Dubia Breeding vs. Keeping

[broderp]

So... I'm going to attempt to smuggle in some Dubia "beetles" to gut load and feed my Cham. How do I prevent them from breeding or will this happen regardless?

I've had crickets breed and I notice it when I have medium crickets and I find several tiny little ones that weren't in there before. It's usually not an issue because I go thru a lot of crickets so they never last.

I don't want any "beetles" breeding that I could potentially miss and get out into the house. If I don't practice specific breeding practices, can I minimize my stock from breeding? I'd rather order fresh every week from my supplier (Josh's Frogs) than be responsible for growing and breeding them.

NOTE: The term "beetles" is being used as a code word for the word that starts with "r" and ends is "h" as the wife has stated that there shall be no "r___h's in the house.

 

[JacksJill]

Higher temperatures are used to encourage them to breed. Keep them at the minimum and you can slow them down. Sorry don't have the specific temperatures at my finger tips right now.
If you don't get full size adults you can avoid reproduction. There is enough sexual dimorphism that you could try to segregate them. It's not as hard as looking for moth balls.

 

[JacksJill]

Sexing. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/sexing-dubia.66422/
Breeding Info (do the opposite) https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/breeding-dubia-cockroaches.695/

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

I would not do that! There are Soooooo many other bugs you can keep and breed that really ok to have where you are at! Dubias are not any much better than any other kinds. The key is in variety of buggs you feed and in gutloading each bug very well!

 

[JacksJill]

Opps! I confused things. He's trying not to breed dubia. He only wants to prevent the feeders from breeding.

 

[Matt Vanilla Gorilla]

Hahaha!

 

[Jwillchamel]

This is so funny i breed dubia and i call them beetles so my wife dont know what they are lol if i want them to slow down i lower temps

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

I have my breeders in non-optimal environment for breeding. Keep them at room temp. No oranges it has been a few months, but I still have 47 nymphs at last count.

 

[broderp]

Sexing. https://www.chameleonforums.com/threads/sexing-dubia.66422/
Breeding Info (do the opposite) https://www.chameleonforums.com/blogs/breeding-dubia-cockroaches.695/

I will read this, thanks.

I would not do that! There are Soooooo many other bugs you can keep and breed that really ok to have where you are at! Dubias are not any much better than any other kinds. The key is in variety of buggs you feed and in gutloading each bug very well!

I don't have the ability or time to keep a lot of bugs or breed them responsibly. I know my limits. I have crickets and Super worms. I read that the dubia's have are much more nutritious for Chams than crickets. I just want to slightly widen his variety and give him something new to eat.

Opps! I confused things. He's trying not to breed dubia. He only wants to prevent the feeders from breeding.

Exactly! I'm fine with purchasing feeders every other week like I do crickets.

This is so funny i breed dubia and i call them beetles so my wife dont know what they are lol if i want them to slow down i lower temps

I read that here on the forum somewhere's and commented it was a genious ide to call them that! Maybe it was you I quoted?

I have my breeders in non-optimal environment for breeding. Keep them at room temp. No oranges it has been a few months, but I still have 47 nymphs at last count.

Whats a nymph? I got some reading to do huh?

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

A nymph is an unsexed juvenile they kinda look like "rolly-pollies", potato bugs, pill bugs whatever u call them lol

 

[Andee]

What sizes would you be ordering and how often? Depending on the sizes if you keep them only at room temp and keep feeding amounts at a minimum for the ones waiting to be fed off growth will be slowed and no breeding because they won't grow quick enough. Honestly I could provide them possibly depending on the sizes you needed, etc. And I of course have to look at my colony right now... .___. I honestly need to look at what I have an make some sort of classified ad.

 

[Nursemaia]

I will read this,


I read that here on the forum somewhere's and commented it was a genious ide to call them that! Maybe it was you I quoted?

I believe that was me. We call them beetles in my house. My elderly parents live with me. My mom knows they're roaches and thinks they're cool. My dad has no clue. He literally thinks they're beetles because he'd freak out if he knew they were actually roaches. He'd panic and think they would infest the house

 

[broderp]

A nymph is an unsexed juvenile they kinda look like "rolly-pollies", potato bugs, pill bugs whatever u call them lol

Yes sir, I found out last night when I "YouTubed" this topic.. I can handle "rolly-pollies". The big 1-2" with wing version, probably not......yet.

What sizes would you be ordering and how often? Depending on the sizes if you keep them only at room temp and keep feeding amounts at a minimum for the ones waiting to be fed off growth will be slowed and no breeding because they won't grow quick enough. Honestly I could provide them possibly depending on the sizes you needed, etc. And I of course have to look at my colony right now... .___. I honestly need to look at what I have an make some sort of classified ad.

I'm still researching. Lots of info on breeding them, but no best practices on now to keep them without breeding. I'm going to try a small amount first, just to be sure my Cham likes them. If I'm being honest, I'm also going to have learn to handle them in a manner that doesn't result in me taking my shoe off and smashing it.. I'm a bit squeamish about "beetles" in general for some reason, most likely due to the stigma associated with them.

 

[broderp]

BTW, I was almost a dead man last night. I crawled into bed around 11pm and was watching "Dubia beetle" YouTube videos on my 10" tablet. Well I made the mistake of having a full screen video of a guy sorting thru a bin of about 1000 of the critters. Of course my volume was up and I was facing away from the wife so the screen was facing her. I quickly lowered the volume and closed the tablet.....I almost woke the proverbial sleeping giant!

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

I'm still researching. Lots of info on breeding them, but no best practices on now to keep them without breeding. I'm going to try a small amount first, just to be sure my Cham likes them. If I'm being honest, I'm also going to have learn to handle them in a manner that doesn't result in me taking my shoe off and smashing it.. I'm a bit squeamish about "beetles" in general for some reason, most likely due to the stigma associated with them.

I felt exactly the same. my entire body shuddered each and every time I had to deal with them. My kids thought this was hysterical, but I wasn't about to give in. I bought the "breeding roaches" and did all the research, like you are doing now. But I didn't follow the suggestions. Just been keeping them in a 10 gal fish tank (cos that's what i had) trying to get used to them. Feed and water, clean out the tank every so often. During this time, I had a container for crickets... so I got to compare their upkeep. I quickly fell in love with the roaches because they were clean, didn't smell, the winged males don't fly, they try hard to keep out of my way, they don't mess in their food or water, they don't bite. On the other hand, the crickets were vile creatures and completely the opposite. This experience helped me get over the stigma of roaches. They are still functioning as "pets". They have produced 47 nymphs and I was so excited to see the first batch (there was only 6 and they were so adorable). I haven't fed off any of the nymphs but have watched that my little tank of roaches are very community-like, they group together and the adults circle around the babies at night. I can see this because the tank is all glass. They are kinda fascinating.

 

[Andee]

Oh I also suggest having them in a completely clear container. It will cause more stress on them and likely less breeding that way

 

[Andee]

I don't keep my animals, insects included in anyway that will cause any stress or issues, but I know how to counteract breeding pretty easily by adding just enough to use it.

 

[opheliaeatsbugs]

Oh I also suggest having them in a completely clear container. It will cause more stress on them and likely less breeding that way

I certainly don't want to stress them out (they are up high and no one bothers them), didn't know that about the glass (or think about it, I guess). I love my roaches! Today is the first day back from vaca and my first item on my to-do list is to put them in a proper cage with a heating pad etc. I'm over my fear of them (took several months) and I can handle them, no problem. I even named one. My "normal" friends think I have gone off the deep end. But I have always preferred scale-babies, looking back, it's so obvious.

 

[Andee]

I use larger rubbermaid bins (opaque of course) for all my roach species because they do better with constant darkness. I mount my UTHs on the side because it allows for better regulation for them and heat exchange so no melting can happen of the plastic. Otherwise just cut a hole in the top and add some bug screening. Always use a larger bin than your colony calls for and add plenty of egg crates, The males will enjoy being able to claim territory and get away from each other when needed.

 

[broderp]

This thread is going south, lol ,I hear the words "Colony", someone named a roach, and how to stress a roach so it wont breed.

Here I am just wanting to keep enough on hand to feed my Cham and reorder so as to not have said colony or stressed out bugs or love one enough to name it.... (Course if I did name one he would have to be a very BIG one named Willie. )

All good stuff.