Picky Dubias won’t eat?

[Ultum4Spiderz]

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

Yeah I’m trying to decide if I just load up on top ventilation or just do what I did only on other containers with top and side vents near the top were nymphs can’t reach . I got it set around 85 right now , thermostat is working fine . Not sure how the heat radiates through the cage or if just is like a reptile basking spot ? I don’t have a heat gun .

 

[SpookySpooder]

Top vents are fine for roaches. I don't have any side vents. The heatmat will heat up the wall of the enclosure, heat transfers through plastic pretty well, then it will transfer unto the air inside. If anything it will only be 1-3 degrees less than what it says on the probe. If you want, you can tape the probe on the inside wall for a more accurate reading since you don't have a thermal sensor gun. Or use a tiny drill bit the same exact size as the probe and just stick it through the side and then hot glue the hole

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Top vents are fine for roaches. I don't have any side vents. The heatmat will heat up the wall of the enclosure, heat transfers through plastic pretty well, then it will transfer unto the air inside. If anything it will only be 1-3 degrees less than what it says on the probe. If you want, you can tape the probe on the inside wall for a more accurate reading since you don't have a thermal sensor gun. Or use a tiny drill bit the same exact size as the probe and just stick it through the side and then hot glue the hole

K I see . I can do that do you think I need more ventilation??

 

[SpookySpooder]

Put a row in the middle and you should be fine, if humidity builds up from frass/veggies then you can always cut away the middle and hot glue mesh to make a bigger vent.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Put a row in the middle and you should be fine, if humidity builds up from frass/veggies then you can always cut away the middle and hot glue mesh to make a bigger vent.

Ok maybe I’ll use mesh later on too , but for now I added significantly more vents but I can add more if you think I need more .

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Put a row in the middle and you should be fine, if humidity builds up from frass/veggies then you can always cut away the middle and hot glue mesh to make a bigger vent.

Is 85-88 a good plan for temperature?? That’s what I got them set on now . I could probably do 90 but a few degrees probably won’t make Difference??
The huge bin was the largest Walmart had in store 27 gallons. $17 so not bad . I Almost got a gasket bin but I was a few bucks short .

 

[SpookySpooder]

TBH I wouldn't go higher than 86

"Nymphs developed to adulthood at 20, 25, and 30 °C, but all died before developing into fifth instar at 35 °C and into second instar at 40 °C"

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

TBH I wouldn't go higher than 86

"Nymphs developed to adulthood at 20, 25, and 30 °C, but all died before developing into fifth instar at 35 °C and into second instar at 40 °C"

I set it to 85 for now I’ll see how it regulates that . Don’t want to cook my roaches.. I already lowered my oranges to 85.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

TBH I wouldn't go higher than 86

"Nymphs developed to adulthood at 20, 25, and 30 °C, but all died before developing into fifth instar at 35 °C and into second instar at 40 °C"

I got another order finally, dang I’d avoid going above 30 c ..
I’m going to put them in the main container later . My mom said they stink I can’t smell anything. I told her I’m sick or super worms .

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Put a row in the middle and you should be fine, if humidity builds up from frass/veggies then you can always cut away the middle and hot glue mesh to make a bigger vent.

I considered moving my bin to the basement because my moms not happy about Dubia being upstairs to benefit from the slight heat boost of my room . But I gotta find an extension cord if my heatmat won’t reach . Maybe I’ll wait til I switch to the bigger bin before moving them downstairs. Hmm any suggestions?? I can prob use the 48qt until half the big nymphs are adults x or later . I really don’t want to move the roaches to-the basement.

 

[HooahArmy]

Hey there Ultum, I'm out of messages I can send, so I'm going to reply to your message question here, since your post is touching on the same topic.
You mentioned that your dubias aren't eating oats. Some dubia colonies are more picky than others and there are plenty of grain foods you also can try. My mum raises her own dubias for her giant T family and offers them old/stale unsweetened cereal. Our gang likes bran flakes and corn flakes, but whether yours will too will be up to your roaches. As a nutrient booster, we also will sprinkle in some dog kibble, preferably the type that has some wholesome non-grain carb as the base, such as sweet potato, lentil, or barley.
You also mentioned that you were considering selling your young male LP. If packaging him up is a problem because he's a master hair-flinger, you can post on our Classifieds and state that you are only offering a local pickup. Another option is to package him up for shipping with the bag method, which my mum uses to ship her billion LPs. Another Arachnoboards post mentioned this technique too:

Bag Transfer Technique: How To Transfer Your Tarantulas

Hi, My 3" Female Poecilotheria Regalis needs more space so it was time to upgrade to a bigger container. Sh'e lightning fast and the "half a two liter bottle technique" seemed a bit iffy for me, especially since her bite is potent and she's a speed demon. That and the fact that one bend...

arachnoboards.com

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Hey there Ultum, I'm out of messages I can send, so I'm going to reply to your message question here, since your post is touching on the same topic.
You mentioned that your dubias aren't eating oats. Some dubia colonies are more picky than others and there are plenty of grain foods you also can try. My mum raises her own dubias for her giant T family and offers them old/stale unsweetened cereal. Our gang likes bran flakes and corn flakes, but whether yours will too will be up to your roaches. As a nutrient booster, we also will sprinkle in some dog kibble, preferably the type that has some wholesome non-grain carb as the base, such as sweet potato, lentil, or barley.
You also mentioned that you were considering selling your young male LP. If packaging him up is a problem because he's a master hair-flinger, you can post on our Classifieds and state that you are only offering a local pickup. Another option is to package him up for shipping with the bag method, which my mum uses to ship her billion LPs. Another Arachnoboards post mentioned this technique too:

Bag Transfer Technique: How To Transfer Your Tarantulas

Hi, My 3" Female Poecilotheria Regalis needs more space so it was time to upgrade to a bigger container. Sh'e lightning fast and the "half a two liter bottle technique" seemed a bit iffy for me, especially since her bite is potent and she's a speed demon. That and the fact that one bend...

arachnoboards.com

Thanks ! I rehoused them at 4 am because 3 escapes lol.. they really feed at night time !!! My other bin had a slotted lid it wasn’t air tight they squeezed threw the lid . Because side ventilation. I got them to finally eat oats by grinding it with dog food in my blender . Is there a reason regular mealworms can’t be used as a clean up crew ???

 

[SpookySpooder]

Have you considered retrofitting a big cardboard box to be insulation? That would work better than your room. All you need is a big cardboard box, old newspapers, aluminum foil, some tape.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Have you considered retrofitting a big cardboard box to be insulation? That would work better than your room. All you need is a big cardboard box, old newspapers, aluminum foil, some tape.

I don’t have an any boxes large enough to fit this container in , but I could still insulate the outside with loads of smaller boxes cut up . Do you have an example of this ? I used a few cardboard peices in this sterlite container around the edges , roaches swarm the heat source . Main reason I haven’t moved them to to the basement is it’s slightly colder and I need to buy an 3 prong extension cord or find a long cable surge protector.I could dig in my box of cables and see but I don’t have the extension cable . Can regular meal worms work as a clean up crew ??prob not ill just have too live without a cleaner crew . Too low in funds to order lessers .

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Hey there Ultum, I'm out of messages I can send, so I'm going to reply to your message question here, since your post is touching on the same topic.
You mentioned that your dubias aren't eating oats. Some dubia colonies are more picky than others and there are plenty of grain foods you also can try. My mum raises her own dubias for her giant T family and offers them old/stale unsweetened cereal. Our gang likes bran flakes and corn flakes, but whether yours will too will be up to your roaches. As a nutrient booster, we also will sprinkle in some dog kibble, preferably the type that has some wholesome non-grain carb as the base, such as sweet potato, lentil, or barley.
You also mentioned that you were considering selling your young male LP. If packaging him up is a problem because he's a master hair-flinger, you can post on our Classifieds and state that you are only offering a local pickup. Another option is to package him up for shipping with the bag method, which my mum uses to ship her billion LPs. Another Arachnoboards post mentioned this technique too:

Bag Transfer Technique: How To Transfer Your Tarantulas

Hi, My 3" Female Poecilotheria Regalis needs more space so it was time to upgrade to a bigger container. Sh'e lightning fast and the "half a two liter bottle technique" seemed a bit iffy for me, especially since her bite is potent and she's a speed demon. That and the fact that one bend...

arachnoboards.com

How do you think this set up looks ? I added a center row of ventilation.

 

[HooahArmy]

How do you think this set up looks ? I added a center row of ventilation.

Ventilation all depends on the science behind how air circulates. Simply stated, warm air rises and cool air sinks. Light breezes can also lend circulation, but only if the air has places to go.
From what seems, you only have ventilation holes on the top, which doesn't allow for much circulation at all. The warm and stale air will rise, but without holes on the side to draw in fresh cool air, the stale air will cool and fall back down again into your bin.
Our dubia tub has holes on top and on the sides. The ones on the sides are drilled at various levels: ground level, middle level, and near the top; all opting for max circulation! As a result, the tub rarely ever stinks and the roaches look jolly. In humid places or toasty ones, the more the merrier when it comes to holes--you want as much ventilation as possible! We drill our holes in long 2 inch strips with about 5 little holes per square inch within that strip. The smaller holes keep nymphs from escaping and keep flies/other critters around the home from getting in. The sheer mass of them allows for optimum ventilation.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

Ventilation all depends on the science behind how air circulates. Simply stated, warm air rises and cool air sinks. Light breezes can also lend circulation, but only if the air has places to go.
From what seems, you only have ventilation holes on the top, which doesn't allow for much circulation at all. The warm and stale air will rise, but without holes on the side to draw in fresh cool air, the stale air will cool and fall back down again into your bin.
Our dubia tub has holes on top and on the sides. The ones on the sides are drilled at various levels: ground level, middle level, and near the top; all opting for max circulation! As a result, the tub rarely ever stinks and the roaches look jolly. In humid places or toasty ones, the more the merrier when it comes to holes--you want as much ventilation as possible! We drill our holes in long 2 inch strips with about 5 little holes per square inch within that strip. The smaller holes keep nymphs from escaping and keep flies/other critters around the home from getting in. The sheer mass of them allows for optimum ventilation.

How do you ventilate without having roaches climbing the holes to try and escape is there a certain pattern you use around the bin ? I never thought of mid level ventilation that’s smart but it would have to be holes small enough nymphs can’t escape. So far I only got loads of top vents I can add more if I clean the bin Out sometime just how much frass would you keep for the babies ??

 

[HooahArmy]

How do you ventilate without having roaches climbing the holes to try and escape is there a certain pattern you use around the bin?
I mentioned that I drill my holes all in 2 inch strips. The strips are only 2 inches wide and form bands around the whole bin. There is one about 2 inches off the bottom substrate, one about 6 inches up, and one 2 inches down from the top. The areas with no holes between each of the bands stop the roaches from climbing out, as those areas will just be smooth plastic.

I never thought of mid level ventilation that’s smart but it would have to be holes small enough nymphs can’t escape.
If you're afraid your nymphs will escape, your holes are too big. The holes at my bottom band near the base are the smallest, done with the smallest drill bit I have. The bands higher up can be made with larger holes, since the roaches can't climb that high.

just how much frass would you keep for the babies ??
I like to keep it relatively clean, so my place doesn't stink; there's barely any frass as I try to clean as often as I can. I try to chase away the babies and use a small hand vacuum to suck up the feces and frass, after which to ensure I don't toss the babies/egg cases, I empty the mini vacuum catch container into a trash bin carefully and remove babies/egg cases I've accidentally sucked up. Those go back in the roach bin. We have a lot of roaches here, but fortunately they don't leave too much detritus! We clean about once every 2 weeks to a month, depending on how gnarly it's getting in there. The babies don't need the frass to hide in, since we have plenty of cardboard tubes and egg cartons they can hide in with the adults.

 

[Ultum4Spiderz]

How do you ventilate without having roaches climbing the holes to try and escape is there a certain pattern you use around the bin?
I mentioned that I drill my holes all in 2 inch strips. The strips are only 2 inches wide and form bands around the whole bin. There is one about 2 inches off the bottom substrate, one about 6 inches up, and one 2 inches down from the top. The areas with no holes between each of the bands stop the roaches from climbing out, as those areas will just be smooth plastic.

I never thought of mid level ventilation that’s smart but it would have to be holes small enough nymphs can’t escape.
If you're afraid your nymphs will escape, your holes are too big. The holes at my bottom band near the base are the smallest, done with the smallest drill bit I have. The bands higher up can be made with larger holes, since the roaches can't climb that high.

just how much frass would you keep for the babies ??
I like to keep it relatively clean, so my place doesn't stink; there's barely any frass as I try to clean as often as I can. I try to chase away the babies and use a small hand vacuum to suck up the feces and frass, after which to ensure I don't toss the babies/egg cases, I empty the mini vacuum catch container into a trash bin carefully and remove babies/egg cases I've accidentally sucked up. Those go back in the roach bin. We have a lot of roaches here, but fortunately they don't leave too much detritus! We clean about once every 2 weeks to a month, depending on how gnarly it's getting in there. The babies don't need the frass to hide in, since we have plenty of cardboard tubes and egg cartons they can hide in with the adults.

I had adults and big nymphs escaping my red bin because the cross ventilation led to the lid and it was a double flap hinge lid . The problem was I stacked the egg crates too high , i rehoused them just to realize I just had too many hides lol. I could put them back in the old bin but why bother now ?? And upgrade the current bin I could do . Is a Smaller bin better?

I got them to eat oats , what percentage of their diet should be pet food ? You said it can hurt inverts if fed too much ?? I mostly feeed Fruit and veggies. I have chipped up diy roach chow which is 1/2 oats and 1/2 pet food. Is Dog or cat better ? They don’t eat the chow a lot but it does get eaten .
thanks

 

[HooahArmy]

I got them to eat oats , what percentage of their diet should be pet food ? You said it can hurt inverts if fed too much ??
My roaches mostly eat stale cereal, fruit and veggie trimmings, and just at tad of pet food once in a while for protein. Too much pet food would be if that was all they were eating. I offer just a small shake of kibble once a week, but how much you feed will depend on the size of your colony. I make sure it's not more than about 10-20% of their diet, but just as a personal preference since my roaches get a little stinky when they get too much protein. It will take my gang about the whole week to graze through what I put.

Is Dog or cat better ?
I prefer dog food since dogs are omnivores, meaning that their foods will have grains or grain alternatives (like lentils or peas), veggies, fruits, and protein all in one. Cats are carnivores and their food will be mostly protein-based, offering a less rounded diet. Cat foods are also notoriously salty for some mysterious reason; salt doesn't sound like it's too good for dubias or any invert at all.