# Lowest Survivable Temperature for Dubia Roaches?



## Ungoliant (Sep 29, 2017)

The room where I keep my feeder insects can get very chilly due to the lack of central heating and lack of insulation. (It's easily 50 °F in that room on the coldest nights, maybe even colder.) My mealworms survive these temperatures; it just slows their growth cycles.

However, last spring, I got some dubia roaches to replace the crickets I had been keeping, and I know they are a tropical species. What is the coldest temperature that dubia roaches can tolerate if I am not concerned about fertility/breeding? (I know they stop breeding around 70 °F.)

I'd rather not bring them into the rooms we use as living space, so if I need to purchase supplemental heating for them, now is the time to plan.


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## Salmonsaladsandwich (Sep 29, 2017)

It won’t kill them immediately, but I wouldn’t be surprised if they fail to grow at all and gradually weaken and die off. If they start to look round and flat and have trouble walking that means they’re getting weak.

Reactions: Helpful 1


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## 1Lord Of Ants1 (Sep 29, 2017)

I've had a large discoid colony fair fine as low as 40 degrees. The temperature within the roach bin was probably closer to 45-50. Any ootheca the females were holding onto were immediately aborted, and I noticed a higher mortality rate with older adults. Other than that, the colony of over 2000 survived relatively well.

Reactions: Helpful 1


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## elportoed (Oct 10, 2017)

They can survive 40 degree overnight, providing it gets warmer during the day.  If you want them to keep reproducing, just provide them with a heat lamp.

Reactions: Helpful 1


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## Ungoliant (Oct 10, 2017)

elportoed said:


> They can survive 40 degree overnight, providing it gets warmer during the day.  If you want them to keep reproducing, just provide them with a heat lamp.


Thanks. I don't care if they aren't very productive during the winter; I just don't want them to die.


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## SolFeliz (Oct 27, 2017)

I don't know about dubia, but I keep hissers in far-off Caledonia (Scotland)!!! Here it is about 15-20 degrees usually, that's not too accurate but it is pretty cold and so long as I keep them beside a heater at night and in the evenings, they survive fine. They originate from Madagascar, so I think your dubias will be fine!

Reactions: Helpful 1


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