Beetles not eating gutlaod?

[danny_cham]

so I bought some greens and veggies to gutload my dubia beetles but it doesn’t look like the beetles have touched either of them.
The super worms devour anything I put in there but getting the beetles to eat anything is a struggle.

Is there something I’m doing wrong or do they just eat so little I’m not noticing it? For reference there’s roughly 50-60 dubias in there at the moment

 

[JacksJill]

Are you keeping them warm? They require a heat source.

 

[danny_cham]

Are you keeping them warm? They require a heat source.

I had no idea they needed a heat source, to be completely honest. I’m new to dubias. My house is about 70 degrees room temperature if that isn’t warm enough I can find a heat source

 

[JacksJill]

Many people use a ceramic heat emitter. I keep mine in the garage in the summer and they get plenty of heat that way. In the winter I add heat.

 

[danny_cham]

Many people use a ceramic heat emitter. I keep mine in the garage in the summer and they get plenty of heat that way. In the winter I add heat.

I don’t have a garage since I live in a town home, but I have a patio. I doubt anyone would try and take them right off my back porch

 

[JacksJill]

It might attract raccoons

 

[danny_cham]

It might attract raccoons

I haven’t seen any raccoons in my area but I’ll keep an eye on it thank you

 

[jamest0o0]

It will most definitely attract animals. Raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, rats, etc will all look at a bin of roaches like a lobster buffet… I learned this the hard way lol.

 

[jamest0o0]

They don’t *need* heat, but they often won’t eat much without it. Dubia tend to like fruits and protein more than veggies, but if they’re warm enough(90s) they’ll eat just about anything.

 

[danny_cham]

It might attract raccoons

I haven’t seen any raccoons in my area but I’ll keep an eye on it m

It will most definitely attract animals. Raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, rats, etc will all look at a bin of roaches like a lobster buffet… I learned this the hard way lol.

thanks for the advice! I’ll be sure to find a safe place to put them

 

[bbyoda]

It will most definitely attract animals. Raccoons, squirrels, chipmunks, mice, rats, etc will all look at a bin of roaches like a lobster buffet… I learned this the hard way lol.

I need to know more. I currently have my roach bins on my back porch. No animals have figured it out yet.

 

[MissSkittles]

You could just attach a small heat mat to the side of your bin.

 

[BuddyHollytheCham]

I have no heat on mine just the temperature of my house and the temp in the closet they are located in. They eat when they are hungry, sometimes it is a lot other times very little or nothing at all. Just depends on the day.

 

[jamest0o0]

I need to know more. I currently have my roach bins on my back porch. No animals have figured it out yet.

Oh wow, idk maybe because I’m near the woods and we have very bold animals here. I could literally pet our raccoons at night and hand feed the deer(I try to refrain though). I left my whole colony of deaths head roaches out one night(expensive roaches and there were tons!!). I woke up to a massacre. Parts of roaches everywhere. Some I found alive hiding under the chairs. I was so mad…

 

[bbyoda]

Oh wow, idk maybe because I’m near the woods and we have very bold animals here. I could literally pet our raccoons at night and hand feed the deer(I try to refrain though). I left my whole colony of deaths head roaches out one night(expensive roaches and there were tons!!). I woke up to a massacre. Parts of roaches everywhere. Some I found alive hiding under the chairs. I was so mad…

Oh my gosh!!! Those racoons were probably so happy but that definitely stinks for you!! The wildlife in my yard is skittish and doesn't come on our porch as far as I know!

 

[OldWorldChams]

My dubias don't take to greens that well either so I now mix them with a batch of Repashy bug burger. I make a mustard green jello out of it and they eat every bit.

 

[Lindasjackson]

I didn’t know dubia had to have heat to eat! I feed them but I don’t see much gone either when I check their food. I don’t keep them on heat because I don’t want them breeding! when I feed them I put arugula, red bell pepper, and squash on a small paper plate. It’s mostly dried mush when I take it out of their tub to put new in but I have seen roaches at night in the food on the paper plate.

 

[Lindasjackson]

They don’t *need* heat, but they often won’t eat much without it. Dubia tend to like fruits and protein more than veggies, but if they’re warm enough(90s) they’ll eat just about anything.

So are my roaches not very nutritious because I don’t have them on heat? Should I add heat and what size heat mat do you suggest and where do I put it?

 

[jamest0o0]

So are my roaches not very nutritious because I don’t have them on heat? Should I add heat and what size heat mat do you suggest and where do I put it?

They will still eat, but it won’t be as much. On the other hand it probably stays in their gut longer since, so maybe not much of a difference? The heat comes in handy if there are specific things you’re trying to gutload with each week. So if you feed a cooler temp roach some banana(or whatever), that probably sticks around in their gut longer and maybe when you go to feed greens next time they don’t eat any. A warm roach will basically keep active, eating and pooping, so you can get more variety in the diet easier. My roaches ate pretty much anything I threw in the bin when kept warm, but of course they had their preferences based off species. Just think, insects are cold blooded, so their metabolism depends on heat. More heat=more food/faster metabolism.

Most people put heat mats on the side of the bin I believe. I always used a space heater since I had a bug room and that was easier for 50 colonies lol.