Need quick advice about keeping my dubias warm

[DawnsNova]

I got my shipment of roaches yesterday from Lance, only one small juvenile didn't make it, the rest were in perfect condition.
So, after doing my online reading I had their 27 gallon tote bin ready, 12 X 12 egg crates etc. I used a drill to make holes in the lid for ventilation, so that should have helped keep in the warmth more than if I had cut a big section of the lid out and replaced it with screen.
The probe of the thermometer is down in the middle of the vertically stacked crates, so about 4, maybe 5 inches off the floor. The undertank heater is the one that came with dreaded bearded dragon kit, so it was brand new and unused. It's the 6 X 8 inch size for up to 20 gallons. From everything I've read, I thought that uth should have been enough. I checked the temp as soon as I woke up, and it only got up to 78. Everyone seemed to make it throught the night, but I know I need to keep these roaches comfy in order to one day have the colony keep up with my bottomless pit dragon.
So, what should I get to raise the temp to the recommended 95? When peeking in on the new tenants, I was happy to see that one of the females already has an egg sack protruding, so I'm even more worried about the temps, I don't want to lose her or her babies. I could get a second undertank heater, cut away and screen more of the lid and use a ceramic heater above or what about a human heating pad? And, forgive me if this is a dumb question, but for those of you using the human heating pad, do you still put it under/outside the rubbermaid tote, or do you put it inside with the roaches?
Thanks in advance for the replies. As soon as I hear back I'll be going out to get whatever I need.
Dawn

 

[burt1016]

I use a human heating pad on medium, the product is called:
Sunbeam 756-500 Heating Pad with UltraHeatTechnology
You can find it on amazon.

 

[Lindz0518]

I just cut a hole big enough that a dome light could sit on top with a black night heat bulb in it. A CHE on a dimmer would do the same, just to make sure temps didn't get too high. Also it wouldn't hurt to put clear packing tape around the inside top of the tub because the babies can climb a little when they are really little. If you want I can post pictures of my set up.

 

[DawnsNova]

Well, all the dubias made it through the night, just found a couple of sheds. They're active and eating. The temp never read above 78. I don't know how it's possible..... the bottom of the bin where the undertank heater is, is actually quite warm to the touch, yet right above it the air doesn't seem any different than the rest of the room. The tote is wrapped in sheets of insulation, I get the insulation sheets when I order frozen rats for my snake. So I am wondering what the hell....
Today I went out and got another digital hygrometer/thermometer and am going to make sure the temps really are that low. I also looked in three @#%%&@! places, Walmart, CVS and Walgreens, for a heating pad to put in the bin with the roaches, of all the dozens I looked at every damn one of them had an auto shut off feature which makes them useless for heating the bin.
So, any ideas???? I followed all the instructions I found on various sites. I don't want to lose the colony, especially since I know at least one female for sure has an egg sack.

 

[unkempt1]

You won't lose the colony. They won't start dying off until around the 40 degree mark. I have a similar situation with my tub. I use a human heating pad on the outside of the container. Hot bottom at the right temp, but just above it doesn't get higher than 80 degrees. Mine are breeding and shedding pretty well. I think this problem is pretty normal, but I'm just getting started in the hobby (only about 2-3 months now) so who knows. I've gone from about 100 adults and mixed nymphs to a colony of about 400-500 in that time frame (and I've fed from it a few times, getting impatient).

Check for aborted ooths every couple days. Do a count of your colony in a few weeks, and see if their numbers are growing. Keep them well-fed and don't bother them too much. I'd recommend these things prior to you shelling out all sorts of cash, when conditions may be fine for them. Remember: they are roaches, not delicate flowers. :twisted:

To give you some perspective, I have a second breeder bin that I experiment with different ideas. They haven't had a heating pad and there are babies in there. Temps anywhere in the tub aren't getting close to the 75 degree mark. So even in those lower temps with a colder floor they are breeding, albeit it slower.

 

[scm133]

I am using this: http://beanfarm.com/product_info.php?cPath=1204&products_id=5578. I taped it to the bottom of the plastic tub, and I have had no problems. I have mine on a Hydrofarm Thermostat. Keeps a good 80-85 degree reading. I keep my tub in the closet (dark) in the reptile room. They have been multiplying to the point where I had to dig out a few hundred males, and freeze them before tossing.

 

[archeryguy1701]

I got one of the starter kits/setups from Lance and it wasn't quite making it to the 90F+ range. I ended up moving the roach's tub over to one of my apartment heaters and kept the heating pad plugged in. These two heating sources have kept the bin's temperature in the right range with a little management (sometimes needed to move it closer or further away depending on the temp). If you do that, just make sure you don't put it so close that it'll start melting the bin!

 

[burt1016]

Also, it would be smart to not put a non-human heating pad on the carpet. It seems like common sense, but there's a big melted hole in my carpet that would say otherwise

 

[scm133]

Also, it would be smart to not put a non-human heating pad on the carpet. It seems like common sense, but there's a big melted hole in my carpet that would say otherwise

Definitely agree!!! I have my non-human pad and tub on a raised grate.