Picky Dubias won’t eat?

[Ultum4Spiderz]

The ones that were breeding at "room temp", is it possible they were already breeding and when you had them they were just coming out then stopped as temps were too cool in their new home?

Egg crates work great like above pics. We use mahogany leaf litter for many of our cockroach species. Works great, especially for our native sp. Use it for dubia as well. Sponge in dish for water and throw in whatever fruit from the farm (organic). Currently feeding mostly yellow eggplant. We keep ours at "room temp" which is 20C in winter and 30s in summer. They dont breed in winter so we put some enclosures on top if our vivariums and the light heat gets em back up over 30.

for some more humidity loving sp.

we might add some peat in the corner, but not for dubia.

Edit to add, I live in a pretty warm and very humid country, thus not needing to worry about humidity. So the advice depends on your climate.

No they bread out of control room temperature until a phorid fly invasion wiped out a lot Of them . Now I gotta buy more Dubias because there numbers are so small it’s no longer a functional colony to use for feeding . Plus I need to add different bloodlines, mine I only added 10 from a different source this year .

Have tried getting more dubia's for your colony?

Yes once I find the best deal on a starter colony I will add a lot of them . Atleast one starter colony ? Or is it better to buy 150 smaller ones? My house temperature is at 74-75 right now do you think I’ll need a bigger heat mat once I have enough dubia to feed some off ?

 

[Liquifin]

Yes once I find the best deal on a starter colony I will add a lot of them . Atleast one starter colony ? Or is it better to buy 150 smaller ones? My house temperature is at 74-75 right now do you think I’ll need a bigger heat mat once I have enough dubia to feed some off ?

It would depend if the colony is doing fine or not. Don't fix something that's not broken. So if it's working fine for you at the moment, then I don't see the need for too much change. But it's your call.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

It would depend if the colony is doing fine or not. Don't fix something that's not broken. So if it's working fine for you at the moment, then I don't see the need for too much change. But it's your call.

They’re doing fine it’s just getting expensive gotta buy superworms each month or every 3 weeks . These spiders eat them like a bottomless pit , would you rehouse a 4” l parahybana because 2 supers escaped ? It’s not even close to pre molt , but it doesn’t burrow so those worms are lost in the 10gal somewhere .

my l klugi barely looks full lol and I gave it 3 worms . I’m working on its glass enclosure which is almost finished , added more of ventilation. Trying to decide on a hide maybe a ricotta cheese container ?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

It would depend if the colony is doing fine or not. Don't fix something that's not broken. So if it's working fine for you at the moment, then I don't see the need for too much change. But it's your call.

Yeah I decided to get more because I am a year or two away from my colony rebounding. far too long to wait … I need feeders this year lol
Is it safe to mix both colony’s or should I keep them separate for a while ? I’m hoping it’s a decent sized starter colony, but I’ll see tomorrow .

 

[Liquifin]

Yeah I decided to get more because I am a year or two away from my colony rebounding. far too long to wait … I need feeders this year lol
Is it safe to mix both colony’s or should I keep them separate for a while ? I’m hoping it’s a decent sized starter colony, but I’ll see tomorrow .

You can mix them and they'll do fine for the most part as long as there is enough space and food.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

You can mix them and they'll do fine for the most part as long as there is enough space and food.

What type of heat Mat do you suggest? You can pm that yeah I got plenty of space . In either bin I’m considering using .

 

[Liquifin]

What type of heat Mat do you suggest? You can pm that yeah I got plenty of space . In either bin I’m considering using .

I don't use heat mats. So I can't recommend a heat mat for you on that end since I don't use heat mats.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

I don't use heat mats. So I can't recommend a heat mat for you on that end since I don't use heat mats.

Do they Breed at 74-75 degrees?

You can mix them and they'll do fine for the most part as long as there is enough space and food.

What’s a better enclosure a xl kritter keeper, a large file plastic storage container , or just go all out and use a 10gallion ?
The container i prepared was too small, although it may work for a few months , if I remove some stuff and organize it better.

 

[Liquifin]

What’s a better enclosure a xl kritter keeper, a large file plastic storage container , or just go all out and use a 10gallion ?
The container i prepared was too small, although it may work for a few months , if I remove some stuff and organize it better.

Whatever you can afford is fine as long as the size is appropriate.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Whatever you can afford is fine as long as the size is appropriate.

I already had both containers , I decided to use the filing one because it was smaller but plenty large for them . There previous kritter keeper in the 1st pics.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Will this roach survive? Looks like it got hurt during shipping?

 

[kadupul]

Is it headless?

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Is it headless?

Looks that way , think people do this so they don’t burrow but this one just got hurt somehow . I’d assume it’s a zombie at this point and can’t molt/eat or anything.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Is it headless?

Weirdly I never found that roach but it could have been the one that died molting.. now I’m waiting on most the larger nymphs I bought to become adults. !

 

[SpookySpooder]

Just read the abstract
Same article different host

Dubias need to be kept at a certain temperature in order to breed efficiently and for their nymphs to develop quickly.

I'll let you figure out what that temperature is.

One thing I've noticed in all of your roach photos... you have a lot of frass. Cleaning regularly will deal with that, but it also interrupts breeding. I suggest you add some clean up critters.

Namely Dermestid Beetles or Alphitobius diaperinus (lesser mealworm beetle)

Both are great options. They eat molts, dead bodies, and frass. In large numbers, they drastically reduce the amount of maintenance necessary.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Whatever you can afford is fine as long as the size is appropriate.

how do you think this bin looks beside a bit of frass but I left it for nymphs. I gave them new egg crates .

 

[SpookySpooder]

*shudder*

I seriously can't look at a roach without triggering some trauma lmao. Still can't touch them...

I think you're overfeeding. Only feed them what they can eat overnight. Keep extras in a tub in the fridge, feed the next night.

Everything else looks fine. Make sure to get them up to 80°. My bin is often 80-84° depending on the heat outside

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

*shudder*

I seriously can't look at a roach without triggering some trauma lmao. Still can't touch them...

I think you're overfeeding. Only feed them what they can eat overnight. Keep extras in a tub in the fridge, feed the next night.

Everything else looks fine. Make sure to get them up to 80°. My bin is often 80-84° depending on the heat outside

It was giving them oats instead of paying for roach chow but they burrowed under it and spilled it everywhere lol .. yeah they seem overfed I keep throwing out stuff every day or two .

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

*shudder*

I seriously can't look at a roach without triggering some trauma lmao. Still can't touch them...

I think you're overfeeding. Only feed them what they can eat overnight. Keep extras in a tub in the fridge, feed the next night.

Everything else looks fine. Make sure to get them up to 80°. My bin is often 80-84° depending on the heat outside

Look at the size difference of just the lid of the next two sizes up 27 gallon vs 12… it’s going to take up way more
Space . But I take it one heatmat is still enough for a very large container ? So long as there’s a hot spot . I considered returning it for a 80 quart but with prices going up I didn’t bother yet . So according to that article 25-30 celcius is optimal temperature??

 

[SpookySpooder]

Yeah, as long as you provide a hot spot and a cool side the roaches will self regulate.

Based on that dubia development and breeding study optimal temps are between 75-80°F, but some people have reported success up to 90°F