B. dubia roach question

[Shelob]

Hello all, since I got my shipment of dubia in I have had 5-7 of them die and I think the reason is because they fall onto their back and can't roll over again and since I have heat mats under 1/2 the tub they slowly "bake", does anyone else ever have this problem? I decided to use Quaker Oats as a substrate just to give them a change of getting a grip when they try to roll over...any other tips?

All the ones this happened to were the small ones, the larger ones 3/4"+ are already molting within a day!

 

[Wade]

Is the heat mat really needed? I've never bothered to heat roaches and have them coming out of my ears.

Wade

 

[Shelob]

Well most guides and breeders recommend having temps >90 degrees to encourage breeding. While the roaches I have are not large enough to breed, I would imagine that they would grow at a quicker rate with warmer temps.

 

[nomad85]

About the oats, they are prone to molding, and can encourage mites, I would keep the tub with no substrate, I put pieces of egg carton all over so that an roaches that fall on their back can hopefully get to one. You might try putting the heat pad against the side of the tub, I duct taped a couple to the wall next to my roach bins, that way the ambient temp still goes up, but there isnt an intense surface heat. They do grow faster at higher temps but if the way you have it set up is killing a few then it would be better to change it and have more make it to adulthood, even if it takes a little longer, and long as the temps arent lower than 75 they should breed pretty well.

 

[OldHag]

Its the heat!! Seriously, when they die of heat they flip onto their backs. Ive had personal experience with that I heat from above or not at all.

 

[Shelob]

Ok Hag thanks for the tip, I suppose the heat is not necessary at this time anyways since they are not sexually mature. Thanks for the advice.

 

[james]

Heat

I still don't really understand this one. I have a room that is always 80F, plus I have at least one to two strands of heat rope under 1/3 of my bins and I never have roaches die. The cool side usually sticks around 80-85 and the hot side in the 95-100 range. Anyway, not everything works the same for everyone. I need feed lots of fruits and veggies, plus I mist twice a week so maybe the constant water suppy makes the difference.
James
www.blaberus.com

 

[Snakecharm]

I freely admit that I'm a rank newbie with these guys. But I started with a colony of 60 about 1.5-2 months ago. As far as I can tell, I haven't lost any. They're also growing and breeding well.

I use a large rubbermaid tub. It's got a plastic canvas cutout in the lid and vent holes around the top rim. I keep a heat pad, set on low, under one half and the ambient temp in the room is mid to high 70s. The roaches have access to dry food and water crystals at all times, and I give them fruits and veggies several times a week.

I can think of two possibilities for the problems you guys are having. The first thought would be lack of ventilation. How well ventilated are your roach bins? The second is wondering if perhaps dismissing the importance of substrate in heated bins is part of the problem. Substrate plays an important role in distributing heat and making sure the animals don't come into direct contact with the heat element. I use a thin layer of vermiculite on the bottom of the bin.

Just food for thought.

 

[Shelob]

Thanks for the additional replies guys, I have turned off the undertank heaters and voila, no more deaths!

Thanks for the info!