Breeding crickets and dubia roaches in the same bin? Has anyone tried this?

[Ultum4Spiderz]

A lot of lizard documentaries are staged.

Crickets are way smarter than bearded dragons, and apparently dubia roaches are as well. They always do that one thing that you don't want them to do to escape.
I've even found that crickets cannot be stressed out before presenting them to a predator because when they are stressed, they go into AEO (antipredator-evasion overdrive).

Even as I write this, two dubia roach nymphs are living under our beardie's reptile carpeting (I really hate that substrate).
Maybe I won't need to breed them after all. They might mature under there and mate and give birth.

Yeah most of the time I’ve kept dubia there was always a cage or two they were hidden in. Lately I haven’t had that problem ,the orange roach adult vanished got eaten I think . Tarantulas and lizards both outsmarted… and a beardy is way too big to be attacked by crickets id imagine? Or have you seen it happen..

 

[Wayfarin]

Yeah most of the time I’ve kept dubia there was always a cage or two they were hidden in. Lately I haven’t had that problem ,the orange roach adult vanished got eaten I think . Tarantulas and lizards both outsmarted… and a beardy is way too big to be attacked by crickets id imagine? Or have you seen it happen..

The nightmarish circumstance you mentioned is a common rumor among reptile-keepers.
Scared us out of our skins when we got our first bearded dragon.

Evidently, if the lizard is injured, sick, or a baby, and the crickets are starving, it is possible.
I haven't ever heard of crickets killing bearded dragons, but there are several stories (actually only a handful) of crickets actually biting them.
Not the same as the fatal damage they can inflict on a molting invertebrate, but enough for me to never leave crickets in there when she's sleeping.

 

[SpookySpooder]

I've been bitten by a cricket.

Doubt they can kill a lizard though.

 

[Wayfarin]

I've been bitten by a cricket.

Doubt they can kill a lizard though.

At least an adult bearded dragon. Some lizards can be extremely frail.
Any reptile that a spider or mantis could overpower might be fair game for starving crickets as well.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

The nightmarish circumstance you mentioned is a common rumor among reptile-keepers.
Scared us out of our skins when we got our first bearded dragon.

Evidently, if the lizard is injured, sick, or a baby, and the crickets are starving, it is possible.
I haven't ever heard of crickets killing bearded dragons, but there are several stories (actually only a handful) of crickets actually biting them.
Not the same as the fatal damage they can inflict on a molting invertebrate, but enough for me to never leave crickets in there when she's sleeping.

Yes it’s why I don’t feed Ts crickets except slings.

At least an adult bearded dragon. Some lizards can be extremely frail.
Any reptile that a spider or mantis could overpower might be fair game for starving crickets as well.

bearded dragons are big; Goliath sized compared to a cricket but an anole lizard or leopard gecko ? Easy snack for crickets should they all team up on the weak or sick/small lizard .. if there are enough of them .

 

[SpookySpooder]

I really only feed crickets to stay on top of the hydration game. Any critter that doesn't drink enough water gets mostly crickets from the pet store, and I'll rotate a cricket into everyone's diet at least once a month, just because crickets are mostly water.

Compared to all the other popular feeders that are easier to raise, crickets don't provide as much protein, fat, or phos.

 

[Wayfarin]

I didn't know that crickets could get all their protein from greens like beans and peas. That's a lot easier than feeding them live food.

 

[SpookySpooder]

Oh they love green beans. Whenever I put them in there, (when I used to keep them, nevermore!) they eat through the center of them like they're digging a tunnel. Peas work as well, if using frozen make sure to defrost and dry since excess moisture could promote mold.

I have found spirulina fish flakes are also a healthy and favorite food item.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I didn't know that crickets could get all their protein from greens like beans and peas. That's a lot easier than feeding them live food.

did you try another dubia + crickets experiment yet ? I use pet food occasionally for protein but my roaches don’t care for it ..

Oh they love green beans. Whenever I put them in there, (when I used to keep them, nevermore!) they eat through the center of them like they're digging a tunnel. Peas work as well, if using frozen make sure to defrost and dry since excess moisture could promote mold.

I have found spirulina fish flakes are also a healthy and favorite food item.

Yeah I never thought of beans does any type work ?? Some bags are cheap ..

 

[SpookySpooder]

Pet food is not a good source of protein for your feeders, a lot of people use it, but an abundance of animal protein produces higher levels of uric acid in the feeders.

Legumes work, I haven't tried any of the other beans.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Pet food is not a good source of protein for your feeders, a lot of people use it, but an abundance of animal protein produces higher levels of uric acid in the feeders.

Legumes work, I haven't tried any of the other beans.

Legumes I’ll have to check the bean isle soemtime do you gotta cook them or just soak Them?? And what is roach chow just a mixture of stuff.

 

[SpookySpooder]

Legumes I’ll have to check the bean isle soemtime do you gotta cook them or just soak Them??

I will literally just feed them what I'm eating.

Btw I realized all beans are legumes, so any bean should provide protein. I just don't usually use the dried beans because you have to soak them for a long time to get them soft enough to feed. And if I cook them, it's usually with salt, so no go there.

brussel sprouts, broccoli, spinach, potatoes, steel cut oats (not the processed sugary stuff), Lima beans, black beans, pinto beans, lentils, soybeans/edamame, peas, green beans, kale, flax, chia, hemp seeds,

Whatever you can find for cheapest. It's usually beans or spinach greens.

I like leafy greens because it also gives them water, which reduces the need for a water source. I actually don't use any water crystals or sponges in my colonies but just load them up with spinach greens + whatever other protein I'm eating that day from the grocery store.

And what is roach chow just a mixture of stuff.

Roach chow is a catch-all term for any ground up roach feed. There are many recipes online, most of which rely on chicken feed or various other feed for pets.

I personally avoid using most of these products, as if you read the back ingredient list you will quickly find they contain vitamins and ingredients that are processed with chemicals that have been proven to be safe for animals and humans but harmful to roaches.

For example, a lot of chicken feed contains diatomaceous earth, which is known to kill insects when in contact or ingested. This is good for your chicken, but do you really want to blend up chicken food with a substance known to kill roaches and feed it to them?

I have my own secret krabby patty recipe but I shan't be sharing it with you because I don't feel like typing it out. With everything I already told you, you can probably figure it out.

 

[Wayfarin]

did you try another dubia + crickets experiment yet ? I use pet food occasionally for protein but my roaches don’t care for it ..

Yeah I never thought of beans does any type work ?? Some bags are cheap ..

I'm still planning on testing out putting crickets and dubia roaches together, though only in small breeding colonies (only a few breeding adults of each).
I'm currently not as interested in cohabiting crickets and roaches as I'm trying to find a more suitable, complementary combination.

Crickets and lesser mealworms/buffalo beetles seem to be a good combo, but everyone already does this.
Crickets and mealworms/darkling beetles would be even better. They are bigger and meatier than lesser mealworms.

I'm also interested in attempting superworms with dubia roaches/Jamaican field crickets, but the latter aren't available anywhere, at least anymore.

And then there are the larder beetles. They are excellent at destroying dead, dry crickets in a few days. But are they good as feeders? No one knows.