Dubia roaches

[Reaver925]

I am thinking of starting a Dubia colony. All information and opinions are welcome. Are there any foods to stay away from? I plan on feeding carrots and purina layena crumbles ground up of course for the baby Dubia. How long have you had your colonies and have you developed any allergies to them? Thanks for all your information and opinions.

 

[m0lsx]

I keep my Dubia is a plain plastic container with clip on lid & with large holes cut in two sides, which I have added a fine metal mesh over using a hot glue gun. I use cheap egg trays for housing & I use a small container of bug gel, to ensure water is available. For food, I use the cheapest supermarket porridge for bulk & then cheap flaked fish food, which they love for flavour & then fruit, which I mainly use Apples & leaves from vegetables for moisture intake. Many do not use bug gel, just using fresh fruit & vegetables.

For the fresh fruit, I have used oranges, which I have heard others claim, encourages breeding. I have used carrots which mine like. Potatoes which I found mine do not like much. Cucumber is good in small quantities, but needs to all be all eaten quickly, as it can turn to mush quickly. Mine are not fans of celery, but they do love celery leaves. Dubias will almost anything, but some fruits & veg more than others & some will make a mess in the bottom of your enclosure & then require cleaning, others don't.

I have had my colony for around 1.5 years & have experienced no allergy symptoms, that I am aware of.

The key to breeding is warmth. Here in the UK, it needs to be above normal house temperatures to encourage reliable breeding, with warmth they breed fast.