Dubia Cannibalism question

[raegsmith]

I've been raising Dubia for almost a year now and I've just started to recently notice that right after the shed the Dubia are very suseptible to getting attached by the herd. I've noticed it in 5-6 times in the last few weeks. I could have been happening all along, but I've actually seen it live. The adult males seem to get it the worst, but I've noticed a few females getting eating by small to medium right after the shed, while their still white in color. Anyone else see this happening? Anything that can be done about it?

 

[Claudiusx]

Are you feeding them enough protein in their diets?

-Brandon

 

[raegsmith]

I think so. I feed them a combination of oatmeal, bran flakes, chicken pellets, and cat food. The cat food is 30 percent protein, I think the chicken feed is 18 percent. I should I be feeding them higher than that?

 

[Bailey91990]

I noticed similar things with my colony before I upgraded it. They were eating the males wings which they do if they dont get enough protein. You sure there not just crawling and sitting ontop of eachother?

 

[raegsmith]

Im 100 percent sure. I watched about 10 babies devour a medium size nymph as it was coming out of it's shed. I moved it another part of bin when I seen it being attached and as soon as sat it back down several more pounced on it. I've been dealing with the males getting their wings chewed on forever. No matter what I feed them...but this other thing is completely different. The most recent attach i noticed was on a female. She was still white and alive and had about a quarter of her side missing. I looked to be chewed on.

 

[Bailey91990]

It sounds like your giving them enough protein so I dont know. Just feed them more often I guess. I keep Roach CHow in my bin 24/7 along with Fruits. I keep my Fruits in there till they either eat it all or for 2days whatever comes first & then I take them out & put new ones in. Try adding more hiding spots more egg crates and paper towel rolls. Even add Paper Towels in their if you want. THats weird. Might just be unlucky =/

 

[shara]

How much protein is enough?

 

[Bailey91990]

I'm not sure. I don't think there is a correct number with that though, some roaches are going to want to eat more and have more protein then other roaches who dont eat much. My Roach colony i have now about 100females and about 40males 200medium-large nymphs and probably around 500-600babies and I dont see many of them eat & I check often throughout the day n night. But then again I just upgraded my colony it was 25females and 10males with 300babies. JUst upgraded last week. Your giving them enough protein I believe. How big of a bowl or holder are you using to put the Roach CHow in and are you putting in as much as it could hold? And how often you give them roach chow? How often you give them veggies and fruits?

 

[unkempt1]

Babies eating larger nymphs? That behavior is bizarre; I've never heard of it. It wasn't already dead? And it was eating the roach, not its shed? Can you take a pic of your bin and setup?

 

[raegsmith]

I saw it happen again last night. 2-3 medium nymphs and several baby nymphs chowing down on a newly molted female. She was completely white so she hadn't molded for more than a few hours. She was almost completely eaten when I opened the bin (was about to place more food in the bin). She was still crawling, but half here abdomen was already gone.

 

[Gail]

Cut out the bran flakes and oatmeal, give more higher protein cat food.

 

[Bailey91990]

Honestly I think you got some F'd up roaches lol. I heard them eating the males wings and shed. But all out eating another roach, damn, they need to leave the bath salts alone! lol. If by now there still doing it, I hate to say but I would throw the roaches out. Or actually keep them just incase, and get more roaches and start different colony.