When you breed dubia roaches in a sustainable colony, they repopulate well and serve as nutritious feeds for your reptile pets. Although maintaining a dubia roach starter colony takes effort, these tropical insects prove to be a reliable food source for your reptiles when well run.
Provided here is all the relevant information covering essential aspects that will help you start a dubia roach colony:
Designing Your Feeder Colony
To successfully establish an in-house dubia roach colony, you require the following:
- At least one hundred roaches (approximately 4 females for every male) to ensure genetic diversity and quicker reproduction
- A 22-gallon capacity covered plastic bin in a solid color that prevents light from penetrating through
- Durable screen door mesh with 10-inch proportions that only allows air to pass through
- Around ten egg crates to vertically position against one internal side of the container
- A sharp knife to cut through the plastic lid
- Hot glue gun to externally secure the mesh covering the 8-inch hole in your storage lid
- Heat tape or pad to position on one side of the plastic housing
- Provision for food and water within the housing to keep the roaches adequately nourished
Breeding Pattern
The female species reproduce every two months by adding roughly 20 to 35 little ones to their brood. Dubia newly born roaches reach full adulthood within five months. While the males live for about nine months, the stronger females have almost a two-year lifespan.
At the above rate, starting with a hundred or more roaches gives way to a growing colony in a reasonable time. When you feel the roaches are not reproducing as they should pay closer attention to the warmth and food they are receiving within their colony.
Cleaning and Maintenance
Your roach colony does not demand much cleaning except when you get a foul odor because of some dead and decaying dubias within. For cleaning purposes, temporarily transfer your roaches to a second bin. You can then brush out your primary colony container using a small broom or paper towel.
Other Contributing Factors
For a healthy and functioning dubia roach starter colony, you need to maintain the right balance between the male and female species present within. When you notice an excess of one gender, feed those to your reptiles to maintain an ideal equation.
Also, keep these additional key factors in mind:
- Even though the roaches are durable, avoid dropping them from a height into their new colony
- Before and after handling them, wash your hands to prevent contamination
- Since dubias are nocturnal, avoid placing a lamp inside their housing as a heat source
- The plastic storage bin should not contain any other bugs or animals when you transfer your roaches
- Make sure the source of water kept for them is not a bowl but water crystals
- Regularly inspect your roach colony for mold growth as the latter proves deadly for these insects
- Allow your colony to actively reproduce before using these roaches as a primary feed for your pet reptiles
Approach a reputable dubia roach supplier to meet your bulk or minimal needs for the most nutritious feeders.
