Escaped dubia?!!

[Estawoo]

Hey! Ppl.. I started a small dubia colony a few months ago. We're very careful but yesterday- found 2 loose ones (2separate times, different places). Anyone know if they can survive in UK climate? Will we become infested & overrun in our brand new house? My partner isn't impressed, to say the least!

 

[Fleas]

Crazy you should be happy it's not a different kind of Roche. Is there leaking water or food they could get to in your house? I would not be worried to much I will look at your colony and see how there getting out, I could leave the top off of mine and not one will escape

 

[Denny Dee]

I have not experienced this but the primary reason I am not allowed to have roaches in the house . Based on my research, Dubias should not be able to survive and reproduce inside without the presence of water (per Fleas). They should dry out in time. One of the primary reasons they make great colonies for feeding reptiles and inverts. Please keep us posted as this is the first someone has actually shared this on the forums (or at least the first time anyone has admitted it!

 

[Estawoo]

Thanku guys..my partner wants to disenfect the whole house, get rid etc etc. But I really think that the 2 roaches have escaped at T feeding time. I fed them saturday, found roaches yesterday??!! Tbh..it doesn't bother me cos they're clean, kinda cute things!!but the family are NOT happy hahaha!!

 

[Estawoo]

Oh, & yes...we have cats & dogs so access to water/foods is possible!

 

[Scoolman]

No worries. They do not do well outside the enclosure. They require warm temps and humidity to reproduce. I have had the occasional escapee, they are found sometime later, dead.
How far from the source were yours located?

 

[Estawoo]

Urmmmm...the 1st roach was in a cupboard about 6 feet away from the tank. The 2nd roach was by a plant just below the T tank area- surely just dropped when feeding T time?!!

 

[swimbait]

I have mine colony in a 10 gallon aquarium, for about a month I had it set up to close to the top and some how nymphs were getting out. Only reason I found out was I saw a cellar spider on the middle of my wall with a baby roach wrapped up lol. Started checking corners in the basement and found up to 15 dead nymphs all in a few webs. There is no way they would have survived to adulthood anyway but cellar spiders definitely made sure of that.

 

[MassExodus]

I have several roach colonies, and have found escapees in my house before. Just recently, a female B lateralis found just inside my bathroom, and I live in Texas, where they can thrive. I don't worry about it much..I think you would have to be very careless and/or kind of unclean to accidentally infest your house. The occasional escapee will not be a problem. Most will be killed by cats and dogs, or humans. If you have several escape...there could be a problem, but probably not with dubia. For instance if I dropped my enclosure of lateralis and the top came off and they scattered everywhere..that would suck, and there would be a problem, but only for awhile I think. Think of it this way : We've all found roaches in our bathrooms, that come in from outside and get trapped in a sink or tub. Or they're on the curtain ready to fly at you and freak you out..lmao... If one gets away, that doesn't mean your house will become infested. They need a ready food source, heat to reproduce well, and a hiding spot. I don't leave opened food containers out or a mess on the counter, so roaches would find it hard to survive in my house. They could try to live in the kitchen where the dog bowls are, but they would be spotted and killed very quickly, with three dogs and two cats in a house that's kept clean. My little weeny dog mutt Peanut loves killing bugs, and prances around proudly after a successful battle. She's old, and only has one tooth after getting gum disease, but she uses it like a dagger Don't sweat it, you're fine

 

[Estawoo]

Thanku ppl..I've not found any more loose roaches- really appreciate the support!!