Dubia, crickets and super worms oh my!

[matypants]

I keep a colony of dubia for my T’s and beardie and to be honest, they’re a pain. They burrow down and play dead and just aren’t good at triggering a feeding response in my T’s. What change if any, should I make? Should I get into crickets or just buy super worms? Is there a better feeder for tarantulas as easy to keep as dubia roaches? Help a bro out y’all.

 

[mack1855]

Blatta lateralis.R.runners.Turkestan roach's.Do a search here.Tons of info,on AB and Google.
invasive,so be careful,especially in Alabama.

 

[organgrinder79]

I keep a colony of dubia for my T’s and beardie and to be honest, they’re a pain. They burrow down and play dead and just aren’t good at triggering a feeding response in my T’s. What change if any, should I make? Should I get into crickets or just buy super worms? Is there a better feeder for tarantulas as easy to keep as dubia roaches? Help a bro out y’all.

crush there heads and drop them on there backs no more burrowing they kick good so awesome feed response

 

[matypants]

Blatta lateralis.R.runners.Turkestan roach's.Do a search here.Tons of info,on AB and Google.
invasive,so be careful,especially in Alabama.

I’ll look them up. Especially containment.

 

[mack1855]

I’ll look them up. Especially containment.

The only downside,IMO,is they don't get as large as Dubias.Even the males,who can flutter around,not really flying,but may surprise some one.
on the plus side,you don't need to keep them hot,as far as temps.My colony grows well at mid 70,s(25c).

 

[matypants]

The only downside,IMO,is they don't get as large as Dubias.Even the males,who can flutter around,not really flying,but may surprise some one.
on the plus side,you don't need to keep them hot,as far as temps.My colony grows well at mid 70,s(25c).

Is it true that they can’t climb plastic surfaces?

 

[mack1855]

Is it true that they can’t climb plastic surfaces?

No they cant.however,be aware that any little scratch on the plastic or acryillc can give them a foothold.one scratch on the bottom of the bin will not be a problem,
but enough to the top will be an issue.And always keep the sealed lid on.I posted this in the past,but here is my bin of choice.
Its avlabile at Home Depot and Walmart.The lid seals,and i use vent holes only on the top.

 

[l4nsky]

Blatta lateralis.R.runners.Turkestan roach's.Do a search here.Tons of info,on AB and Google.
invasive,so be careful,especially in Alabama.

I second this. They don't burrow, can't climb smooth surfaces, are quite prolific, and generate strong feeding responses in tarantulas due to their high activity levels. The nymphs are perfect for slings. The only downsides, as mentioned, are the ability to be invasive especially in warmer climates and the smaller adult sizes compared to dubia. If you're feeding a lot of tarantulas over 5", I'd stick with dubia. Just crush their heads to prevent burrowing and use tongs to drop them close to the tarantula or their hide entrance. You could still use lateralis, but you'll have to keep quite a large colony to ensure a lot of spare adults to feed off.

For my colony, I keep them double enclosed. They're in a 10g with a tight fitting screen lid and the top 4" of glass and silicone has a layer of packing tape that is wiped off once a week. The 10g is placed into a large gasketed tote with top ventilation and packing tape around the vents. They have a regulated heatmat set to 83 degrees on one end and I can keep the humidity between 80-90% with just their water crystals. I also make it a point to only feed off immature roaches and adult males to avoid the potential for a female to drop an ootheca in my enclosures for moisture dependent species, where they would certainly hatch and escape through the ventilation. Twice a year or so, I'll cull the colony of excess females by giving them away to friends who own larger reptiles like beardies. This helps keep my numbers in check.

All in all, I'm quite pleased with the investment I made in acquiring the colony.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

Pinch your dubias and get some runners.
Roaches are the future.

 

[matypants]

No they cant.however,be aware that any little scratch on the plastic or acryillc can give them a foothold.one scratch on the bottom of the bin will not be a problem,
but enough to the top will be an issue.And always keep the sealed lid on.I posted this in the past,but here is my bin of choice.
Its avlabile at Home Depot and Walmart.The lid seals,and i use vent holes only on the top.

The containment has me worried to be honest. Any mistakes and I could have serious problems.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

The containment has me worried to be honest. Any mistakes and I could have serious problems.

No. Don't overthink it.

Smooth sided bins with scure lids. Hot glue patches of screen in the lids. Keep all harborage well away from the ceiling and create a barrier. Put out of the way.
Roaches are as easy as you make them.

 

[mack1855]

The containment has me worried to be honest. Any mistakes and I could have serious problems.

Yep...nothing is perfect,even T feeders.But,if you are able to contain your OW,s,if you care for any,then runners are manageable.
I thought long and hard about it when I got a colony going.But,and like @DomGom TheFather ,I don't regret it at all.
And don't even get me started on crickets.Vile,stinking.And die if you look at them wrong.
But,there is a reason why Canada restricts them,and you cant ship to Florida.
Tough choice.

 

[matypants]

The thing is, I would probably be able to sell off my dubias and fund the red runners with the proceeds
There’s a couple on Craig’s list that buys my extras all the time.

 

[DomGom TheFather]

The thing is, I would probably be able to sell off my dubias and fund the red runners with the proceeds
There’s a couple on Craig’s list that buys my extras all the time.

So trade up.
Beats the tar out of resorting to crickets.

 

[organgrinder79]

I’ll buy the dubias

I’ll pay good price just so you don’t go to crickets

 

[Dorifto]

Buy some lateralis, you will have a colony forever... Last time I bought roaches was more than a year ago.

Put them in a tall and smooth storage bin, make some holes with a needle and install a mesh at the top, don't worry about smells because they don't smell.

They can't climb smooth surfaces, but if the plastic is dirt or with water marks, some can manage to climb it, so I use a weatherstripping to seal any gaps at the top, so if any manages to climb, it will be imposible to escape.

 

[matypants]

Seems like lateralis are the preferred feeder of arachnoboards.

 

[l4nsky]

Seems like lateralis are the preferred feeder of arachnoboards.

Don't worry, you'll be a convert too once you get a colony lol.

 

[organgrinder79]

Buy some lateralis, you will have a colony forever... Last time I bought roaches was more than a year ago.

Put them in a tall and smooth storage bin, make some holes with a needle and install a mesh at the top, don't worry about smells because they don't smell.
Can I see one
They can't climb smooth surfaces, but if the plastic is dirt or with water marks, some can manage to climb it, so I use a weatherstripping to seal any gaps at the top, so if any manages to climb, it will be imposible to escape.
View attachment 390654

 

[Dorifto]

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