dubia getting lose and running a muck

[MEPOKEU]

Im trying to talk the wife (cough, cough, yes i got married) into letting me have dubias.


But she is worried they might escape and breed since crickets have gotten out of our cages before..



I told her i would post this on the forums and she is going to read the responses and let me know if she approves or disapproves the roaches


lol



So what are the chances of our house getting infested with dubias?

 

[codiwatkins]

I would so there isnt a chance at all unless someone opens the tote that you would be keeping them in.

My son opened my Cricket tote the other day and I STILL have crickets making their stupid cricket noise all over my house

 

[ColorCham427]

crickets are a billion times more likely to escape than dubia.

dubia are extremely easy to maintain, and they also die fast if u keep ur house below 65 like me.

 

[GeuysMaum]

Unless you yourself let them out, there is no way. They aren't avant flyers & can't climb. I have both crickets & roaches.. I'd take the roaches any day.

 

[LBonawitz]

i was really nervous about buying some at a pet store, so i just got 4 for starters. i put on in the cup in his cage....it got away and his cage isn't bug proof (since i made it myself) so i freaked out thinking this roach was going to be crawling all over my house! i went back to the pet store and they assured me the roach cannot live in our climate (in washington) and they showed me the cage where they keep the roaches and how warm and moist it is. that made me feel better....although i still haven't found that little guy.

i just hope my cham ate him

 

[LBonawitz]

They aren't avant flyers & can't climb.

the roaches i got could climb on any surface and i swear the smallest one jumped

 

[CNorton]

the roaches i got could climb on any surface and i swear the smallest one jumped

^^^So apparently this guy doesn't want your cham to be feasting on harmless roaches cuz he makes it sound like they're escape artists! I have over 100 roaches and have not had A SINGLE ROACH get loose. I keep them in a plastic cricket keeper with a lid just to make sure. Even if you somehow drop one in your house, they cannot survive as they need moisture and high temps (high80s - mid 90s). Unless you live in Florida or Hawaii without an Air Conditioner (not likely)...your escapees will be lying face up within a day.

I know the feeling of a disapproving spouse, but please be assured. Roaches are only going to escape if someone gets clumsy.

 

[luevelvet]

I have to say, acquiring a colony of dubia's was one of the best things I've done for my animals (and sleep) in a long time! They still enjoy the oocassional cricket or two, but the roaches are much bigger bang for the buck IMO.

 

[Chameleonboy]

You are way better off with dubias than crickets. I have had millions of crickets escape and no dubias.

EDIT: By the way they cant climb glass like the other roaches.

-Clemonde

 

[Chameleons Canada]

Hahaha, amazing! I came to the food section to post exactly the same question. I was thinking about ordering some dubias locally (100 for $40us) but the wife said noooooo!!! After this reading think I have a case to give them a try. I am sick of the crix escaping! plus I saw my chams are getting a bit sick of crix. Amazingly enough I tried silk worms and they didn't like them. Only one of my females, the rest were not interested.

 

[Powers]

Im trying to talk the wife (cough, cough, yes i got married) into letting me have dubias.


But she is worried they might escape and breed since crickets have gotten out of our cages before..

Dubias cannot climb or fly. And unless you live in an area that has a climate like South America, the roaches won't survive let alone breed if they were to escape.

 

[Zen Reptiles]

Crickets jump....

Dubia (and most) roaches burry themselves.

Big difference there, another option you have is bowl feeding.

I bowl feed all my lizards and geckos and I've never had any escaped roaches, but roaches, since they jump, get out all the time, though I've been off crickets for a good 5 years now

 

[MEPOKEU]

Due to your responses the wife gave me approval.


I know have dubias in the mail!

 

[gregdabender]

crickets are a billion times more likely to escape than dubia.

dubia are extremely easy to maintain, and they also die fast if u keep ur house below 65 like me.

My colony has been in temps around 35-40 before for a few days and came back from the dead.

The side story behind that was I was in the middle of a move and forgot my dear ole dubias out in the garage in the middle of winter. After I was finshing setting my chams up I realized my dubias were still in the garage. About 1/3 of them died but the rest looked dead but came back after a few hours in regular temps.

dubias are not as fraile as most might think. I only feed them maye twice a month and thats a few days before Im going to give them to my chams.

 

[PardalisGirl]

Congrats!

Congrats on getting married too After keeping large quantities of crickets and roaches for years I would prefer to keep roaches over crickets any day. They do not smell at all. They are easy to keep. I'm constantly vacuming up stray crickets around my house. Not a single roach has ever escaped to my knowledge. Once you get over the creepy factor they are great.

 

[Fearaffect]

Get a house gecko or some other small gecko that will eat whatever gets lose...I have a Tokay that eats all my escaped crickets and lobster roaches........

 

[PardalisGirl]

Hey Brye....

Hey Brye......you've got a gecko free roaming in your abode? I've got cats. They get some of the crickets (mostly torture and maim them though).

 

[liquidsweetness]

Get a house gecko or some other small gecko that will eat whatever gets lose...I have a Tokay that eats all my escaped crickets and lobster roaches........

I'm not sure that free-ranging a gecko would be a good idea for someone who has a ferret sleeping on his shoulder in his avatar pic...unless the ferret is no longer in the picture, then by all means

 

[dondeb562]

Am i the only one???

I have a fear of roaches but made the choice of starting a dubia colony a while back. I have them INSIDE a 10 gallon tank INSIDE a critter condo . Any time the egg crate comes roughly 7 inches or so from the top of the 10 gallon I find escapee males running around inside the critter condo. Only the males. So I would suggest something kinda deep incase you move the egg crate and it is slightly higher then norm. I think the males can if they try hard enough catch just enough air to escape if given the chance... Or is it just that mine know how much I hate them and just try harder...?

 

[Fearaffect]

I have a fear of roaches but made the choice of starting a dubia colony a while back. I have them INSIDE a 10 gallon tank INSIDE a critter condo . Any time the egg crate comes roughly 7 inches or so from the top of the 10 gallon I find escapee males running around inside the critter condo. Only the males. So I would suggest something kinda deep incase you move the egg crate and it is slightly higher then norm. I think the males can if they try hard enough catch just enough air to escape if given the chance... Or is it just that mine know how much I hate them and just try harder...?

I keep my Lobster Roaches in trash cans with the top rims lined 4-6inches down with bug off from Pro Exotics.......cant go past the barrier....
Are Dubias easy to set up??