Warm enough for Dubia's?

[Valerie]

I just got some dubia's yesterday. I have them on a human heating pad and so far even turning up the heating pad to high I cannot get the temps inside to equal 90. Does the air inside need to be 90 or the bottom of the conatiner they are housed in need to be 90 to breed.
I can put a heat lamp over it but for safety reasons I was hoping to just use the heating pad.

 

[RioReptiles]

I would just try it on the bottom and only put it under one half of the bin on the egg crate side, the whole bin doesn't need to be super hot. You'll see that they all gather in the area where you have the heating pad but then they still need to be able to cool down a little. I have noticed myself, that the dubia in the warmer bins are much more active and move way faster than the ones in the cooler bins. I have been rotating them now since I don't have heating pads for all of them.

 

[Valerie]

I do have the heating pad only on the egg grate side. I have noticed they are hanging out near the bottom on the warm side. The room is at 66 to 67 degrees, yes, our house is cold but we are trying to save some money. I lowered the heating pad to medium as I got worried about it getting to contact hot for them. The air in the tub is at 68 to 70 degrees.
I have been thinking if you think they would breed faster using a heat lamp I could do a 50 wt red light and I have thought of a way I think would be safe.

 

[rcpeacock]

I have a 60 watt red night/heat lamp inside my bin. I feel much better about a light bulb than a heating pad, as far as a fire hazzard. My temps are 90 to 95, depends on outside temps. It got up to 70 degrees here this weekend, and my bin temps got well over 100.

 

[Valerie]

After trying to get the temps up i decided to go with the red heat lamp. I only have a 50 wt on hand so i will us that one. I do not have my bin set up like yours. I like that. But I do have some screen on top of mine and I put a slab of cage grate on it then the bulb.
I will wait and se what the temps do to see if I need a heat pad too.

 

[Valerie]

Oh yeah, my main concern with the light was the plastic on top. I was worried about the heat lamp melting the plastc. I think i have that under control though.
How did you do your light?

 

[rcpeacock]

Oh yeah, my main concern with the light was the plastic on top. I was worried about the heat lamp melting the plastc. I think i have that under control though.
How did you do your light?

Me??? I started by hot gluing an 8"x8" piece of screen to the lid on my tote and setting a dome type fixture on top, but I lost a lot of heat that way, and I got tired of moving the light to get in the bin. So now I use ceramic ceiling type light fixtures($1.49 @ Home Depot). I just cut a hole in the side of the bin, wire up the fixture, and hot glue it to the bin on the inside. Then I fill the hole on the outside, completely full with hot glue. That way it is sealed, and wont go anywhere. You can get the cord on the same isle as the fixture($1.13) just cut the female end off and wire it up. The hot glue seals/insulates the screw posts(where you hook the wires up on the fixture. I get 90 to 95 degree temps with the 60 watt light bulbs

 

[Valerie]

Thanks a bunch. I am going to try that.