Breeding or buying dubia?

[lily2521]

I'm so sick of crickets I could scream. If I find one more loose in my house, I'm going to lose it myself!

Okay...rant over...

Are dubia sufficient if I switch from crickets as a staple feeder? Can dubia be used as an everyday staple feeder?

I do have a local reptile shop that sells dubia roaches, but they aren't cheap ($0.50 each). So I'm wondering if I should try breeding them myself. But I have no clue where and how to start?

Are they easy to breed? I know they don't smell (bonus #1 over crickets) and can't jump (bonus #2). But buying weekly would be costly over crickets.

Or...can I order them online at a less expensive rate?

Any advice here is welcome...thanks! I'm just sick of crickets...if you can't tell by now

 

[ChameLIonLover]

My cham does not even eat dubia really yet, but I have started a colony, as they are indeed a good feeding option, and are easier to care for than crickets.

Just look it up on the forums... or pm me. I'm sure others will chime in too, but just type in breeding dubia roaches.

As I'm sure others would suggest, it is never good to have a staple feeder and only use that feeder. Still hold on to crickets. I would suggest other bugs too. It does not take much time to feed and care for cricks, dubia, and superworms in the same sitting. I think they are usually cheaper online... I got lucky and overheard a guy at the pet store who happens to breed dubia. He hooked me up and got me started with my own colony.

 

[NHenn]

I would highly recommend starting up your own colony as they are very easy to keep and breed.

I ordered all of time from DubiaRoaches.com to start my colony. It is easier to start with adults but it will cost a little more to get adults right away. Here is the link on their site that talks about breeding them. http://dubiaroaches.com/breeding/

 

[Lpsouth1978]

Ask around as well. There are A LOT of people who breed their own Dubia. Many times they are willing to help you out and get you some to start a colony for much less than online retailers. Where do you live? Maybe somebody will give you a killer deal. I certainly will if you are near me and can pick them up.

 

[Masked Gecko]

Breeding them is pretty simple. Get a good size bin or tub, I cut a rectangle at the top and place some screen in. Place some egg crates inside, and a heat pad underneath the tub. What did you feed your crikets? When i used to breed crickets and got into dubias all I had was flukers cricket diet and thats also what I use for the dubias, besides that I use water crystals and offer a tray of fruits and veggies.

 

[lily2521]

Ask around as well. There are A LOT of people who breed their own Dubia. Many times they are willing to help you out and get you some to start a colony for much less than online retailers. Where do you live? Maybe somebody will give you a killer deal. I certainly will if you are near me and can pick them up.

I live in the Midwest, and that was another question I have, if I order them from a online retailer, will they survive the cold during shipment?

 

[lily2521]

Breeding them is pretty simple. Get a good size bin or tub, I cut a rectangle at the top and place some screen in. Place some egg crates inside, and a heat pad underneath the tub. What did you feed your crikets? When i used to breed crickets and got into dubias all I had was flukers cricket diet and thats also what I use for the dubias, besides that I use water crystals and offer a tray of fruits and veggies.

I feed my crickets Repashy Bug Burger

 

[Lpsouth1978]

I live in the Midwest, and that was another question I have, if I order them from a online retailer, will they survive the cold during shipment?

They should be fine. Most of the online retailers have guidelines as to what temps they will ship at. They may also have an additional cost for heat packs if the temps are down. They will not ship if it is too cold, instead they will hold the order until temps are warm enough to ship. I have used dubiaroach.com and ABDragons (a site sponsor) in the past and been very happy with both.

 

[eat2muchrice]

If you decide to breed and order online, make sure you inform the company beforehand that you intend to start a colony and need a good ratio of female roaches. I've had all males sent to me when I first started.

 

[mvad]

Check local Craiglist ads for dubias. I found a person 20 minutes from me that had a ton of dubias to get rid of. I got an excellent starter colony and a bunch of feeders ready to go. I saved on shipping and made a great contact for future reference.

 

[kwengkynator]

I also use dubiaroaches.com Ive had great results with them. My colony is doing great! Although my chams prefer the ever so enticing superworm I always give them dubias. They are one of the best feeders in the market! Super easy to breed just make sure to have a constant supply of water for humidity and hydration. Temperature is key to ensure continuous breeding. During winter breeding rate slows down as I have observed but make sure to have a heating pad for the winter stretch. I share the hatred for crickets same as you. Although every now and then I stop by the petshop and grab 50 or so. Around once every month just for variety.

 

[Montium]

Be sure to check your local laws. They are not legal in all states. Roaches are much easier to deal with that crickets. Say goodbye to the smell, if you have a smell associated with the roaches it's past time to clean the bin and you most likely have mold. I only ever purchase crickets now when I am dealing with new chams that need small food. Once they are big enough to take a small roach the crickets are gone.

 

[lily2521]

Check local Craiglist ads for dubias. I found a person 20 minutes from me that had a ton of dubias to get rid of. I got an excellent starter colony and a bunch of feeders ready to go. I saved on shipping and made a great contact for future reference.

Thanks so much for this suggestion! I found someone about 30 minutes from my house that breeds and sells starter sets!

 

[nightanole]

Mental note you might want to put a little chlorine in the gene pool once a year or every other year. Seems long term breeders see a sharp decline after 2+ years of seeding a colony.

My colony is from 3-4 different states (yea i got 2 local guys too) and is doing well. I ended up feeding off ALL of the females to keep the colony in check. Now that its down to manageable levels i got 3-4 females running around, but at 30-40 babies a month x4, and only 2 mouths to feed...

 

[lily2521]

Mental note you might want to put a little chlorine in the gene pool once a year or every other year. Seems long term breeders see a sharp decline after 2+ years of seeding a colony.

My colony is from 3-4 different states (yea i got 2 local guys too) and is doing well. I ended up feeding off ALL of the females to keep the colony in check. Now that its down to manageable levels i got 3-4 females running around, but at 30-40 babies a month x4, and only 2 mouths to feed...

This actually brings up another question I have. I have a carpet cham, he's fairly small - full grown he's only about 8", so the full grown breeder dubia I will never be able to feed off. What on earth do I do with the full grown dubia I'm using to breed? I know they can live a couple of years.

 

[Masked Gecko]

Solution- Get a bigger Cham, lol

 

[lily2521]

Solution- Get a bigger Cham, lol

Good answer. Pretty sure my husband would have something to say about that, he already thinks I'm too obsessed with the one we have!

I will say though, thinking ahead, I love my carpet cham, but I would probably do a panther next time.

 

[NHenn]

Good answer. Pretty sure my husband would have something to say about that, he already thinks I'm too obsessed with the one we have!

I will say though, thinking ahead, I love my carpet cham, but I would probably do a panther next time.

I say you go for it! I know someone who has some great panthers that could hook you up

 

[lily2521]

I say you go for it! I know someone who has some great panthers that could hook you up

I'll definitely come your way for a cham when ready - been extremely happy with the carpet!

 

[Montium]

You can always sell the adults