Working on a Dubia How-To guide

[jducky18]

Hello All,

I started work on a How-To guide for breeding Dubia roaches as an all-in-one guide for beginners. I am still new at this myself, so please feel free to comment and correct anything as well as adding information you think would be important. Anything with a * is information I either don't have yet or I'm not 100% sure of. I literally just started, so I don't have tons of information yet, but here's what I have so far:



Blaptica dubia: also known as Orange-spotted Cockroach or Guyana Spotted Cockroach, is a medium/large species of cockroach, measuring about 4.5 cm (1.8 in) long.

Why Dubia roaches?
Meat-to-shell ratio*
Fat content*
They can't climb smooth surfaces like glass or plastic
They can't fly or jump, so escapes are far less common than crickets
They don't chirp or make noise
Relatively no smell (especially in comparison to crickets)
Easy to care for/maintain


How do I start?
Materials:
Rubbermaid or Sterilite type bin with a square cut from the lid and wire screen glued in place (for ventilation)
Egg Crates (orders are available online, or check local grocery stores or bakeries BUT be very careful that those do not contain any formaldehyde or other chemicals!)
Food and Water Crystal dishes (food container lids are acceptable, just ensure that the very tiny nymphs can get in and out)
Heating Source – UTH (for glass enclosures only please!) Heat tape is an option, Best option is a human pad WITHOUT auto-shut-off (*Include photo: http://www.amazon.com/Sunbeam-756-500-Heating-Pad-UltraHeatTechnology/dp/B00006IV4N)
Probe thermometer (*include photo: http://www.walmart.com/ip/Acu-Rite-Indoor-Outdoor-Thermometer/896347)
Proper breeding temperatures should be 85-90 d.F. or 30-32 d.C. (check temps by sticking the thermometer INTO the egg crates for most accurate temp)

I’ve got all that, now where can I get the bugs?
Best ratio of males to females 1:5, some people even go as far as 1:10. More females = more babies, fewer males = less fighting and more mating
Add some mixed nymphs that will grow up to become adults, and adults feel more comfortable with some babies lying around.


What do I feed them?
Water crystals (*photo and link)
Food for Breeders: Homemade chow should include protein (like you would find in dry kitten food), a grain (cereals like Cheerios and Special K work well, as well as dry oats), and some kind of sweetener (brown sugar, coconut flakes, and dried fruit are some examples). Take all of the ingredients and put them in a blender or cheap coffee grinder and blend until they form a fine powder. The finer the powder, the easier it is for the roaches to eat.
Food for feeders: Fresh veggies and fruits that are healthy for your dragon BUT watch carefully for mold, it can kill a whole colony

Other info:
Humidity should be **%, if you are having low-humidity problems, it can impede the molting process of the dubia, placing a water bottle with holes poked in the top and filled with damp paper towels should help raise the humidity without causing mold.
Don’t disturb the colony if you don’t have to, aside from daily/weekly feeding.
Very good option to have separate feeder bin, that way you can gut-load your feeders with only the healthy foods that you want your dragon to eat. It is not recommended to feed the above roach chow recipe to your feeders, especially not any kind of citrus.





I have some questions I was wondering if people could answer:
What size bin do you use for what size colony? For example, I have my colony of 50 females and 20 males in a 10 gallon bin. I'm not sure if that's too small, so if anyone has recommendations for bin-size-to-colony-size-ratio, that would be incredible
What would be the average size colony to feed a single adult dragon? I know that each dragon is different, and that there's a lovely formula for figuring out exactly how many females are needed for a sustainable colony, so if you know that formula or if you have an average colony size, both would be very useful for this guide.
I'm still looking to add TONS of photos as well as sections on sexing the dubia as well as cleaning/sorting steps. So if you have any photos that you think it would be beneficial to include, feel free to PM me.



I'm really excited for this guide, and I want it to be as complete as possible to help anyone looking to start a colony. Thank in advance for all your help!

 

[jducky18]

Bump

Does this answer some people's questions or am I way off the mark? I'm still pretty new to the dubia breeding scene myself, but if anyone has input I'd love to hear it

 

[unkempt1]

You aren't far off the mark at all! Sounds like this info would be helpful to any newcomer that wants to unknowingly join our addictive hobby! :twisted:

I do have some suggestions.

Although I agree with you, having nymphs in with the adults to increase "happiness" is anecdotal. You will have some people that argue the opposite is true. There is no clear evidence one way or the other, so it's hard to prove who's wrong. But you and I both know we're right, right? :lol:

You may want to link the BD nutrition guide when mentioning what to feed your feeders, with a note that fruits should be very rare (even the "black" color-coded ones, with the exception of prickly pear cactus that I can't seem to get my roaches to eat anyways). You should also mention somewhere that a huge benefit to a feeder bin is not bothering your breeder bin as much.

When it comes to humidity, the water bottle and water crystals should be enough. I personally don't use a meter to read humidity; having those two items at all times in the bin seems to be enough for any dubia roach enthusiast I have "talked shop" with on the subject. Save your money! That's why we raise roaches, right? :lol: The same goes for heat; a human heating pad on a Sterillite tub does the trick.

To prevent male roach gladiator combat, in my experience it's male/female ratio > 100% hydration availability > protein availability. You definitely have to have the first two. Some people disagree with the order of the first two, but you really have to have all three in place. Don't overdo it with the protein, as that can increase uric acid content in your roaches, which passes on to your dragon and can cause health issues. The research on this is somewhat there, but still not fully confirmed. The best thing to do is offer roach chow that is a fairly even combo of dog/cat food, grain protein, and something sweet to entice them, all of which you already mention.

I'm going to intentionally stay away from a number when it comes to "right-sizing" your colony. The best thing to recommend would be to have them buy 1000 baby nymphs and see how many their dragon eats on average per day, and then to apply that to "the formula" we all are quick to recommend to those that ask.

If I think of more I'll edit this post!