Colony care questions

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SukiLove

Juvie Member
So I took the plunge and just ordered a dubia starter colony since I have a second beardie coming this week. I figure it will be worth the investment in the long run, and I find myself just watching them after I sort them for Nero anyways!

So I had a few questions for those with established colonies:

I intend to feed the roaches mainly fresh fruit/veggies but leave down dry food at all times in case. Has anyone had an issue with mites or fruit flies?

I'm using a somewhat clear plastic bin, do I really need to paint or cover it for them?

Is it true that they shouldn't be disturbed so I will need an additional feeder bin? Right now I've been sorting out Nero's meals while I put in fresh food for them, is that too stressful for them to breed?

Do they get enough moisture from the fresh food to not use water crystals? I put in fresh orange slices daily.

How often do you clean their bins? I plan on having a second bin anyways.

One more question, that has nothing to do with dubia, I have some small superworms that I'm rearing, do the beetles fly? I heard they can get pretty mean when messed with. :lol:

Thanks!

And I will introduce Soleil was she arrives! :)
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
I don't feed grain to my roaches but I got a mite infestation when I had a cricket bin. Huge pain to get rid of using a dehumidifier. I started microwaving the grain in batches and then cooling it before putting it in the bin to kill off any mites.

I just feed veges and orange slices to my colony and they are chugging along happily. I don't add water crystals for them. They get a lot of moisture from fresh veges and the oranges. I move their stuff around and change out the cardboard tubes every once in a while and it doesn't seem to bother them. You could probably feed off of your main colony if you wanted without it causing much issue. It's just tougher to sort. I haven't gotten into sorting them because I don't feed them off so I can't really say much on that. My colony is in a clear glass tank so I'm not sure that you need to block out the sides really. I keep mine in the basement so it's relatively dark a lot of the time though.

I have some superworms that have been living in a bin for about a year. I haven't seen any beetles but they are pretty easy to care for. I just change out some of the bedding/food once in a while and put a fresh leaf on top every once in a while so they can pull it into the bedding and eat it for hydration.
 

SukiLove

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Thanks Cooper! I think I may have to paint or cover the bin, they're being kept in my reptile room (spare room that has been taken over! :lol: )

I prefer to feed fresh, we always have plenty of fresh vegetables and fruits here. But I hate fruit flies! I'm hoping that as long as I keep it changed out regularly I can avoid them. We had a nasty infestation of fruit flies last year, they were everywhere! Think it was because we had such a wet winter and spring.
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
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Yeah I suppose that depends on the season and environment. My basement has been dry all winter but I haven't kept them during a summer when it tends to get much more humid so we'll see. No fruit flies so far and the veges tend to dry out after a day or two so I replace them.
 

Kessed

Hatchling Member
I've been vermacomposting with red worms for years. I know it's different... But, after a few fly (both fruit and regular) incidents, I started freezing all my veggie scraps. I have 4 yogurt containers in the door of the freezer. I just add my scraps to those in order and when I need to feed my worms, I take one out and let it sit on the counter all day to thaw. (Or it thaws fast on the microwave defrost setting)

Freezing kills any flies that are on the veggies and also breaks down the cell walls so that it's easier for the worms to digest and they get more out of it. I don't see why this wouldn't work for other colonies. I'm planning to do with with my mealworms.
 

SukiLove

Juvie Member
Original Poster
So I got my colony starter today, have to admit I shrieked like a girl when I saw the adults! :oops:

Suki was NEVER big enough to eat them! Of course, I got her late in life and her care had been adequate at best; she was barely 14" long. So that ran through my head when I was thinking about what I would do to keep the colony in check. Hopefully Nero and Soleil will be much larger than Suki was.

Do they make noises? (Other than the movement ones) I could swear they were not quite chirping but were making it clear they did not like being moved into their new bin. :?: I may have to have some sort of ambient sound machine in that room now, or no one but me will ever go in there!

At least I know none of the leftovers will go to waste now, I'm gonna stick the breeding colony into the dark closet and just leave them be until the fall. I will feed them of course. :D But I will just keep ordering some feeder dubia until I get it going.
 

CooperDragon

BD.org Sicko
Staff member
Moderator
From what I've heard, they just make a rustling sound when they scatter if you enter the room. They don't bite or jump etc the way crickets do. MUCH easier to interact with and care for. They do go to town on scrap veges (they especially like squash and oranges) so they work very well as composters.
 

SukiLove

Juvie Member
Original Poster
Probably much easier to work with when I don't want to go screaming out of the room. :lol:
I will admit that I knew what the adult sizes are, but seeing them in person is a whole different perspective.
 

Taterbug

BD.org Addict
I have gotten fruit flies and phorid flies - fruit flies when fruit went off and the phorids when the frass got wet and sodden. Not feeding veggies or only feeding what will get eaten in couple days keeps most problems away (smell, excess humidity, pests).

I had a kite infestation when I fed chicken feed. I think I've been only feeding fresh produce (no water gel, and infrequent dry chow) for a year now and they have actually been doing much better.

I keep a big colony in my basement, and have been keeping a smaller colony in my living room in a terrarium, they are doing fine. The light cycle doesn't bother them too much (they spend the light hours hiding) and they are fun to watch when it gets dark. I've been feeding out of the big colony for a couple years and with just one dragon I've had problems with over population more than not enoigh.

I've not seen my darling beetles fly.
 

SukiLove

Juvie Member
Original Poster
I have 2 baby dragons, so I'm hoping by the time to colony gets going they will be big enough to really enjoy them. I also have 2 Leo's, so I'm sure they wouldn't mind eating some of them too!

I don't think I will feed them anything but fresh scraps, I've never liked the "chow" idea and often wonder what's in it that is going to make it into my reptiles.

The adults are kind of intimidating, I think I will get used to them after a while like I did the young dubia. I still can't believe that the beardies get big enough to eat them! Suki seemed so small to me now, she could never have eaten one of the adults it would have killed her.

Hopefully I won't have any pests to deal with.
 

SukiLove

Juvie Member
Original Poster
So here is a random question, is it necessary to introduce fresh genes into the colony after a certain point?

I'm not sure if insect genetics work the same as mammals and reptiles, but would it be more beneficial for sustainability? Just something that I was curious about.
 

coffeebutt

Member
I LOVE dubia after having to deal with disgusting crickets for months with my beardie. I hated them they were loud and they had such a vile smell and were a pain in the butt to clean. I love the dubia, they make no noise they hardly smell and they don't jump and fly around like stupid crickets.

I bought a tote bin for $5 and use that; you could always use black construction paper on the sides of your tank. Mine are in the laundry room so it's dark in there for most of the day.

For food they get my extra beardie scraps, so wahts left over when I chop up the greens and veggies and they go to town with that. I haven't had any issues (luckily) with fruit flies. I don't give mine water crystals because they would get gross and they get hydration from the greens...sometimes i mist the interior sides of the viv to make sure the humidity is good and they'll drink off of that. but i see they are molting without issues and regularly so i guess they are doing good :)

I don't feed them the chow I don't think that's necessary...I do get chick feed from my parents on ocassion and give that to them and W OW they love it. it'll be quiet and they'll all be hiding but when i put the chick feed in they start coming out trying to find it.

Plus mine are starting to breed now as i'm finding tiny ones when I haven't ordered any in a month or so. Hurray! it'll take awhile to start a colony i'm still working on it but man they are soo worth it. plus i love watching them scramble on the floor and seeing how fast my beardie snatches them up. she absolutely loves them.
 

coffeebutt

Member
I don't mind the tiny and juvenile roaches touching me or being on my finger as i feed my girl but NOPE I can't touch the huge ones that are about 2 inches. Not yet anywya haha that's what gloves are for though.
 

SukiLove

Juvie Member
Original Poster
My colony has been going for just under a month now, 1 female already had babies but she came pregnant. I've had about 3 adults die, but I have no way of knowing how old they were when I got them and they were the only casualties. I think I need to get the humidity up a little more, they seem to be molting fine, even my feeders that are in the bin on the shelf with no heat. The ambient air temp in the reptile room (where they are in the closet so it's dark) hovers around 78 degrees, and the humidity fluctuates from 30% - 40%. I think if I keep water crystals in there it may help with that, and since I am going out of the country I am going to use them because the person caring for my reptiles will not go near the adult dubia. :lol:

I've touched the adults, but haven't braved picking one up yet. I have a feeling that will happen when one gets out by mistake and I'm forced to catch it. :lol:
 

coffeebutt

Member
Yeah water crystals will def help with that.
Haha yeah i can nudge their backs but they can't be crawling on me noooo. god i am super careful so i don't have any getting loose! my fiance cannot stand them and is nice enough to let me have them so i am sooo careful.
 
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