# Cheapest way to heat roach colony??



## Ultum4Spiderz (Oct 27, 2014)

I am wondering what the cheapest way to heat Dubia's, and larger roach species would be.:biggrin:
Im using small reptile heat mats I got for free right now but they are too small& I need more heat.


Thanks!


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## Galapoheros (Oct 28, 2014)

What wattage mat do you have?  In cages I have a place that seems too radiate too hot to me and places that seem too cool, but they often are around the heat, they also wander to the cooler areas now and then.  I don't like the idea of making the whole thing the approx same temp(for any invert I have over here), but others do that and it works for them.


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## Ultum4Spiderz (Oct 28, 2014)

4 watts, is it bad to have them on the bottom of container? one of my roach tubs has mat on bottom, Maybe ill move it to the side so its not a fire hazard.


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## Galapoheros (Oct 28, 2014)

I can't remember exactly but I think that's one of the lowest wattage mats they make.  Yeah I was scared of the "fire" thing too but I stick the mats to a thin piece of glass and put them under the tub of roaches, on the side just below the substrate is prob best but I use these doobs as feeders, nothing fancy in there, there are 1000s of them.  I think people that have had a melting prob used the higher wattage matts with their plastic tubs.  I bet many people don't even know about the diff wattage thing going on with these mats ...I didn't!  I just noticed I had some that were a "lot" hotter than others so I looked on the box lol!  ...hmmm, OK, not all heat mats are made the same!  Some are a nice luke warm while others can get pretty hot.  I had to give a tub of them away to a pet store here there were so many.  But now I have a lot feed so it's working out.


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## Ultum4Spiderz (Oct 28, 2014)

Galapoheros said:


> I can't remember exactly but I think that's one of the lowest wattage mats they make.  Yeah I was scared of the "fire" thing too but I stick the mats to a thin piece of glass and put them under the tub of roaches, on the side just below the substrate is prob best but I use these doobs as feeders, nothing fancy in there, there are 1000s of them.  I think people that have had a melting prob used the higher wattage matts with their plastic tubs.  I bet many people don't even know about the diff wattage thing going on with these mats ...I didn't!  I just noticed I had some that were a "lot" hotter than others so I looked on the box lol!  ...hmmm, OK, not all heat mats are made the same!  Some are a nice luke warm while others can get pretty hot.  I had to give a tub of them away to a pet store here there were so many.  But now I have a lot feed so it's working out.


4 watts feels pretty hot, I mean the heatmat itself is rather small surface area. I can put a temp gage in roach cage but it wont help much.


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## Galapoheros (Oct 28, 2014)

Yes, good point there, 4 watts crammed in a small surface area will get hotter that a 4 watt mat that is larger.  If it's hot where the mat is and not other places, that's just how I'd do it.  You may prefer to heat the whole thing though, you'd have to close up the tank to a degree as you know.  More info on the container would help people come up with more opinions and recos.


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## xkris (Oct 28, 2014)

the best way to heat them, especially if you have more containers would be a heating cable. i prefer it because you can weave it in/out/all around any surface or shape or container you have. 
you can also fixate in on the back of closet or cabinet and get a efficient heating system for all your animals that way. 

heating cable is good because it only gets warm, not super hot  like heat tape, so you don't need anything other to regulate it. and if you want more heat, just rearrange your cable so it covers more surface. 
fix it to place using electrician tape. i use 25w one, works good. 

a ward of warning- the "best" possible way to burn down your house using heat cable is to cross it over itself nice and tight. next "best" way is to cross electrician tape over itself on the place it touches the cable.


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