For the dubia know it alls!

[unkempt1]

Okay! I just want to start off and say there is a ton of people giving off wrong info about dubia roaches. I am sorry for yelling here but I need people to know the truth.

2. Oranges ARE GOOD FOR DUBIA! No the citrus will not be passed off to your reptile or amphibian! 90% of what a dubia consumes is excreted thru shed and frass. Yes we have documented this thru testing dubia body's, frass and sheds!

I don't think anyone here has said oranges are bad for dubia. I do have a question, though: If 90% of plant/fruit matter are negated once a roach consumes it, why bother gut-loading at all? Unless I am misunderstanding you, I think that anyone that has felt or seen the contents of a roach's stomach after feeding would disagree with that. Just asking you to clarify, because I'm a little confused by this statement of fact (plus I may be one of those "know-it-alls" you refer to, I'd hate to be one of those terrible people).

 

[speedyfuzzball]

Haha, I agree it's really not bad once you get used to them =) I think what won me over was the way they move their little feelers.. So cute!!

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Okay! I just want to start off and say there is a ton of people giving off wrong info about dubia roaches. I am sorry for yelling here but I need people to know the truth.

2. Oranges ARE GOOD FOR DUBIA! No the citrus will not be passed off to your reptile or amphibian! 90% of what a dubia consumes is excreted thru shed and frass. Yes we have documented this thru testing dubia body's, frass and sheds!

I don't think anyone here has said oranges are bad for dubia. I do have a question, though: If 90% of plant/fruit matter are negated once a roach consumes it, why bother gut-loading at all? Unless I am misunderstanding you, I think that anyone that has felt or seen the contents of a roach's stomach after feeding would disagree with that. Just asking you to clarify, because I'm a little confused by this statement of fact (plus I may be one of those "know-it-alls" you refer to, I'd hate to be one of those terrible people).

Hi, well its not eat and excrete. lol. Their body's consume the nutrients from the food then the rest is bi-product for digestion and out. Anyways as for gut-loading well most people misunderstand the concept of that. Gut-loading is a term for feeding. Without feeding they will die. As for "feeling a roaches body" after eating, I can say I have never felt any difference. As for seeing what comes out of course its not going to be the same as they take in. What you are feeling is fat, protein, and excretory products in their fat bodies. The food a roach consumes must pass different stages of the body as in the foregut, midgut, hindgut ETC.. I am not sure if it was on this site about oranges being bad however I just wanted to make sure that it is indeed very healthy for them and does promote breeding. And one thing I want to clarify is when I posted this post It was not meant towards any person BUT for the dubia know it alls of a roach.

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Haha, I agree it's really not bad once you get used to them =) I think what won me over was the way they move their little feelers.. So cute!!

:wink:

 

[Junebug]

I just set my colony up on Saturday, I have a bin (not sure of hte exact size, but its the bigger blue rubbermaid bin), I put a hole in the lid, duct taped a screen over it, put packing tape around the top of the inside of the bin itself, incase the babies would be able to climb up. I keep a heating pad without auto shut off on low on the bottom of it. Its currently in the basement, sitting ont he basement floor so it helps with the heating and not getting too hot. I noticed that the temps stays about 95-99 degrees, is this too hot?
I have water crystals, a larger cup with wet papertowells for humidity, oranges and carrot skins from easter along with roach chow on one end, and on the other I have egg crates set up so they have hiding/housing. I currently have about 100, a little over 100 actually. 80 females and 20 males, along with a few other males and females that are larger but not to the breeding stage yet. Like I said, i keep it in the basement, close to the laundry room, so the lights aren't on much, and the hole in the top is away from the light, with the feeder bin sitting on top of it to try to block out any light that may get in while I'm working in the basement.

Any additional pointers on the colony thing would be appreciated. I'm thinking its in good shape, besides the temps, whihc I have no clue how to adjust them any further, as I already have this set on low.


Also, my digi thermo probe is currently sitting on the bottom of the bin, so its right on the top of where the heating pad sets, so the temp is reading what it is right on the heating pad. I just want to make sure I don't cook the bugs. Thanks in advance for any information/advice!

 

[Twobeardieguy]

I just set my colony up on Saturday, I have a bin (not sure of hte exact size, but its the bigger blue rubbermaid bin), I put a hole in the lid, duct taped a screen over it, put packing tape around the top of the inside of the bin itself, incase the babies would be able to climb up. I keep a heating pad without auto shut off on low on the bottom of it. Its currently in the basement, sitting ont he basement floor so it helps with the heating and not getting too hot. I noticed that the temps stays about 95-99 degrees, is this too hot?
I have water crystals, a larger cup with wet papertowells for humidity, oranges and carrot skins from easter along with roach chow on one end, and on the other I have egg crates set up so they have hiding/housing. I currently have about 100, a little over 100 actually. 80 females and 20 males, along with a few other males and females that are larger but not to the breeding stage yet. Like I said, i keep it in the basement, close to the laundry room, so the lights aren't on much, and the hole in the top is away from the light, with the feeder bin sitting on top of it to try to block out any light that may get in while I'm working in the basement.

Any additional pointers on the colony thing would be appreciated. I'm thinking its in good shape, besides the temps, whihc I have no clue how to adjust them any further, as I already have this set on low.


Also, my digi thermo probe is currently sitting on the bottom of the bin, so its right on the top of where the heating pad sets, so the temp is reading what it is right on the heating pad. I just want to make sure I don't cook the bugs. Thanks in advance for any information/advice!

Hi June, 95-98-99 should be okay as long as it is vented well. I would take the paper towels out as that could cause mold and mildew. Just a shallow bowel that they can drink from should be fine. Something to check humidity and temps would be ideal. I use a hygrometer. Hope that helps..

 

[Junebug]

My screen vent is probably about 6 inchs by about 4 inchs on the top, I have this vent over the food side. Okay, I will take the paper towel cup as soon as I get home tonight! Thanks for the information, I do have a digital Thermometer that I was using in my Beardie's cage, but until i get another one, I moved it to the bin just to make sure the temps were good there, my beardies cage stays at the same temp, and I haven't messed with the lighting at all so i think it should be okay until i can make it to the pet store next weekend for another digi thermo. My beardie currently has two types of thermometers, one strip and one dial, so I can get a rough idea of his temps by that for now!


Thanks again for the info!

 

[Twobeardieguy]

 

[Junebug]

I noticed today while I was getting ready for work that my feeder bin has little black worm type things crawling around(only saw one, but I'm sure there are most likely more or will be more)...the feeder bin had 1000 debia to start with, I've added a few hundreded more for now, so I'm guessing it still has about 600-800 left) I pretty much use the same set-up with it as I do my breeder bin, besides its in a x-large critter keeper, and I don't keep heat on it, but it sets right ontop the breeder bin! Any ideas what these things are, and why I have them....and how to get rid of them. I saw one, and didn't have time to look into it any further, I just want to make sure the bugs are still good to feed my beardie, and that I don't have some weird thing going on here!! Thanks in advance for any insight!!

 

[Twobeardieguy]

I noticed today while I was getting ready for work that my feeder bin has little black worm type things crawling around(only saw one, but I'm sure there are most likely more or will be more)...the feeder bin had 1000 debia to start with, I've added a few hundreded more for now, so I'm guessing it still has about 600-800 left) I pretty much use the same set-up with it as I do my breeder bin, besides its in a x-large critter keeper, and I don't keep heat on it, but it sets right ontop the breeder bin! Any ideas what these things are, and why I have them....and how to get rid of them. I saw one, and didn't have time to look into it any further, I just want to make sure the bugs are still good to feed my beardie, and that I don't have some weird thing going on here!! Thanks in advance for any insight!!

Hi, they are most likely cleaner bugs. They wont harm the colony they help clean up the molts and frass. They are more a PITA then anything.You need to do a whole cleaning in the bin and keep after it and pick them out.

 

[Junebug]

If they are cleaner bugs, should I just leave them alone, and make sure Puff doesn't get any of them, or would they start to eat the dubia? Or over power the dubia and eventually end my colony?

 

[rafa2k]

cleaner bugs eat the frass, the hollow shells, and the dead but they don't kill off the colony. They're more of a nuisance than a harm. Just make sure your beardie doesn't get any when you feed him the roaches. They're not harmful but not nutritious either.

 

[leahhoff89]

Does anyone know where i can get dubia or hissing roaches in fl?? My bearded will not eat crickets for the life of me.. he loves his supers but i want him to eat more than supers and veggies. Anyone??

 

[rafa2k]

Dubias are not legal in Florida. I doubt anyone will ship, not sure on the hissing roaches but if they are tropical as well, they more than likely will be illegal too.

Edit: after a little bit of research I found these to be illegal in Florida

"There are four types of cockroaches that researchers say could invade Florida after being imported. They are the: orange-spotted roach or dubia, Madagascar hissing roach, lobster roach, and the Turkestan roach."

Although they don't cite where the information comes from, I got it from this article:

http://www.wftv.com/news/news/cops-man-arrested-for-smuggling-cockroaches/nFDTW/

 

[leahhoff89]

Is it okay for him to just eat supers and veggies, since he won't eat crickets?!! My breeder sent me some dubia, but i cant get ahold of her to get more.