Small order of dubias?

Garth Vader

Arachnobaron
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Jun 25, 2016
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I did a search for this and couldn't find. If there's a thread with this info then please let me know!

I am really sick of dealing with crickets. They stink and I worry they will hurt a T. And they stink. Also they seem to die not too long after I get them even though I set them up with egg crates and some food. Did I mention they stink?

I'd like to get some dubias. I see them for sale online in large numbers, at least 100. I only have a few Ts so I don't need that many. I don't see dubias at my LPS. Any recommendations on where I can put in a small order of dubias? I don't want to breed them, I just want a no nonsense feeder that doesn't stink. I usually have some kind of worm around too to offer my Ts and to cut up for my sling, would like to have some variety though
 

matypants

Arachnopeon
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Sep 21, 2015
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42
How many are you talking about? I could set you up with some immature ones and a few mature females and males to get you started. I started out with maybe 25 last year and now I have a nice colony going. They are very easy to keep and breed.

edit: Also, don't worry so much about numbers. They do well and live around 2 years so having extras is not a problem.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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Yeah, if you pay for shipping, I don't mind sending you a batch for free. The good news with them is that keeping their numbers under control is pretty easy. They essentially stop breeding if they don't have a heat mat, but they do continue to grow and eat.

Note that they are pretty slow growing. I don't have an exact time frame for you, but don't expect adults from hatchlings any sooner than a few months at the very least. Longer if there's no heat mat.

Numbers get out of hand very quickly under ideal conditions (heat mat, food/water always available). I started my colony with two females and one male that I got for free. Fast forward about 2 years, and I have absolutely no concept of how many individuals there are. In all, though, I've got roughly 75 pounds of roach mass (obviously not counting egg crates and the containers).
 

Rittdk01

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Super worms. I switched to them just because I didn't want to breed or care for dubia. I can also get them from the petstore, whereas dubia have to be ordered online. The supers sit in the container and stay good for two months easy. I get 25 at a time for my adults--mainly my lp and t stirmi. Dubia are about the best feeder around, but supers are great as well, especially if dubia are hard to get or illegal.
 

Trenor

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The good news with them is that keeping their numbers under control is pretty easy. They essentially stop breeding if they don't have a heat mat, but they do continue to grow and eat.
Until you move them into your new pet room that is kept warm all the time. :shifty: My heat mat has been off for months and I have a lot of little babies running about still.

They are still great feeders and my friend's chickens love the extras. It's about time to sort again and downsize.

I did a search for this and couldn't find. If there's a thread with this info then please let me know!

I am really sick of dealing with crickets. They stink and I worry they will hurt a T. And they stink. Also they seem to die not too long after I get them even though I set them up with egg crates and some food. Did I mention they stink?

I'd like to get some dubias. I see them for sale online in large numbers, at least 100. I only have a few Ts so I don't need that many. I don't see dubias at my LPS. Any recommendations on where I can put in a small order of dubias? I don't want to breed them, I just want a no nonsense feeder that doesn't stink. I usually have some kind of worm around too to offer my Ts and to cut up for my sling, would like to have some variety though
I'd send you some for shipping as well. If I were you and only needed food for a few Ts I'd not start a colony. I'd just buy them as needed. They keep pretty easily and in small amounts doesn't cost much to feed.
 

EulersK

Arachnonomicon
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They are still great feeders and my friend's chickens love the extras. It's about time to sort again and downsize.
I so want to see this. I think it'd be adorable to watch.
 

runCMD

Arachnopeon
Joined
Jan 21, 2017
Messages
36
Until you move them into your new pet room that is kept warm all the time. :shifty: My heat mat has been off for months and I have a lot of little babies running about still.

They are still great feeders and my friend's chickens love the extras. It's about time to sort again and downsize.
GENIUS - I don't know why I didn't think of that. I will feed them to my in-laws chickens/ducks/geese. I can now justify starting a 5gal colony for my 2 to 3(gotta find a Veriscolor) Ts.

OP - looks like you're all set for free with shipping but I ordered some from dubideli.com and got just a small number there.
 

Trenor

Arachnoprince
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Jan 28, 2016
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1,896
Probably looks a lot like this:


I may talk to my GF about sharing a colony. She has chickens, and I have Ts, geckos, and a toad.
My colony produces so many now days it doesn't take much to put out a lot. Last time I tossed out 200 male dubia to a whole yard of chickens. We threw some in the duck pond too and they were splashing about. I usually just give them to him at work but next time I drop them off to him I'll grab a video.
 

cold blood

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Yes, the key to success from a small batch is to just leave them be, keep them warm and feed them and leave them alone for as long as you can.

Early last spring a friend gave me a handful of dubia, maybe 5 or 6 (I think 2 adult females)....I went to the LPS and bought a single male that I introduced. Fed them mostly dog food for the first 4 months....I was pretty much hands off in my approach and did nothing but add a leaf of lettuce every now and again for moisture. I never use a heat mat and in summer they are at the mercy of the weather, sometimes its cooler, but we always get those weeks of 90+ and my room gets hot (I then give oranges and they subsequently breed like mad for a time)....winter I keep them next to the space heater and they breed constantly.

After 6 months I realized the colony had grown significantly and I began to feed from it...probably 20% of feedings. At this time I began giving them a lot more carrots, potato, lettuce, oranges, apples and pears and now I am giving them green peppers, which they really like....fast forward another 4 months and the colony pretty much started to get out of hand, for the last month plus I have been feeding dubia almost exclusively to every t, and still I feel like I am not making headway....

Maybe I should get a chicken??

I did find that I enjoy the dubia colony a lot more than I ever expected....its a very interesting thing to observe.
 

Trenor

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Maybe I should get a chicken??
I have wondered how they would work for fishing. The ones we threw into the duck pond floated on the surface. The way the males like to kick about might make them a good top bait.
 

cold blood

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I have wondered how they would work for fishing. The ones we threw into the duck pond floated on the surface. The way the males like to kick about might make them a good top bait.
When I read your last post I had that same thought, but didn't want to turn yet another thread into a fishing talk:zipit:

I'm gonna take a few dubia to the lake this summer, I have no doubt they will get crushed...bass would eat them for sure.....I might try them for browns and steelhead in the rivers. And small ones for gills...ideas ideas.

My team of therapists say I fish too much....or not enough....the team is unsure.
 

runCMD

Arachnopeon
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I've also got a pond with a bunch of big comet goldfish in the backyard. I bought a 5gal bucket and window screen(for vent) at the hardware store today.
 

obie

Arachnosquire
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115
If you don't want to pay for shipping try checking your local Craigslist. You can usually find people on there selling them for as cheap as a nickel a piece for the small ones
 

volcanopele

Arachnosquire
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Sep 11, 2016
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Keep in mind that one of the bigger benefits of dubias actually makes getting 25 or so (I've seen a few places that sell that few) not a bad investment. Usually with crickets, I get way more than I need because I know that >50% will die before I have a chance to feed them off, whereas I only have 10-20% die offs with dubias. Even that number isn't really comparing apples to oranges since my dubia die offs are on a much longer time scale. I got 25 sub-adults back in November for my AF L. klugi and I think I've had 2 or 3 die. I'm still slowly feeding off from that group, though I've since gotten some smaller dubias for my juvenile and sub-adult Ts.

I got my 25 sub-adults (~1") at dubiaroaches.com.
 

cold blood

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Keep in mind that one of the bigger benefits of dubias actually makes getting 25 or so (I've seen a few places that sell that few) not a bad investment. Usually with crickets, I get way more than I need because I know that >50% will die before I have a chance to feed them off, whereas I only have 10-20% die offs with dubias. Even that number isn't really comparing apples to oranges since my dubia die offs are on a much longer time scale. I got 25 sub-adults back in November for my AF L. klugi and I think I've had 2 or 3 die. I'm still slowly feeding off from that group, though I've since gotten some smaller dubias for my juvenile and sub-adult Ts.

I got my 25 sub-adults (~1") at dubiaroaches.com.
Use banded crickets instead....you wont have them dying any more....theyre significantly more hardy....also pest and disease resistant with a more subdued chirp...plus they climb....no downside to banded, only upside.
 

obie

Arachnosquire
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The OP doesn't want to use any crickets at all anymore. And from my experience banded crickets are faster and smell just as bad
 

cold blood

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The OP doesn't want to use any crickets at all anymore. And from my experience banded crickets are faster and smell just as bad
lol, is faster bad for a predator? My experience with banded crickets is that they smell less than dubia. The whole point was that they're considerably hardier, so people STILL using crickets can have less of an issue with them dying quickly.
 
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