Dubia colony questions

[unkempt1]

One thing I have noticed is that roaches hate light more than sounds. It really disrupts them, which means less time breeding, eating, and birthing (if they are bothered too much they won't give birth, and may event 'abort' the egg casing). It's not easy, but you really have to leave them alone. If you plan on keeping it in a dark place like a closet you won't have any issues with a clear tub. However, if that isn't feasible, the bin I got was only $6 at Walmart and is a solid color.

As far as tape, you should be able to use any type of duct tape (I used mustache duct tape ). You're going to need duct tape anyways when you rig the top to have a screen on it to allow ventilation. The clear bins are slicker than the opaque ones, so they may not be able to climb them. But I can confirm that the opaque ones have enough of a rough surface for really small nymphs to climb. They can't climb the duct tape though. I can't count the number of times I've opened the bin, only to see a couple babies trying their hardest to get past the tape.

[fish4all]

I use hot glue to put the screens on mine. Will get a picture if I can find my camera after chasing the frogs around their tank last night.

[JeffreH]

Hey unkempt - I've had a similar dilemma with newborn nymphs climbing in bins - I think the problem is actually with specific brands. Rubbermaid for example makes these "Roughneck" totes that have the SLIGHTEST texture on the inside. The newborn dubia can climb these bins no problem. I currently use a brand that is opaque that was purchased from Home Depot years ago and have never had another climbing incident with the smoother plastic (the brand name eludes me...Home...something...). Sterilite makes a quality smooth plastic bin, but their bins tend to be clear. The texture is almost untangible, however, so shopping for the right bin can be a challenge. Be sure to compare and use a clear standard sterilte tote as a reference for comparison when feeling the inside sides of the bin. This puzzled me for the longest time when I was finding dozens of newborn dubia dead outside of the bins, lol.

[fish4all]

Jeff, babies dead outside the bin? Sounds like they die pretty quick then if they find their way out?

[JeffreH]

Jeff, babies dead outside the bin? Sounds like they die pretty quick then if they find their way out?

I assume most of the escapees hide somewhere out of sight and ultimately die from lack of food and water. Plus the basement where my roach racks reside sits around 66 degrees F. The dead babies I find outside the bin are the result of the nymphs finding their way into the cobwebs and spider webs I've allowed to remain untouched down there... roach + web = quick death haha

It isn't that uncommon to see a random roach or two escape every now and then for me, but seeing a couple of dozen newborn dubias trapped in a single web was a pretty big red flag that something was wrong in my setup ; )

[unkempt1]

Jeff, babies dead outside the bin? Sounds like they die pretty quick then if they find their way out?

Oh no, trust me it's the other way around. You will see that they are almost impossible to kill. One time I saw a baby nymph on its back next to my frog's cage. It wasn't moving, so I assumed it escaped and died. Well, the doorbell rang and I forgot about it. I came back to feed my frog three days later and saw it again, still on it's back. I went to pick it up to throw away and it was still alive.

[fish4all]

Okay unkept, that DOESN'T make me feel any better with my wife's aversion to roaches. We just won't tell her that story, lol.

I like the idea of the 10 gallon tank, I could ever take a razor blade and trim the silicone around the top edges so the nymphs have a harder time climbing. Line it with the slippery tape and should keep them in place for the most part.

Heather, where do you keep the tank? Dark closet, in a dark box or do yours seem to care about being in the dark all the time?

[JeffreH]

I hope this doesn't get taken the wrong way, just wanted to give my experience using glass for snakes and roaches...Glass aquaria are expensive, don't hold heat and humidity well, and are very heavy to move around. Unless you use a lamp, it can be difficult to attain the temperatures you want using a UTH or heat tape depending on ambient room temps. I prefer heat tape because it is much more cost effective and energy efficient (60 watt light bulb puts energy into light and heat, while a 10watt strip of heat tape can get to 110-115 degrees on surface). Aquaria are OK for a colony or two - but become immensely impractical for anything more.

Not saying they won't work - obviously Heather is having excellent success = )

There are a variety of ways to keep these guys and everyone has their own methods that work - you'll just have to decide whats best for you. As mentioned earlier, they aren't rocket science to keep. If you can keep crickets alive, you can keep roaches...the only major difference is heating requirement.

Also....

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE!! = D