Dubia roach questions

[Strange_Evil]

Okay so first off we really need a feeder section lol.

I have a few questions about some dubia roaches,

- Do you really need a heating pad? I have been keeping mines at about 75f-80f on room temp and they seem to be doing good.

- Can i use a clear bin? Like one of the sterilite, i have mines (200 count) in a 16qt right now. http://www.spacesavers.com/Storage/Storage-Boxes/Sterilite-16-Quart-Plastic-Storage-Box-16-qt-Stackable-Clear-Tote

Pretty small, i actually planned to feed them off at first but decided to just breed them, ya know?

Also any good tips would really be helpful here. Thanks in advance!

 

[james.w]

I don't use a heat pad on mine, but I keep them on top of my Rhino Iguana cage on the basking side and they get some heat from that. I heard they breed better around 85-90. A clear bin should be fine.

 

[Strange_Evil]

Thank's for the quick reply Jame's. A extra heating pad would be a drag because thats a extra thermostat i would have to buy, unless i move the roaches near my other tubs where i have no space lol.

Clear bins are a go then,yes! I've also been feeding mines some oranges and pretty much what ever my beardies eat, i always chop up too much veggies, so they have been eating collard greens,squash and all the good stuff.

I read something about dog food being bad when your feeding them to reptiles, can't remember where or the specifics, any thoughts on that?

---

Also is 200 mixed with 10 adult pairs for $30 a good deal?

 

[Krissy]

Well cat food is better for the roaches because they generally contain 30% of protein in them if I remember correctly. Dogs are omnivores, so they have corn and grain products in their food while cat food just has meat products. We grind up a mixture of 50% cat food and 50% oats(Those are available in a big can at walmart for about $3 and we just buy whichever cat food has high protein while still being cheap). They like it a lot, but we also put those poly-something water cube things in there that you usually get to keep crickets alive. We have a small heatpad under one side of the bin we have them in because we also heard the thing about them liking it better at about 85-90. We covered our bin sides with paper grocery bags because Neeko read somewhere that you shouldn't let them have sunlight because a lot of sunlight or any light stresses them which makes them drop their egg sacks so they can't reproduce.
Strange, it sounds like a good deal but you should have 1 male to 3 female ratio. So I would feed the extra males to a tegu if he's big enough to not become impacted from it. They still reproduce well at the 1:3 ratio and you dont have to feed extra males if you pull them out and just feed them to your lizard

 

[westcoastroaches]

If your temps stay that constant temp, you should be alright. I myself use a regular heating pad under my bins on low.. That gets me an inside temperature of 90 degrees for a few hours a day.

As for the clear bin, I would use one that blocks all possible lights. Roaches like to live and breed in the dark.

TIPS.

CAT FOOD IS NOT THE BEST FOOD FOR ROACHES.

I use fresh fruit and vegetables daily. To most this would seem expensive, but when you use the items you currently have in your house and use to cook dinner nightly. Example of some thing you can feed them. Potatoes, potato skins, oranges, orange skins, cucumbers and skins, mango, apples, collards, mustard greens, kale.

Most times you can use the items in your kitchen that humans don't typically eat. When you skin your vegetables, save them and feed them to your Dubia.

Make sure you keep your moisture at reasonable levels. An excess moisture over a longer period will produce mold and mildew.This will surely kill your roaches.

Do not leave food in bin for extended period of times.

Use water crystals instead of actual water. Water will drown your babies. Crystals will turn water into gel, and does an extremely good job of it.
Using dried water crystals in your bin will also help remove any excess moisture if it gets out of control.

We carry Dubia roach chow, and dried water crystals on our website well below any other websites.
We currently have a special running for 1 lb of chow and 1 oz of dried water crystals for .01 plus shipping. This could be a great start for your colony to ensure health and growth.

I wish you luck on your colony.

You can find us at WestCoastRoaches

We breed 30k plus Dubia roaches per week using the details described above.

Admin,
WestCoastRoaches

 

[james.w]

Unless you feed cat/dog food to your reptiles, which I don't reccomend, I wouldn't feed it to your roaches. You want them to be full of food that would be healthy for your herps.

 

[westcoastroaches]

Unless you feed cat/dog food to your reptiles, which I don't reccomend, I wouldn't feed it to your roaches. You want them to be full of food that would be healthy for your herps.

Indeed. Even an apple core your kids didn't finish will be a suitable meal for the roaches. Look around your house and you will find better alternatives than dog or cat food.

 

[Strange_Evil]

Thank you,very very helpful!

 

[tora]

I kept my roaches on my cable box for heat.

 

[Strange_Evil]

I kept my roaches on my cable box for heat.

Brilliant lol, i might have to do this.

 

[westcoastroaches]

I kept my roaches on my cable box for heat.

Brilliant lol, i might have to do this.

Unless you live in a cold place, you should not need much heat applied to them The thrive between 70 -90 degrees. That is usually a range most houses are at. Most have issues with moisture, more than heat.

 

[Strange_Evil]

^^ GOOD to know! With all these bulbs and cages putting off heat in my room, it stays pretty warm.

 

[westcoastroaches]

^^ GOOD to know! With all these bulbs and cages putting off heat in my room, it stays pretty warm.

Just pay close attention to the enclosure you keep them in and all should be good to go. Stick with plastic bins vented for air and egg crates. Use water crystals instead of water and feed em everyday your going to be alright.

 

[JohnMatthew]

You don't even need to provide water crystals if you keep fresh fruit in with your roaches. I only use water crystals when citrus isn't in season and so too expensive. Normally I see a population explosion when keeping a fresh supply of oranges in with my discoids. When I need to cut the colony back I usually do one of 3 things:

1) stop offering citrus
2) freeze a bunch of em(good to mix in with turkey, liver, etc)
3) bring down the heat(mid 70s and mine slow down quite a bit)