Dubia in summer?

[moose9]

The only way I can see them getting out is when you handle them for feeding / tank cleaning etc.

I'm just a little curious. I haven't had my roaches long but I would be really surprised if I had an escapee.

You right for the most part. Generally escapes happen while feeding or cleaning, at least in my experience. The newborn nymphs can climb certain plastic containers.

As far as infestation, I agree dmglakewood, not likely in the states with the exception of FL. Sure, they may be able to survive certain extremes as mentioned earlier, but they are not going to survive in a normal household setting unless you provide constant food and water. So if you live in a filthy environment with tropical conditions, then you may have to worry. I have had plenty of escapes and I have always found them dead. Again, just my opinion and experience with roaches.

-Greg

 

[Triage]

dubia can easily survive in a home....easily.

HVAC normally strives to achieve atleast 40% humidity for humans.....that is way more than dubia need to molt.

and temps, they will reproduce in temps below 70. How many months of the year is your house below 70 degrees?

Food and moisture also is not hard to find in a home.

Easier to kill dubia from extreme heat than extreme cold.

Alright, that seals the deal for me. My Dubia colony is going in the freezer.

 

[h2simms]

lol! :mrgreen: I have decided against it because my mom said if she sees one she will sell all my dragons!

 

[RoTide]

dubia can easily survive in a home....easily.

HVAC normally strives to achieve atleast 40% humidity for humans.....that is way more than dubia need to molt.

and temps, they will reproduce in temps below 70. How many months of the year is your house below 70 degrees?

Food and moisture also is not hard to find in a home.

Easier to kill dubia from extreme heat than extreme cold.

Alright, that seals the deal for me. My Dubia colony is going in the freezer.

Don't jump off the deep end.. While I'm not saying suzuki4life is wrong, I can't find _one_ reference anywhere of a blaptica dubia infestation. They are a very common feeder species and thus are found in many homes, yet I can't find one report of dubia's escaping and causing trouble of any kind.

Seriously, just google "Blaptica Dubia Infestation".

Again, I'm not saying it's impossible, I'm just saying that the chances are so low you can't find one confirmation of it happening.

 

[Triage]

Well, nobody ever wants to say Suzuki is wrong, but any time there is an issue with escaping or infesting the house or surviving outside of the habitat, Suzuki says they will survive fine in your house. In fact, he did an experiment a while ago to show that they breed just as easy in colder conditions than the tropical conditions we try to mimic with our totes. And then 20 other people say there is no evidence of infestation. I have had my dubia for about 10 months now. I have not had any infestation that I am aware of. But then again, Roaches like to hide in the dark, so how would I REALLY know?

My statement regarding putting my dubia in the freezer was sarcastic, but we should really find a definitive answer to this question once and for all. My sarcasm was meant to show what would happen if someone new to the idea was to come to this site and read JUST that post. I am 38 years old, so I have no mothers or fathers telling me I cant keep any bugs in my house (just a wife lol), but a lot of kids come here looking for information, they read that Dubia are the best and cant seem to get a straight answer from the breeders as to the likelihood of infestation. This really needs to be cleared (no pun intended clear) once and for all.

As Bearded Dragon owners, we love our pets and want to give them the best food available. If that is Dubia then we should encourage people to use that AND encourage them to raise their own to help offset the cost if that is best. If they shouldn't be raising them we should tell them to buy from the suppliers on the site. But if we cant agree on whether or not our houses will become infested, I think that is a HUGE problem.

*steps down from soapbox*

 

[RoTide]

Well, nobody ever wants to say Suzuki is wrong, but any time there is an issue with escaping or infesting the house or surviving outside of the habitat, Suzuki says they will survive fine in your house. In fact, he did an experiment a while ago to show that they breed just as easy in colder conditions than the tropical conditions we try to mimic with our totes. And then 20 other people say there is no evidence of infestation. I have had my dubia for about 10 months now. I have not had any infestation that I am aware of. But then again, Roaches like to hide in the dark, so how would I REALLY know?

My statement regarding putting my dubia in the freezer was sarcastic, but we should really find a definitive answer to this question once and for all. My sarcasm was meant to show what would happen if someone new to the idea was to come to this site and read JUST that post. I am 38 years old, so I have no mothers or fathers telling me I cant keep any bugs in my house (just a wife lol), but a lot of kids come here looking for information, they read that Dubia are the best and cant seem to get a straight answer from the breeders as to the likelihood of infestation. This really needs to be cleared (no pun intended clear) once and for all.

As Bearded Dragon owners, we love our pets and want to give them the best food available. If that is Dubia then we should encourage people to use that AND encourage them to raise their own to help offset the cost if that is best. If they shouldn't be raising them we should tell them to buy from the suppliers on the site. But if we cant agree on whether or not our houses will become infested, I think that is a HUGE problem.

*steps down from soapbox*

My sarcasm detector was broke, sorry about that..

Hmm, thinking about it, you could setup a simple test. If you don't mind sacrificing say, 2 females, get another bin, put a male and 2 females as well as a few nymphs of different sizes in and put it in a cool corner. Then _rarely_ add water/food. Unless you have leaky pipes or see them scampering into/out of sinks, they aren't getting water readily. Also just add a few crumbs here and there.

As long as your house is relatively clean and there is no water source available the test will be somewhat realistic.

See how they fare.

I have a feeling the no water portion will kill them a lot faster than no food.

You could also simply segregate them while starving and keeping water away entirely. See how long a few last. If they can go a month without any sustenance, I suppose it's more likely than not that they can find a way to survive. If they can't last more than a couple days without water, you'd need to be providing readily available sources to sustain them.

Again, not saying suzuki is wrong, but claims of "nothing to worry about" is just as silly as claims of "watch out, you can easily get an infestation". All the anecdotal information I've seen points to them dying rather than thriving. We as a community should test it a little bit and see what really happens when they are without their "happy" living conditions.

 

[ILoveRoaches]

escapees happen when you handle them, separate the sizes, clean the tote, etc.

The first one that escaped was an adult male back when I was new to roaches. I had packing tape inside the bin but I took the lid off to feed from it, I guess I was away from the bin too long, enough for one male to flutter out without me knowing. Anyway it found me later that night when it flew to the headrest of my armchair. Up til then I haven't had the courage to even touch the baby nymphs, but instinct took over and I grabbed the male, put it back in the bin, walked calmy down 2 flights of stairs into the basement where I screamed a few obscenities lol. Anyway that helped me get over my fear of roaches rather quickly.

As far as infestation I don't think there are any definitive answers available online as of right now. Your best bet is to ask an entomologist. Suzuki does have a few valid points. I've had roaches survive extreme cold and heat, no food for a week or longer, little humidity, a lot of humidity. I haven't experienced infestation as of yet but then again I keep my house pretty clean.

It's like asking if it's possible there are alien lifeforms out there. Sure it's possible, but when's the last time you saw one walking around?

 

[suzuki4life]

Well, nobody ever wants to say Suzuki is wrong, but any time there is an issue with escaping or infesting the house or surviving outside of the habitat, Suzuki says they will survive fine in your house. In fact, he did an experiment a while ago to show that they breed just as easy in colder conditions than the tropical conditions we try to mimic with our totes. And then 20 other people say there is no evidence of infestation. I have had my dubia for about 10 months now. I have not had any infestation that I am aware of. But then again, Roaches like to hide in the dark, so how would I REALLY know?

My statement regarding putting my dubia in the freezer was sarcastic, but we should really find a definitive answer to this question once and for all. My sarcasm was meant to show what would happen if someone new to the idea was to come to this site and read JUST that post. I am 38 years old, so I have no mothers or fathers telling me I cant keep any bugs in my house (just a wife lol), but a lot of kids come here looking for information, they read that Dubia are the best and cant seem to get a straight answer from the breeders as to the likelihood of infestation. This really needs to be cleared (no pun intended clear) once and for all.

As Bearded Dragon owners, we love our pets and want to give them the best food available. If that is Dubia then we should encourage people to use that AND encourage them to raise their own to help offset the cost if that is best. If they shouldn't be raising them we should tell them to buy from the suppliers on the site. But if we cant agree on whether or not our houses will become infested, I think that is a HUGE problem.

*steps down from soapbox*

First off, absolutely loved this post. Perfectly said.

Key points that people misunderstand is...the normal question is: CAN dubia infest a house? And the answer is yes. The physical conditions of an average household WILL support every aspect of the dubia's needs and allow them to reproduce and thrive.

But the question and speculation people must understand is: WILL dubia escape, infest and thrive in a household? The answer is maybe but doubtful. Purely doubtful because as said, no one has ever stated it has happened. However if it did happen, how many people would run to the internet and brag their house is infested with roaches? Also stated, dubia are still very new to the community as a whole as feeders, plus their gestation periods are long, plus their growth and life cycles are also very long considered to other species of "pest" roach. So if an adult pair escaped and reproduced, it would take over a year to even see the beginning of what a german cockroach "infestation" would be in a few months. So in theory you could not even begin to see an infestation in under a year even if a few did escape and survive to breed.

Take precautions with the caging.
Take precautions when you place them in a cage as feeders.
And keep and eye out for any escapees.

Those three things should reduce the chances of infestation to almost nil.

 

[dmglakewood]

I just can't picture it happening unless you're a hoarder or have food laying around every where. If they manage to get behind the fridge they can usually find water there. However the food supply for say a pair of a adult roaches and 20+ babies I don't think would be there. Sure there are crumbs and stuff around the house but feeding that many roaches over time would be tough I think. I also don't consider 20 roaches an infestation. If you have 20 roaches in your house you would more then likely never know it, unless you find them dead. To have an infestation you need hundreds at the very least. There just wouldn't be a food supply to sustain this many roaches. I only have a few hundred roaches (1 adult pair and the rest nymphs) and they destroy through the food like it's no ones business. A whole orange is gone in a day and the ground up food goes down quite a bit every day too. I know personally I do not have that much food laying around my house that they can feed on.

In theory though if they have a food supply and water then sure they will be okay. A few different users have proven they will breed in low 70's which is a common household temperature. I just don't think there is enough of a food source for them to live on.

 

[suzuki4life]

I just can't picture it happening unless you're a hoarder or have food laying around every where. If they manage to get behind the fridge they can usually find water there. However the food supply for say a pair of a adult roaches and 20+ babies I don't think would be there. Sure there are crumbs and stuff around the house but feeding that many roaches over time would be tough I think. I also don't consider 20 roaches an infestation. If you have 20 roaches in your house you would more then likely never know it, unless you find them dead. To have an infestation you need hundreds at the very least. There just wouldn't be a food supply to sustain this many roaches. I only have a few hundred roaches (1 adult pair and the rest nymphs) and they destroy through the food like it's no ones business. A whole orange is gone in a day and the ground up food goes down quite a bit every day too. I know personally I do not have that much food laying around my house that they can feed on.

In theory though if they have a food supply and water then sure they will be okay. A few different users have proven they will breed in low 70's which is a common household temperature. I just don't think there is enough of a food source for them to live on.

I have found discoids in my cat's litter box chowing down on feces. You would be amazed by what is food to them.

 

[h2simms]

Thanks guys! But I have offically ruled out roaches. Sorry to say.

 

[PaganDragons]

I asked the best person I thought would know. The Bug Man. I asked him what he thought of me keeping Dubia's and he did not think they would survive in Las Vegas either. Hew new about them as he has a few herps of his own. He has never seen one or heard of them living in Vegas outside of captivity. I have my house sprayed for bugs once a month. I do have 3 small kids running around dropping food everywhere and I have never seen a live cockroach in my house of any type. I sure the food in my couch could feed a good size colony for a month lol...

Something to think about, into days modern world it is almost impossible to keep invasive species out. From zebra mussels to killer bee's If something can survive and thrive in an area you wont keep it out. Common sense tells me that if Dubia cockroach are not all over Vegas already, Then the ones that escape ( and some are going to escape) my bin wont be "patient zero" of the infestation.


My city is hot and dry not saying they wont live and breed here, but can they live and breed at the pace required to keep up with predators, pesticides etc etc. If you live in Florida then you might have a problem.....

 

[mccallumpiper]

Ok so wait a second... if they can survive in the colder weather and less humid as well why dont we all just get rid of the heating sources? I am thinking of starting a colony and one less thing to plug in would be great. I just thought i would ask if its even necessary to have a heat source after the talk of them surviving either way. About the infestation I just would rather take that very minimal chance to reap all the benefits of the great feeders they are.

 

[PaganDragons]

Ok so wait a second... if they can survive in the colder weather and less humid as well why dont we all just get rid of the heating sources? I am thinking of starting a colony and one less thing to plug in would be great. I just thought i would ask if its even necessary to have a heat source after the talk of them surviving either way. About the infestation I just would rather take that very minimal chance to reap all the benefits of the great feeders they are.

They might still breed but not at the rate they would with a proper environment....

 

[mccallumpiper]

Ok sorry I should have figured that. I think this is a great post because a lot of us newbies have this very same question and perhaps for most it is the deciding factor. I dont want to stray off topic but in the summer do most of you bother heating the tubs if of course you dont have air conditioning?