Dubia colony - Few Q's!

[Amanda1801]

Hey,

I've done a forum search and found lots of threads about starting a dubia colony, but stuggling to find any info on humidity - what is their optimum humidity?

Also - substrate depth - do they require a certain depth of substrate to encourage them to breed? (my snails do!)

Going to have to start up a colony cos my little guy is eating food faster than I can buy it! I'm also hoping that my silkworm eggs hatch!!

Any other advice greatly appreciated

Amanda

 

[JasonSinger]

I have another question as I am still considering - are paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls ok to use instead of egg flats for hiding? I can't seem to track any down lol

 

[Texas Panther Man]

No substrate unless you want to make things more difficult than necessary. You will need an undertank heater and lots of egg crate flats for housing/rearing. Just cut a nice large hole in the top of the container cover that with screen. Throw in your egg crates and attach the undertank heater. Buy some adults and feed em a good fruit and veggie gutload. It will prob take you a few months to get the colony producing in significant numbers.

 

[Amanda1801]

No substrate unless you want to make things more difficult than necessary. You will need an undertank heater and lots of egg crate flats for housing/rearing. Just cut a nice large hole in the top of the container cover that with screen. Throw in your egg crates and attach the undertank heater. Buy some adults and feed em a good fruit and veggie gutload. It will prob take you a few months to get the colony producing in significant numbers.

Ok...so.... just a big empty tub with a load of egg crates etc in is ok? where will they lay their eggs - just....anywhere?

 

[pssh]

They incubate the ooths inside them. They give "birth."

 

[ponders]

I have another question as I am still considering - are paper towel rolls and toilet paper rolls ok to use instead of egg flats for hiding? I can't seem to track any down lol

I use paper towel rolls and layer them up to near the top. When I want to take some out I just shake the tube into a big cup. Works well for me. You can also use smaller size tubes if you only want a certain size of dubia. I cut a soaker hose into pieces and that is how I get only small dubias when needed with out the huge adults running all up your arm. LOL!

 

[Amanda1801]

They incubate the ooths inside them. They give "birth."

well i never knew that!

 

[Clifford]

I use no substrate
The humidity is around 40% and seems to work for them
I dont use a heat sources, but the room is warm 72F or higher, and my roach bucket is placed higher up in the room on a closet shelf.
Sheets of cardboard (Pizza boxes, for example) and papertowels tubes work.

 

[pssh]

Heck, even crumpled paper bags work. The dubia are super hardy and dont really care what is in their cage as long as they have food, water, and something to climb under. Heat helps of course. They give birth every month or so to (15-40 ish) babies when they are kept at 85+ F.

 

[Amanda1801]

how should i provide "water" - will they get enough from the food if i provide fresh fruit and veg?

 

[ponders]

how should i provide "water" - will they get enough from the food if i provide fresh fruit and veg?

I use water crystals in addition to fruit.

 

[fluxlizard]

I don't- I offer lots of fresh vegetables, occasional fruit, and table scraps (includes anything we don't finish up for breakfast lunch and dinner and always has at least a little moisture content) and that is all the moisture mine have ever needed (along with a constant supply of more gutload style dry mix). I have many thousands and have had my colony going for many years now.

 

[pssh]

I occasionally use water crystals, but mainly lettuces and carrots. Plus the high calcium veggies if I'm gutloading them.