Dubias in a Cricket Keeper

[ajs]

I stopped using crickets as feeders and placed my Dubias in the cricket feeder (after a good clean).

Do Dubias do well in these enclosures? I have a blended gutload cube in there and want to make sure that they leave the protection of the dark feeding tube things to consume the gutload.

Right now I have the gutload cube on the lid of an older cream cheese container I had - I saw one climb over the lip so they should be able to reach it

 

[Serbianchameleon]

Dubias are more active in the night but it will work good enough. You should try red runner roaches if you have somewhere to buy them!

 

[ajs]

Dubias are more active in the night but it will work good enough. You should try red runner roaches if you have somewhere to buy them!

I havent looked into those just yet. Although, I have been trying to expand my feeder variety. Been sticking with BSFL, dubias, and some hornworms lately.

Do they have an infestation risk? Im located in North Carolina and it can get pretty warm and humid here

 

[snitz427]

I keep dubia in a cricket keeper without the tubes (I taped up the side doors just in case). They can prob climb the tubes and squeeze out so I wouldnt use those.

Just dont know it over as they can squeeze out of the slats. I just keep a weeks supply of them in there, the rest are in a tall, clear tote.

 

[RyanBRZ]

@ajs, how do you keep your BSFL's? I love feeding them off, but their shelf life is so short before they darken up and turn into flies. I know you can keep them at 50-55F to keep them from pupating, but that is not refrigerator temperature, do people use separate refrigerators that are set higher/warmer?

The first time I ever bought BSFL's I put them in the refrigerator and they were completely fine, I took some out as I needed them. I bought them again, from different sellers, and the entire batches died in the fridge.

Symtom tells you that they can be refrigerated, which is wrong, their BSFL's are one of the batches that died on me. I wrote to them about it but nothing came from it.

Their FAQ contradicts itself a bit:

They don't need to be refrigerated unless you plan on using them for more than two weeks. They are best kept at room temperature. If you want them to go dormant keep them at 55F which is warmer than a refrigerator.

Are they assuming people feed them off dead?

 

[ajs]

@ajs, how do you keep your BSFL's? I love feeding them off, but their shelf life is so short before they darken up and turn into flies. I know you can keep them at 50-55F to keep them from pupating, but that is not refrigerator temperature, do people use separate refrigerators that are set higher/warmer?

The first time I ever bought BSFL's I put them in the refrigerator and they were completely fine, I took some out as I needed them. I bought them again, from different sellers, and the entire batches died in the fridge.

Symtom tells you that they can be refrigerated, which is wrong, their BSFL's are one of the batches that died on me. I wrote to them about it but nothing came from it.

Their FAQ contradicts itself a bit:

They don't need to be refrigerated unless you plan on using them for more than two weeks. They are best kept at room temperature. If you want them to go dormant keep them at 55F which is warmer than a refrigerator.

Are they assuming people feed them off dead?

I've kept mine just at room temperature. I bought 250 almost 2 weeks ago and I've just about fed them off (it's getting definitely harder to find them in the medium). I havent seen any finish pupating yet I dont think, but have been feeding off the pupae and my cham seems to still be eating them.

I keep dubia in a cricket keeper without the tubes (I taped up the side doors just in case). They can prob climb the tubes and squeeze out so I wouldnt use those.

Just dont know it over as they can squeeze out of the slats. I just keep a weeks supply of them in there, the rest are in a tall, clear tote.

Read this and immediately ran in to look for escapees and remove the tubes and tape it up lol

 

[ajs]

And I'd say that probably the majority of the BSFL I find havent pupated yet

 

[Arborous]

@ajs, how do you keep your BSFL's? I love feeding them off, but their shelf life is so short before they darken up and turn into flies. I know you can keep them at 50-55F to keep them from pupating, but that is not refrigerator temperature, do people use separate refrigerators that are set higher/warmer?

The first time I ever bought BSFL's I put them in the refrigerator and they were completely fine, I took some out as I needed them. I bought them again, from different sellers, and the entire batches died in the fridge.

Symtom tells you that they can be refrigerated, which is wrong, their BSFL's are one of the batches that died on me. I wrote to them about it but nothing came from it.

Their FAQ contradicts itself a bit:

They don't need to be refrigerated unless you plan on using them for more than two weeks. They are best kept at room temperature. If you want them to go dormant keep them at 55F which is warmer than a refrigerator.

Are they assuming people feed them off dead?

I picked up one of those heat transfer coolers for about $50 and leave the lid cracked to regulate temps

 

[Overbearing_ChameleoGod]

buy a used dorm mini refrigerator and a cheap thermostat that controls the temp at a higher temperature. having a refrigerator capable of 55 f is very useful for keeping insects. It is a great temp to make crickets and Banana roaches manageable as well before feeding.

 

[Klyde O'Scope]

I stopped using crickets as feeders and placed my Dubias in the cricket feeder (after a good clean).

Do Dubias do well in these enclosures?

Mine do. I have sort of a DIY dubia feeder based on the same idea. It's a former sherbet tub with holes punched in the top. Inside are 7 TP tubes stacked vertically, and the dubias live in the tubes & spaces between. For feeding the dubias to the lizard, I pull a tube, hold it over the feeder bowl, and rap on the side with a tweezer forceps (a pencil would probably do) and a bunch fall into the bowl. Then slide the tube back in the tub.

To feed/gut load the dubias, I just drop a baby carrot (or other piece of veggie) into each tube.
If the bottom gets, gross, I dump them in a larger tub, clean things up, and repeat with new clean tubes.
I've been keeping them like this for the better part of a year.

 

[mujino]

I know you can keep them at 50-55F to keep them from pupating, but that is not refrigerator temperature... ?

If you can find an old wine cooler those are great for 50 - 65 degree range bug keeping! I have a cooler with a digital therm. I like it because I can easily bump up the temp depending on what I’m storing. Right now it’s at 55 for bsfl and waxies. Also the dorm room fridge idea is a great idea. Side note - Mini fridges can also be used for “near freezing” mid 40s for veggies since some (like mine) can’t quite reach freezer temp.

 

[Chameleomom]

You should try red runner roaches if you have somewhere to buy them!

@jamest0o0 sells these or he did have them