dubia roaches

[krolmariusz]

hey guys so i just ordered about 500 small dubia roaches, and i need help haha (sooo many!)

they will be coming in within the next 3 days and i have the plastic bin ready. my questions are,

1) i couldnt get any egg crates/flats so i bought 75 restaurant 4 cup holders for 13$ at GFS =], and i stacked a couple tall. will they be able to use all the levels? can you reuse the holders? or is the poop too much?

2)my room temp is about 75*F. since i have so many small roaches coming in, can i keep it at room temp so that they dont grow too quickly?

3)i have two baby bearded dragons and my girl has 2 fire belly toads, so i want to feed most, around 300 roaches before i start to breed/raise them to keep a self-sustaining colony. will i be able to feed the off before they ALL get too big? (beardies are about 5 inches long and 1.5 months old)

4)whats the best dry food? cat or dog?

5) any tips?

THANKS!

 

[KDK241]

The cup holders will be fine but plan on replacing them eventually. Its like cricket poop and sticks on. You only have to clean the bin and replace the egg crates a couple times a year so I wouldn't be too concerned right now. I glued some cardboard together with hot glue for my roaches and it works just as well.

They will be fine at room temp. They take awhile to grow so that will help keep them smaller. Feeding them off shouldn't be a problem either. I started with 400 mixed sized dubias and fed over half in the first month and my beardies are bigger. The way baby beardies eat I wouldn't worry about it

If you don't already have a dog or cat you don't necessarily have to buy the food. Mine actually seem to prefer when I don't add dog food (I swear I have the pickiest roaches ever :roll: ) so I feed a mix of oatmeal, a little bit of dog food, fish food, and turtle pellets all blended up in the food processor, and then the veggies that are leftover from the beardies along with some fruit a couple times a week. I leave the dry food in but take out the fruit and veggies every other day.

 

[krolmariusz]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR RESPONSE =]

and will i need a heat source to help them breed or is 75*F a-okay?

and since im in the basement, it will drop a lot lower, i should probably get one then right? btwn 80-90*F?

 

[KDK241]

I know a lot of people that keep them at room temp and they still breed but it won't be as fast. I would get a heat source for them if they are going to be in the basement. I use an under tank heater with a thermostat for mine and keep them at 85* and 65% humidity. They take so long to grow that the faster they breed the better, lol.

Once you start breeding them you should keep a separate colony for feeders. They will get stressed out if you go in the bin every day to get feeders and won't breed. I have a smaller bin that I keep at room temp and once a week I go in and pick out as many feeders as I need for the week out of the larger bin.

 

[krolmariusz]

i heard that they prefer to be crammed in a small bin over in a large bin with less roaches, is that true?

and do i have to have a hole for ventilation if they love humidity?

 

[WoolyMarmot]

Generaly, roaches feel safer when their in tight spots. Theyre also social creatures and will huddle up to get warmth from each other. So yes, less space(depending on the # of roaches) is better as long as they're not overcrowded because overcrowding can stunt each individual`s growth

 

[beardielove10]

You should call one of the local breakfast restaurants around your town. I called a Perkins at 730 am and picked up about 15 egg cartons for free by 130 in the afternoon the same day. They don't seem to have any problem giving them away for free because they have so many! But DO call ahead of time because they may get thrown away otherwise.

Just thought I could possibly save you some money in the future!

 

[Pixall]

Yup. I get my egg flats free too. My s/o works at a nursing home and they go thru a ton of eggs. All the staff knows to hang on to "the wavy cardboard -profanity-". Lol they are a colorful bunch but very nice people.