how well do dubias climb?

[spencer k]

if I was to put slick packing tape inside a feeding cup would they be able to climb out like other roaches? im just trying to avoid the rediculously expensive teflon paint.

 

[Vegas Chad]

They cant climb cups, or glass, or the slick tape. Not the ones that I use anyway... You should be fine.

 

[cotes1999]

No climbing

I put mine in a plastic drinking cup and they can't climb out of that one. It is about 4-5" high. I believe dubia roaches don't climb or fly....of course they can climb on the egg crates....just don't put anything in the cup that they can climb on and you should be fine.

 

[Marc10edora]

They can't climb. But if it is warm outside and at night time. The ones that have wings (Males) will get the energy to fly away. So you better have a tight screen lid on your dubia tank.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

Yup.
Those boys fly*

-Brad

*I'm sure someone will correct me and explain that the males merely "flutter" Mine have "fluttered" across a 25 foot room .... I call that flying!

-B.

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Yes, They do tend to get out. I currently have a male Dubia in my superworm beetle rearing bin, that's on one of the highest shelves in my garage. And across from where all my roaches are kept. How in the heck he got up there I'll never know, but they can get out. Keep your screen tops on tight.

 

[Brad Ramsey]

He flew up there!

-Brad

 

[SSimsswiSS]

He flew up there!

-Brad

Yes, you have to read the fine print when buying roaches! Non-climbing roaches sound great, till you see one fly across the room.

 

[cotes1999]

Yikes flying dubias

Thanks for that info everyone! I was told that they didn't fly I am glad I have a lid on my dubia tank!

Thanks again! omg...I can already picture the face of my neighbor coming over and having a roach get on her...lol

 

[Eric Adrignola]

I have had no escapees yet. HAd them approx a year or so, and the last bunch I got was about 1000. I now have thousands of them.

Problem I have now is that the lids are solid - not taken time to install a screen cause I didnt'want to ruin the container lid... I know, big deal.

Soild lid, not too much ventilation = high humidity. Leave the door open a few hours, and "BAM!" all the ************g Phorid flies you could ever want!

I HATE phorid flies.. More than any other insect at the moment. If Ihad to choose which insects I could make extinct, I'd have a hard time choosing between mosquitos, pest roaches, and phorid flies...

 

[FooL111394]

I found one of my male dubias in a spare fish bowl in my closet

 

[wheresstimpy]

I found one of my male dubias in a spare fish bowl in my closet

well i was going to buy some, NOT ANYMORE! lol i guess ill continue to chase crickets around my apartment

 

[FooL111394]

Don't let that get you down, dubia roaches are the greatest staple feeders beiseds crickets. The good thing about dubias are that they are more of a tropical roach and can only live under high temps, I would say about 85 degrees at the lowest and 100 degrees at the highest, since winter is coming around they probably won't be able to survive if they escape around my area, which is at the very top of indiana.XD

 

[spencer k]

for a container, i was just going to use a rubbermaid with a heat pad stuck to the bottom. i have seen people use wood shavings as substrate, what substrate is ideal? also if i were to buy say 50 random size roaches, how long does it take for them to get a well established colony to feed from?

 

[SoCaliSon]

Shoot I think Dubias are the best staple feeder there is... Hands Down.

If you are planning on trying them, get just a couple and see if your cham likes them. Some wont touch them. If you have a baby...it is a good idea to start them on Nymphs early... I have found they are more likely to become fond of dubies when they have been introduced at a young age.


~Joe

 

[royden]

Escapees are a result of keeper error, not dubia magic tricks.

Keep a tight lid on the conatiner. No holes anywhere.

Sides of the container should be twice the height of highest point the dubia's can climb to.

Container should be sterilite - not rubbermaid.

Never leave an open container unattended.

Never do anything other then hand feeding or cup feeding dubia's.

I've kept a colony of several hundred for over a year and only ever had one escapee, and it was my careless fault.

The deal I have with my wife is that if she ever sees a loose dubia in the house..my chameleon is gone. So you can imagine the lengths I go to to ensure nobody ever escapes. My colony container is the guantanamo bay of roach bins. (Except I know for sure they're all terrorists)

It can be done!

 

[royden]

for a container, i was just going to use a rubbermaid with a heat pad stuck to the bottom. i have seen people use wood shavings as substrate, what substrate is ideal? also if i were to buy say 50 random size roaches, how long does it take for them to get a well established colony to feed from?

Sterilite has slicker sides then rubbermaid.

I consider a heatpad underneath plastic like that to be a fire hazard. The heat pad has to go inside in my opinion.

I use a heatpad that I patched in through a hole in the side of the bin, I then super glue around the hole multiple times, otherwise you have a wire (a ladder) going up to where your lid doesn't shut completely. FREEDOM!

Don't use any substrate at all. They don't need it, and it makes it hard to find nymphs (as small as a ladybug).

I'd let 50 roaches breed for a month a more if you're feeding one chameleon. Longer if you have more then one. Only feed nymphs, never adults.

 

[spencer k]

now do you say never feed adults becuase it will slow down the breeding speed, or is there a health hazard (such as a tough shell)?

i checked, and the bins i have are sterilte, not rubbermaid. how long will it take to go from 50 to several hundred?

thanks for all your help, ive never had the buggers before.

 

[FooL111394]

Shoot I think Dubias are the best staple feeder there is... Hands Down.

If you are planning on trying them, get just a couple and see if your cham likes them. Some wont touch them. If you have a baby...it is a good idea to start them on Nymphs early... I have found they are more likely to become fond of dubies when they have been introduced at a young age.


~Joe

yah I guess crickets do suck compared to dubias.XD

 

[royden]

Feeding adults will slow down breeding, yes. Sometimes I feed off males because I don't need them all, but even then, I don't like leaving males unantended in the cham cage. Males are the fearless reckless ones that can do back flips and flutter. They are the most likely to escape.

Each female can birth 30 or more live young every 30 days. It takes upwards of 4 or 5 months for a baby to grow into an adult (I think..it might be less) so you can do the math. Keep their temps high for breeding. Literally leave them alone for a month, maybe feeding off the odd nymph.

I have one adult panther, and he doesn't eat nearly enough roaches. I sell off access every few months.
You have to keep an eye on things yourself. You'll know when to let the colony grow and when to start feeding off.



I started with a colony of 70 mixed in december (my previous colony died during some keeper experimentation). I easily have over 300 right now, I just sold 70 mixed last month. But they've been at this size for a while

now do you say never feed adults becuase it will slow down the breeding speed, or is there a health hazard (such as a tough shell)?

i checked, and the bins i have are sterilte, not rubbermaid. how long will it take to go from 50 to several hundred?

thanks for all your help, ive never had the buggers before.