dieing dubia

[Tygerr]

I've seen that roach motel design and liked it as well.
My only problem with something like that is cleaning it.
It seems expensive and a little labor intensive to me.

Too true. And that's why I continue to rely on my neverending supply of corporate toilet roll inners...

Once a month I do a "rainy season" cycle by misting the sides only of the container for about five days in a row. The roaches only lay eggs or spit out babies if they have a simulated rainy season. The roaches will drink water from the sides. Don't spray the egg crate or food.

I've never heard this before. Sounds like an interesting idea. I'm definitely going to be trying it, especially now that spring and warmer temps are approaching. I want plenty Dubia babies popping out this summer

However I cant bring myself to buy roaches and grow em... LoL... Crickets roaming around the place I can take... A roach run'n down the hall... oy...

Yes, but that's one of the best parts about most feeder roaches - especially Dubias: they rarely (if ever - and then it was your own mistake) get out, and if they do, they're relatively slow, so they're easy to catch.
Trust me, getting on your hands and knees to chase after a jumpy-hoppy cricket is far more frustrating than catching a Dubia.

 

[Ren]

Indeed thats what my cat is for... when i have crickets get out they all seem to find there way to the front door of the house and die right in front of it?

 

[Dave Weldon]

I heard that it wasn't good to use egg crates that had already been used to transport eggs (possibly due to contaminants/bacteria?) Dave/Will: any comments on that?...

Howdy,

I've heard that same thing about used egg crates but I've been using restaurant egg crates for years without an obvious problem. I'll find a dead dubia once every couple of months. I did find 3-4 dead lobster roaches today. I think it might have been a rotten/moldy piece of cantaloupe rind that I accidentally left-in too long. Otherwise, the lobsters will have one die every month or two. Both of my colonies vary from 50-250 at various times of the year depending on how many I share with other local, visiting keepers . Mostly, I keep them in ~10gal glasss aquariums with no substrate. Ifeed them fruits and veggies along with a constant supply of water and gutload.

Lobsters:

 

[jesseesperto]

I started breeding dubias about 5 months ago. I have lost about 15 adult males in that time. they dont live that long. I use bark as my substrate and much bigger pieces for them to hide and make caves. I mist the cage 3 to 4 times a week. I try feeding all types of stuff. Watermelon, bananas, oranges, yogurt, gutload, pasta, cheese, fig nutons, i just never leave it in there. If they dont eat it I take it out so it does not go bad. They are starting to have a lot of differnt size babies in there now. I would say it takes about 2 months to get to a good feeding size for Oliver. I dont think adult males live past 9 months but dont hold me to that.

Hey Brad, you just use straight top soil? I would imagine that helps breakdown there waste. It must hold moisture very well also. very interesting

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Yeah...Top soil which is basically fill dirt.
I buy it bagged at places like Kmart it's $1.50 for 20 pounds
or something like that.
It helps tremendously with the frass and humidity.
I don't mist the dubias because I don't like to get the cardboard wet
as it can mold. I do mist my hissers (there is no cardboard in their enclosure)
Their substrate is bark and I have never cleaned their space. It's also quite a bit more ventilated.

-Brad

 

[MWheelock]

Dubia Roaches

Daytime temps 90 to 95 - night time temps above 65
Lifespan 1.5 years
Max length 1½"
Reach adult size in 2 to 3 months at 95 degrees
Sexual maturity in 2 months
Females can produce up to 30 young at a time
Gestation period approximately 25 days

Actually, dubia roaches do live quite a long life if kept correctly.

Mold is a real problem. I deal with this by not adding anything other than water pellets and veggies and fruit (I keep it pretty dry in my boxes. I used to have a sponge in there, but found that the veggies rotted much faster so I took them out.

Ren- the lot you got were roughly 4-6 months old. Every few months I seperate the larger nymphs and adults from the smaller ones, just for that reason. You can tell an "old" roach from other adults because the fringe of their shells look frayed (easier to notice in the males). They also tend to look duller.

Matthew

 

[Ren]

We talked about the possibility of salmonella on teh egg flats, what about a little spritz of Lysol on there to kill it? Would it then be clean or would the lysol itself then become a contaminate?

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Lysol and roaches will not have a good end for the roaches.

-Brad