How to start a Dubia colony

[Maize]

I just received my Dubia nymphs yesterday from http://www.aaronpauling.com. Packaging was great, everyone was alive and my little beardie is going crazy over them! Thanks Aaron! I will definitly be ordering from Aaron again, his prices are the best that I seen too!

I do have a question though. Since my beardie no longer will touch crickets and she loves roaches, I was thinking about trying to start my own colony. Right now I only have 100 nymphs and i'm sure I will need alot more and different sizes? If someone can help me or give me a list of things that will help me start off a colony of dubai roaches that would be awesome!


Thanks
Keith

 

[dawnki]

there are PLENTY of threads on this forum to help you get started.


Raising dubia is very easy and well worth the start up cost. How are you keeping your nymphs now? It's best to start with mix of 350-500---> adults, nymphs, juvies....and then give them about 6 months to establish their colony.

After that you will have lots of feeders and your beardie will L O V E you for it.

 

[Maize]

I have them in a clear large container with egg creates. Do I need to seperate the sizes for any reason other then size difference or just keep them all together?

 

[dawnki]

Some folks separate the sizes that they feed to make it easier to gather them up------personally, i just keep all mine together and then just pick out the correct size from my colony. This does disturb them but not for too long and they settle back in. Never had any problems this way.

You also need a heat source for under one side of their container. I use a human heat pad and this works very well------mine does NOT have an automatic shut-off feature which you don't want. Dubia like it REALLY hot---they hotter, the better.

You also need water crystals. I use these and mist the sides every few days-----I also keep mine in a very large glass aquarium as opposed to a rubbermaid. There are also some folks who are seriously against misting as it can create mold---which will certainly KILL your colony----i've never had this problem and attribute some of it to using a glass as opposed to plastic container.

Also----you just GOTTA have air holes in your container......

 

[whitewolfmueller]

What I use. Large long dark rubbermaid. Roachs don't like light. Took a drumal tool cut an 6x6 to 6x8 hole in lid hot glued screen to the hole. Several egg flats stood up on one side. Food, fruit offered every other day, and water crystals on the other side. 82-85 degrees and high humidity. Worked so far. Clean it out evey 2-3 months. Prob going to do the same with crickets. Ughh I just got rid of all my crickets and now I gotta bring them nasty things back. Misting is ok since females like it hot and humid to give birth as said above just dont over due it. Remember paper mildews and is very bad. When the flats are dry just give em a little mist with water bottle Dont soak it but make it moist. Oh yeah and dont make same mistake I did with crickets and give em substrate makes it hard to find the babies and lol it holds smell.

 

[Maize]

whitewolfmueller

I drilled alot of small holes into the top of the container, is this ok or do you think I need a screen? Also since my container is clear do I really have to worry about it not being dark? Will they die or not breed?

My beardie wont eat crickets, hence why im doing the roaches. I'm kinda glad though the crickets small so bad!

 

[whitewolfmueller]

They'll prob be ok. Lots of people use all kinds of things. I used the dark just because like most inverts they are nocternal. Insects dont need a lot oxygen the sceen I used was mostly to allow them to air out. Just keep food and watercrystals clean and fresh. Any fruit not eaten after 25 hours pull it out. If it looks like thier not breeding just pop em in a closet or wrap the the container in paper to block some light. Takes a few months to get a colony really going big. Easier when buy a mixture of adults and nymphis. Just judge by smell and what they are doing. Check paper if gets moldey throw it out asap. Taken em out and clean with a 10% bleach water solution after its good and dry pop em back in with egg flats. Paper is the worlds worst about harboring smells but if it looks too gross throw it out. Some of the Walmarts will give them to you when they get eggs and milk. Ask for some that don't have stuff spilled on it. Remember though there are naturally light and day cycles so when the lights go out their doing their thing. Thell just be less active during the day. Wont really hurt them though. Some breeders I know dont even use lids since they can't climb slick surfaces like plastic totes and glass. FYI baby roaches eat thier counter parts poo so with babies make sure the have a little to munch on.
Some of our many containers:
http://www.arachnoboards.com/ab/showthread.php?t=151414&highlight=dubia+colony

 

[adamcollier11]

You will want a screen because new born roaches are so light they can climb the sides and will prob would possibly crawl out the little holes. I would go with a metal or aluminum screen cuz I heard they may eventually eat through fiberglass screens like crickets do.