What to do with too-large Dubia

[jducky18]

So, I bought two containers of Dubia roaches from an expo last week, and I have been feeding them to my 2 1/2 month old baby just fine, except that I have about ten, possibly more, roaches that are way too big for the little guy to eat. What do I do with them? I'm a little squeamish so I really don't want to squish them, but I can't just throw them out either.... so, what do I do? They're not adults by any stretch of the imagination, they are just way too big for my baby to eat, and I really don't want to keep them around for when he does grow up.

I know this is a silly question, but I honestly don't know what to do with them.

 

[randommonks]

Keep them and just let them grow. Eventually they'll grow into maturity and you can start breeding your own roaches.

If you don't want to do that, simply put the roaches in a bag or something and freeze them. You probably could always find someone on the forum close to you to take them off you hands though

 

[saulANDcharlie]

oh yes some of us would be more then happy to take them off your hands

 

[jducky18]

Thanks for the help, the freezer thing sounds like a good idea. I don't have the time, the set-up, or the stomach for a colony right now, and it doesn't seem like there are really enough to send to anybody, but I think freezing them might help, until I either amass enough to send to someone, the little guy gets big enough to eat them, or I decide to start a colony. If I freeze the bugs, do they die?

 

[randommonks]

If I freeze the bugs, do they die?

Yup . Just throw them away after about 24 hours just to be safe.

 

[TeachersPetDragon]

I put my unwanted insects in a plastic ziploc, sprinkle in some diatomaceous earth, then toss it in the trash. I don't want them crawling through the bag or my garbage bag, and I don't like the idea of putting cockroaches in my freezer.

 

[czuber]

I would just keep them in your bin Eventually your Dragon will be big enough to eat them. You will be surprised by the size they can handle.

 

[Buckmaster299]

would it hurt to just let the colony eat them after they grow old and die? just a thought lol.

 

[jducky18]

I don't have a colony. They're just left over from the ones I picked up when I first got my baby

 

[randommonks]

would it hurt to just let the colony eat them after they grow old and die? just a thought lol.

I've never seen roaches eat their dead.

 

[Buckmaster299]

O. OK. I didn't know. Lol.

 

[randommonks]

O. OK. I didn't know. Lol.

Lol yeah I would definitely have freaked out if roaches were capable of cannibalizing each other. Supers do it and it's so gross.

 

[Brieana]

Actually, roaches can cannibalize. If they don't get enough protein, they will start eating each other.

 

[troyncindy]

the leading cause of insects eating eachother is dehydration

 

[randommonks]

Actually, roaches can cannibalize. If they don't get enough protein, they will start eating each other.

Strange. The only thing I've seen is that sometimes the males will have their wings eaten if they don't get enough protein.