For the dubia know it alls!

[Sauzo]

Mine do that too since it's winter and the air is much drier now. I haven't had any die from doing that though. Some of the medium nymphs do it too. Of course mine are going through a dish of water crystals every other day cause of the dry air as well so they don't really have time to sit in there much.

 

[Twobeardieguy]

I would get a taller lid. :wink:

 

[SkeptiBee]

Good to know! So I looked in my bin tonight after giving them some more white bread and not only was the water tray almost filled with little itty bitty babies, I spied a male and a female in the act. lol She was dragging him all over the tray with oranges as he hung on. I'm so happy this colony is doing so well! In two more months that will mark the 6 month time frame I've let them be and breed. I suspect I'll be able to start sorting then too.

 

[Critterlover]

I am going to be getting two juvenile beardies in June or July of 2014. I want to feed them dubia roaches. When should I start a colony so that I will be able to feed out of it and still sustain it?

 

[jxl22]

I am going to be getting two juvenile beardies in June or July of 2014. I want to feed them dubia roaches. When should I start a colony so that I will be able to feed out of it and still sustain it?

YES! lol

Thats the best way to do it.

 

[Sauzo]

Depends. There are 2 ways to do it, the cheap and long way or the expensive and fast way. Cheap and long is buy a mixed batch along with a nice chunk of large nymphs and then wait till they molt to adults, count the females and males and then wait about 6 months for the babies they make to reach adulthood. Then you are set to start feeding out of that colony. The expensive and fast way is buy around 200-300 adult females and about 75-100 males and about 500 mixed nymphs. Then wait about 2-3 months and then you should be ok to start feeding out of the colony.

 

[Critterlover]

Thanks for the info! That helps me alot. I think I better get started soon from the sound of it. I like the cheap but long way better.

 

[jxl22]

Thanks for the info! That helps me alot. I think I better get started soon from the sound of it. I like the cheap but long way better.

Im not sure how many adults come with this kit, but i would get a couple extra females and a batch of mixed nymphs with it. put them all into the breeding bin and once you have a BD sort out the nymphs of whatever size you want to feed.

 

[Sauzo]

Cheapest way I did it when I started was to check local Craigslist. I found a guy about 15 mins from me who had 2 colonies going and had tons of xtra females. He sold me 50 freshly molted females for $0.80 each. Best part was I didn't have any deaths like you always get from shipping. Of course those 50 females was to bolster the already 80 females I had but that batch had a rough start. Seemed shipping didn't go well for that batch and 1/4 died for some odd reason. Now though 4 months later and I got babies coming out everywhere and Harley has decided her new favorite food now is butterworms :roll:

As for kits, you can buy all different kinds and sizes and stuff but imho don't overthink it. I did and spent time worrying if the temps were right, this was right, that was right. In the end I just used a 45 gallon Rubbermaid Roughneck tote vs a Sterilite tote since the Rubbermaid is thinner on the bottom and thus easier to heat, a strip of packing tape around the top since the little ones can climb the side of the roughneck totes, a Zoo Med UTH, a lamp dimmer from Home Depot for the UTH, and egg cartons from the local feed store which I stack horizontal. All together it was like $40 and the roaches are happy and breeding like crazy. Roaches are roaches and will breed and multiply through pretty much anything.

 

[Rockdragon]

How often should I replace the water crystals?

 

[Claudiusx]

I do once they are gone.

-Brandon

 

[JC0609]

I currently use a plastic storage container with 2 heat mats underneath. Egg crates vertically with a small tub at one end with water gel and dog biscuits everywhere. I don't check temp, I don't check humidity. They breed steadily.

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Bump!

 

[dociledragons]

We always have local people selling dubias on craigs list here in UT. i found 300 females for 13 cents each and 100 males free. YAY!! still happy about that.

 

[Twobeardieguy]

Bump!