns, put in new flooring, seal everything up tight, and head into the cold season feeling ahead of the game.

But life on a homestead, especially one that involves roaches, chickens, turkeys, and the occasional uninvited guest, rarely goes according to plan.

Truck Parts finally arrived

Coop Cleanups, Spider Battles, and Feather Snowstorms

With the big flooring job on hold, we turned our attention to the chicken coops. We repaired, sealed, and reorganized them to get everyone ready for the chillier nights ahead.

That is when the next wave of chaos hit. Almost all of our chickens and turkeys decided that this was the perfect time to molt. Feathers everywhere. It honestly looks like a pillow fight happened outside, and the pillows lost. Every breeze sends a flurry of feathers drifting across the yard like confetti after a barnyard parade.

Poor Bones!

Meanwhile, the barns had their own problem. As the weather is cooling, the spiders started moving in and setting up shop in every corner. While we love keeping things natural and chemical-free, having webs in every direction was not part of the winter decor we had in mind. After some research and testing, we found a safe, natural way to keep them under control, though clearing everything out has been incredibly time-consuming.

The Great Toad Safety Meeting

Just when we thought the week could not get any stranger, Chris discovered a toad in the driveway that had apparently met its end after a run-in with a car tire. Being Chris, he decided this called for immediate action.

Safety Meeting with Chris

He carefully gathered all the remaining toads he could find in the driveway, called an impromptu safety meeting, and gave them a very stern lecture about the dangers of hanging out in the middle of a driveway. After the talk, he gently relocated the entire group to the back of our property, where they could live out their days in peace, far away from tires and trouble.

If you ever wondered who handles toad relations here at LunaRoaches, now you know.

Growing Pains: Sales, Subscriptions, and the Breeding Slowdown

Another curveball this season has been the side effect of growth. With our recent price drops and increased sales (thank you all for the amazing support), we hit an unexpected snag when our barns simply could not keep up with the surge in demand. Our large Discoid roach colonies, in particular, are feeling the pressure. Right now, we are barely keeping up with subscription orders, which means we have had to pause individual large-size listings for non-subscribers.

That also means the breeding kits are temporarily out of the store because every single momma roach we have is now on deck helping us rebuild our breeder stock. It is the right call for the long-term health of our colonies, but it makes things a little tight in the short term. Subscribers still get first pick, and we are already working on expanding capacity so we can open things back up again soon.

Finally: Parts, Progress, and Picking Up Where We Left Off

The silver lining is that the long-awaited truck part finally arrived. If all goes well, we will have it installed today, and by Friday, we can finally head into town to grab the flooring and other supplies we have been waiting on. Homesteading and roach farming are full of unpredictable moments, but that is part of the adventure. Even when the plans fall apart, we just adapt, laugh, and keep moving forward. Sometimes slower than we would like, but always forward.

On the bright side, we came across this lovely lady who was trying to catch some Ants for us that had moved into the beehive. We fell in love with her and would have loved to keep her buuuuuutttt.... she was born outside and belongs outside and with that is now enjoying the wonderful landscape of our Passionfruit tunnel!

Isn't she the cutest thing ever?

What’s Next

Once the barns are sealed and the floors are down, we will focus on expanding our breeding capacity so we can get those large sizes and kits back in stock. Until then, a huge thank you to our subscribers and customers for sticking with us through the chaos. Every order, every message, and every bit of patience means the world to us.

Stay tuned for updates, a few behind-the-scenes photos of the barn makeover, and hopefully a winter with fewer spiders, fewer feathers, and better-trained toads.

Mel & Chris

Luna Roaches