CrazyChamLady13
New Member
I was just wondering if those flexwatt heat strips would work for the Roach bins?
Flexwatt Heat Strips for feeder bin?
- Thread starter CrazyChamLady13
- Start date
fluxlizard
Avid Member
Thanks for starting this thread.
In the past, because I needed 7-10,000 roaches daily some parts of the year, I had plenty of roach colonies going. I did not use a supplementary heat source- they got lizard building ambient temperature and they would breed rapidly in the spring and summer and slow down in the winter when most of the lizards were hibernating and ambient temperature dropped in the buidling, but I had so many it didn't matter and besides most of my lizards slowed down in the winter too.
Now I'm rebuilding things after a fire in the lizard building, and need to make many feeder insects as quickly as possible, so I am trying to decide between doing an insect room this time with a small room heater or heated shelves using flexwatt and thermostats. Ambient room temp in the winter if I go with the heat tape rather than a seperate room can be as cool as 50 at night.
I would very much be interested in what others might have to say about using the heat tape. My primary concern is whether the use of the heat tape dries out the air for the insects and might also cause dehydration or decay of the vegetables too much in the insect cultures if they have plenty of ventilation. For now, I've got lobsters, dubia, hissers, blaberus hybrids, green bananas, stick insects (super excited about the green bananas and sticks- I've never kept them before), mealworms, superworms and crickets lined up and I'm thinking seriously of waxworms as well. I'd be really interested in anyone's experience culturing any of these with heat tape.
In the past, because I needed 7-10,000 roaches daily some parts of the year, I had plenty of roach colonies going. I did not use a supplementary heat source- they got lizard building ambient temperature and they would breed rapidly in the spring and summer and slow down in the winter when most of the lizards were hibernating and ambient temperature dropped in the buidling, but I had so many it didn't matter and besides most of my lizards slowed down in the winter too.
Now I'm rebuilding things after a fire in the lizard building, and need to make many feeder insects as quickly as possible, so I am trying to decide between doing an insect room this time with a small room heater or heated shelves using flexwatt and thermostats. Ambient room temp in the winter if I go with the heat tape rather than a seperate room can be as cool as 50 at night.
I would very much be interested in what others might have to say about using the heat tape. My primary concern is whether the use of the heat tape dries out the air for the insects and might also cause dehydration or decay of the vegetables too much in the insect cultures if they have plenty of ventilation. For now, I've got lobsters, dubia, hissers, blaberus hybrids, green bananas, stick insects (super excited about the green bananas and sticks- I've never kept them before), mealworms, superworms and crickets lined up and I'm thinking seriously of waxworms as well. I'd be really interested in anyone's experience culturing any of these with heat tape.
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Saldarya
Established Member
I keep all of the above feeders you mentioned with Heat Tape with no issues. On the topic of humidity, its a non issue for me as the ambient humidity in my room is 70%+ due to where I live.
Greens and fruit does not appear to be an issue as I change it out every other day (whatever has not been eaten yet).
All in all it is a great method for me and has allowed to keep the insects in teh cham room, which is certainly convenient.
HTH
Greens and fruit does not appear to be an issue as I change it out every other day (whatever has not been eaten yet).
All in all it is a great method for me and has allowed to keep the insects in teh cham room, which is certainly convenient.
HTH
ShipYourReptiles
Member
We used to use the 4" heat tape on the outside of our roach breeding bins/tubs/cans with great success.
