Dubia Colony Questions

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Hello everyone! Hope this week is treating your Chams and you to some nice spring weather My question is for the dubia colony keepers out here. I have a sub-adult leopard gecko and a sub-adult veiled cham that are really digging dubias lately. Which is great! I've been looking for a healthy stable to colonize that isn't a cricket (they stink and die and stink even more). I've been reading about how to go about starting a dubia colony and everything I need to go about this. Including keeping around 3-4 females to every 1 male (playaz lol). My only concern is going to big with a colony for my reptiles needs. I expect to use about 10-15 nymphs a day for the next 2 months where then both the gecko and cham will be going to an adult every other day feeding schedule and roughly needing that same amount every two days instead. That being said how many females and males do you think I should start with? I guess if I end up with too many I could always sell extras on here or Ebay or probably even to my local pet shops (granted for nickels on the dollar). Just trying to get a feel for the water before I jump in the pool

 

[Calypratus]

I would suggest more females in general. I kept a a hissing roach colony and a dubia roach colony and to get more I would mostly just increase on females. Don't expect them to start breeding a bunch of babies in the beginning. for the first couple of months i still purchased dubias for my cham because the colony couldn't keep up. I never had too many dubias! kudos to you if manage to get way more babies than you need.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Yes that's why I'm trying to figure out a good starting range. 50 females/15 males? 75 females 25 males?

 

[jamest0o0]

Females are always good to add, but with dubia it doesn't matter much IME. They easily reproduce and they'll just slow down once your bin gets crowded.

 

[Calypratus]

that ratio seems about right.

 

[Ruthless]

50 females and 15 males should be just fine but like it was said above it will take a month or so before you start seeing and nymphs.

 

[JacksJill]

If you lower their temps it slows there breeding. Selling off the excess to a local pet store is always an option for overcrowding. Cultivate friends with beardies they will keep your colony under control.

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Thanks everyone! I need more beardie friends anyways! They're so darn cute!

 

[Zevil]

I keep my female:male to 8:1. I cull the extra males by feeding them to my hedgehog or tarantulas.

 

[MSMorgan]

I currently keep a dubia colony and keep my ratio at 3:1. With approx. 60 adult females and 20adult males, I am able to keep my cham. amply fed. My colony, all in, is approx. 1,000 +/- . Here's a good breeding colony resource:
https://dubiaroachdepot.com/guidance/breeding-dubia-roaches

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

I currently keep a dubia colony and keep my ratio at 3:1. With approx. 60 adult females and 20adult males, I am able to keep my cham. amply fed. My colony, all in, is approx. 1,000 +/- . Here's a good breeding colony resource:
https://dubiaroachdepot.com/guidance/breeding-dubia-roaches

Thank you very much! And I decided if I end up with too many I can always sell on here or Ebay. Just picked up 100 mediums for $17 shipped in a day which I thought was outstanding. I can get 100 crickets locally for $10 which also isn't too bad. But those 200 bugs only last my juveniles 10 days lol

 

[MSMorgan]

$17 for 100 med. is a GREAT deal. Don't discount the power of the cricket. Chams need variety and crickets are a good staple in addition to dubia. Try as many different safe feeders as your cham. will allow. Here's a link to all the different feeders to try:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/food/

 

[CamoChameleonsHuman]

Don't discount the power of the cricket. Chams need variety and crickets are a good staple in addition to dubia. Try as many different safe feeders as your cham will allow. Here's a link to all the different feeders to try:

https://www.chameleonforums.com/care/food/

Oh I don't. I would just like to decrease the cricket from my life not remove it. My cham eats 3 to 4 different feeders per day.

 

[MSMorgan]

Oh I don't. I would just like to decrease the cricket from my life not remove it. My cham eats 3 to 4 different feeders per day.

I concur. These guys can be picky, so do your best with as many feeders as you can manage. Visit here often and read as much as you can. Ask questions and post up when you can't find the answer. This site is an open resource, with endless information to assist all of us and each other.

 

[jamest0o0]

Can always get a few different roach species and skip crickets altogether. You'd also be avoiding possible vet bills in the future from crickets causing problems. I wonder how many cases of mouth rot, parasites, etc are linked to dirty crickets...

 

[JoXie411]

I knew this is a little off but I’ve added a cleaner crew to my crickets and it helped so much with the smell and the crickets dont look as nasty as they did b4.

 

[jamest0o0]

I knew this is a little off but I’ve added a cleaner crew to my crickets and it helped so much with the smell and the crickets dont look as nasty as they did b4.

Not sure where you get your crickets, but if you can try ordering from ghanns. They are the best crickets I've ever come across. They're banded crickets and don't smell at all.

 

[JoXie411]

Not sure where you get your crickets, but if you can try ordering from ghanns. They are the best crickets I've ever come across. They're banded crickets and don't smell at all.

I get mine from a pet store in my town, they sell a 1000 count crickets. I haven’t had the best luck at online orders for crickets/any feeder. I ended up with 2000 once way to many crickets

 

[snitz427]

I knew this is a little off but I’ve added a cleaner crew to my crickets and it helped so much with the smell and the crickets dont look as nasty as they did b4.

What are you using for CUC? Just the derm. beetles/larva? I thought about trying isopods but that sounds like more trouble than it is worth with crickets. Thinking about adding darkling beetles. We tend to have a lot of die off when the crickets reach 4 weeks or so, or crickets we buy instead of breed.

 

[JoXie411]

What are you using for CUC? Just the derm. beetles/larva? I thought about trying isopods but that sounds like more trouble than it is worth with crickets. Thinking about adding darkling beetles. We tend to have a lot of die off when the crickets reach 4 weeks or so, or crickets we buy instead of breed.

Yes both beetles and larva I’m using. I don’t have as many dead crickets in the keep since I’ve added them and the smell isn’t as revolting as b4.