canibal dubias??

[Greblhad]

Hey I just recently started up a dubia roach colony and after a few weeks I am noticing a lot of what look to be dried dead roaches that have been eaten. I do know that they go through a molting process but being the newb that I am, I am unsure as to what this looks like. What I am finding looks exactly like the roach, except flat and flakey. If anyone can help me out and tell me if this is just their molten stuff that would be great. I feed them ground up dog/cat food for breeding purposes because it is high in protein and is supposed to prevent them from eating eachother. Thanks

 

[SSimsswiSS]

Could just be old exoskeletons. Roaches shed / molt into new skin.

 

[seanUTD]

Could just be old exoskeletons. Roaches shed / molt into new skin.

Its exoskeletons... I have tons of them in my colony... They molt and lose their skin... Try to find the new molted ones they'll be a creepy white and they'll be awesome for your chams as they will be softer

 

[Carlton]

Hey I just recently started up a dubia roach colony and after a few weeks I am noticing a lot of what look to be dried dead roaches that have been eaten. I do know that they go through a molting process but being the newb that I am, I am unsure as to what this looks like. What I am finding looks exactly like the roach, except flat and flakey. If anyone can help me out and tell me if this is just their molten stuff that would be great. I feed them ground up dog/cat food for breeding purposes because it is high in protein and is supposed to prevent them from eating eachother. Thanks

If you see lots of adult roaches with chewed wings that's a sign they are short on protein and targeting each other.

 

[Maurer3D]

If they are thin and move easily if you blow on them they are exoskeletons. If they are thick and don't move much when blown on they are bodies .

If you have a balloon around you can charge it with static electricity and pickup the shed exoskeletons as well (Little kids are easily amused with this).

 

[JonRich]

If you see lots of adult roaches with chewed wings that's a sign they are short on protein and targeting each other.

I want to bring this back from the dead. I think my Dubias are being canibals. I just got a large shipment in (500+)... Many of which mostlikely went a few days without food.

Well yesterday i noticed an adult female with what looked like a egg-case attached to her rear. I found this weird because i thought they gave live birth and not lay a egg-case. Anyway, i pulled her out and out her aside in a small bin. I woke up this morning to check for nymphs and there was nothing (no nymphs and no "egg-case" attached to her anymore). Only thing i could have thought about was that she ate it/them.

I was cleaning the bin i had with only Adults out shortly after and found a few that were dead (these were 100% not molts) , they were bodies that were partially eaten. I did feed them lastnight , but i just fed some Kale with Dino-Fuel shaken on them.

This brings me to your post about lack of Protein. Im not sure if these were just Dubias that died and skavenged on or if they were killed and eaten.