Dubia escapees

[remi1]

Hey everyone,

I'm doing some prelim research on starting a dubia colony but the question is: what happens if they escape?? We've had plenty of cricket escapees but they seem to die. At least, they're not breeding and causing a visible pb... (ignorance is bliss, eh?) So say a gravid roach female escapes... Does anyone have a pb w/this? Or are they easier to keep control of than crickets? And how long to they live?

Thank you!

 

[invictusrules]

I don't have any hard data on escaped Dubia, but I do have experience with the dreaded Lobster roach. My dog decided to chew on some egg crates inside the box (gross, I know - a Labrador with a negative IQ) and scattered several thousand Lobster roaches in the process. I vacuumed up every roach I could find (gad - the memory...) because there were just too many of the blasted things crawling everywhere. Well, the upshot was that I never found another live roach except one that disguised itself inside a colony of six-spotteds. The only ones outside the colony were dried up/six legs to the sky. And this was the height of summer, so if they were going to survive, they sure would have.

I think that's about the worst case scenario 'cause lobsters breed at the speed of light. (I got rid of the colony by arranging a close encounter with Mr. Sub-zero January a few months after the dog incident.) If lobsters won't colonize, there's no way a Dubia could. And unless you provide escape routes, the chance of Dubia escaping is pretty much out of the question. Unless you have a Labrador. :wink:

 

[DragonsInKansas]

I've lost a few dubia and I always find them dead in a day or two. They need very warn temps to survive (this is why they are illegal in Flordia) So if you live somewhere where it isn't super warm year round.........then you're fine.

 

[remi1]

Awesome, thank you guys for the input! Since we've had snow on the ground for months already, I think it'll be ok. Lol, I don't have a lab, but what a funny story! :lol: :lol: It just sounds like something a lab would do.
Generally my apt doesn't get any colder than 68 or so, so hopefully that's enough to kill the little buggers.
Thanks again!

 

[romanfj]

Despite the fact that they are roaches, they will not survive due to temperature AND lack of available food.

Unlike the dreaded German cockroach which has given all roaches a bad name, all of the feeder species of roaches are tropical and require some fruit in their diet, as well as moderate levels of protein. A German roach, on the other hand, can live off of wallpaper paste for months.

I keep thousands of them on my back porch and don't have an infestation.

Frank

 

[azmodane]

Although not an expert but I have SOME experience and what I've experienced is the only reason I have gotten a cricket escape is cuz the lil bugger jumped as I was pulling them out of tub. Since Dubia don't jump and don't fly theres 1 thing don't have to worry about. As for crawling up the sides of tub or anything just put a line of packaging (sp?) around near the top and as soon as they hit that they lose traction and slide back down. It's been about 2 months now I've been dealing with Dubia and only time I've ever had one touch the floor is cuz I hit the "prefeeding" container and spilled em but they didn't seem too fond of the carpet and didn't attempt to run off.

 

[remi1]

This was something my fiance brought up that I don't think I ever would have thought of. I think that he, and myself included, had the impression that it's nearly impossible to kill a cockroach. Remember the roach Wall-e? This puts my mind at ease, though, and I do think I'm going to go ahead w/a dubia colony. Many thanks!!

 

[sbattisti]

This was something my fiance brought up that I don't think I ever would have thought of. I think that he, and myself included, had the impression that it's nearly impossible to kill a cockroach. Remember the roach Wall-e? This puts my mind at ease, though, and I do think I'm going to go ahead w/a dubia colony. Many thanks!!

If you want an inexpert opinion:

I just got my beardie this week. In preparation, I first got a dubia colony started with 25 adults. They definitely take some getting used to. Then, because my dubia colony wouldn't be ready, I got some crickets. The difference is like night and day.

In the cricket tub, it's like mass chaos. They're bouncing all over the place, constantly at risk for escaping, and it's totally true, they STINK TO HIGH HEAVEN. I've only had them for a week or so, and I've already lost 4 or 5 of them. Who knows where they are?

The dubias, on the other hand, are almost cowlike in their placidity. They speed up a bit if you hit them with the light, but otherwise, they're quiet and totally scentless. Now, since I'm not feeding from them, there's almost zero risk of them escaping. I'm sure once I have to start messing with them that will increase.

But still, the point is, after just a few weeks, I already kind of loathe crickets and much prefer dubias.

Just my 2 cents!

Steve

 

[ajkry2]

viewtopic.php?f=76&t=116131&e=0

a good, informal thread about general dubia care. its kinda like a faq :mrgreen:

 

[ez2bbad64]

I HATE CRICKETS!. but am forced to have them until my roach colony is large enough to feed all my dragons. just the other day my cat who enjoys playing with and eating crickets dumped the cricket bin and all the crickets got loose in the house! about 500 of the darn things! i am finding them everywhere! climbing up the wall,floating in the dogs water bowl and in the toilet.in the cabinets. in the dog food bin. in my shoes well you get the idea! my husband is really ticked about that! he gets woken up by crickets climbing on him! luckaly the cats are catching them and eating them as i havent seen nearly as many in the last couple of days and i no longer put the cricket bin on a shelf!

 

[romanfj]

FYI, for the cats, crickets can carry pinworms and, I think, tapeworms. I know for certain that grasshoppers can carry tapes.

Anyway, if a predator eats prey with worms, it can get them.
Frank

 

[remi1]

http://www.beardeddragon.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=76&t=116131&e=0

a good, informal thread about general dubia care. its kinda like a faq :mrgreen:

Many thanks, I read through this, very informative!


Holy crap about the loose crickets! I definitely feel your pain, though not to that extent. Once I was being dumb transferring crickets into a bin and accidentally let dozens loose into the apt. Kept finding crickets for a long while, but we don't have built-in cricket exterminators. My fiance (I have him well-trained ) never said a word and would just catch them when he saw an escapee and put it back in the bin.


From everything that people say about dubias, I have to admit I'm getting excited about starting a colony. I can't wait! I think I'm going to order from the roach ranch, people seem to like him. May sound like a stupid question, but from where does everyone get their egg cartons?

 

[DragonsInKansas]

I get mine form waffle house

 

[ajkry2]

any cafeteria or diner will do... just ask for extras around 1030am or 11am and they should have some for ya.

 

[azmodane]

If anyone is having trouble finding any just pay for shipping I got plenty to go around just send me a pm with addy and I'll get cost for ya