Dubias not using egg crates?!?!

[kokom05lb]

So I've had my roaches since this last Wednesday. Well I set up their container with 5 egg crates, a little dish for the water crystals, roach chow, and some fresh veggie gutload. I leave them outside 1.) its been 95 degrees here and I don't have a heat pad, and 2.) my husband doesn't want them inside. Well I check on them everyday and I've noticed that they prefer to sleep under the food dishes instead of the egg crates. Is this normal?
Also how do you tell the deference between male and female? And is it normal for them to prefer the veggie gutload over the roach chow?

 

[lisagr07]

My guess is that they're trying to get away from the light. I keep mine outside also in the summer and cover their tank with a cardboard box... They do not like light and will get somewhere dark...

If they are dubia, the males ave wings, the females do not.... Juvies are hard to call, you havevto wait until they grow a bit.

 

[kokom05lb]

Yea their container is in our outdoor shed... I keep it locked so my son won't bug them.

 

[ISA my Veiled]

Yeah they will avoid light at all costs, they are against it completely lol but anyway I would really be wary of keeping them outside if you have a bit of ants. I don't think ants would destroy a roach colony as much as a cricket one but ants will tear that colony up. Especially if you have good gutload in there.

 

[lisagr07]

Yeah they will avoid light at all costs, they are against it completely lol but anyway I would really be wary of keeping them outside if you have a bit of ants. I don't think ants would destroy a roach colony as much as a cricket one but ants will tear that colony up. Especially if you have good gutload in there.

This is true..... To avert the ants I have set the roach container in another shallow container on bricks, one on each corner. The ants wont cross the moat of water.....

 

[trd1215]

They mostly like to hide on the lower sides or even the bottom of the egg crates. Should be normal as mine do the same too. They love all types of veggies and gutloads. Yes becareful with ants ive had some swarm in their and attack the weak adult roaches and hard to get those red ants out of container. They are vicious!!

 

[Solid Snake]

If I had to guess, they are likely trying to stay as low as possible to get away from the heat.

95F outside is different than having a heat pad underneath them.

I keep my colony inside, in 70-80F temps (no additional heat source) and they do fine.

They will breed faster at a higher temp, but they wont die at 70-80F.

I would find a closet of something to place them in.

They will eventually die from overheating.

 

[kokom05lb]

Okay I'll move them back inside...hubby just going to have to deal with it. Lol still don't know if I have any males or not... I haven't seen any with wings

 

[lisagr07]

I live in the deep south heat and humidity are the norm. Mine go crazy, breeding wise from dark, heat and humidity.... I am over run with nymphs in the summer. When I bring them inside in the winter their reproduction slows way down...... Just my observation, definitely not the only way....

 

[Solid Snake]

Okay I'll move them back inside...hubby just going to have to deal with it. Lol still don't know if I have any males or not... I haven't seen any with wings

You could post some pictures, but sexing them is easy, even when fairly young:http://www.fantasyboas.com/Dubia.html

 

[kokom05lb]

Heres a pic of my dubias

Its not the best pic but the only one I could get.