Dubia Roach Care
Justin H
When we talk about the best source of protein or nutrients for your dragon, then one of the best sources is Dubia roach. It is one of the great foods that you can give your beardie. And also, Dubia roaches are the easiest feeder insects for keeping. Below are details that you need to know about caring for Dubia roaches.
Housing
You should keep Dubia Roaches in a ventilated plastic tub, who has a large surface area. Dubia Roaches cannot climb on smooth surfaces well, so you should make sure that the tub sides are not textured. A RUB (It is known as a really useful box), sandwich tub, or old plastic biscuit tin are also good for them. You should punch air holes into the box lid for ventilation or you can cut a large section of the box lid out with sharp scissors and then cover the hole with a mesh or a recycled pair of old tights. There is no need to use substrate, hence it will make cleaning a simple procedure.
Dubia Roaches like a dark place, therefore it is recommended to keep them in a dark place. They also need places for hiding, hence cardboard tubes or egg box bottoms should be placed in the tub and these will help them to feel safe and secure.
Setting Up the Environment
- Select the size of your bin or tank
It is best if you keep Dubia roaches in tight quarters and on top of each other, therefore the containment unit size will depend on how many roaches that you keep at a time. If you want to breed, you will want to have a larger option. If you will hold 30-50 roaches at a time, then you should explore smaller options.
- Decide where to keep roaches
As mentioned, roaches like living in total darkness. Therefore, if you will use a glass terrarium then you should keep them somewhere where there is no light. If you use a solid colored plastic bin, navy or black, then it will not matter if their room is dark. If it is not ok storing roaches in your home, then a garage or shed will work fine as long as you supply heat.
- Place egg crate bottoms vertically in the bin
You should make sure that there are some inches between the lid and the top of the egg crates for removing any possibility of escape. Roaches prefer crawling through the egg cubbies, and it can make it easy to remove the roaches at feeding time for you.
- Put the thermometer, hygrometer in the bin and add the heater if it is required.
- And then add the roaches.
You should note that you don’t need any substrate. Roaches burrow in their droppings, therefore they do not need anything additional and substrate will make it difficult to clean the cage.
Breeding
If you want to breed roaches, you should know that some people can get allergies to roaches with long exposure or contact. Breeders can have an increased risk of developing an allergic reaction (it can involve respiratory distress) as it includes more care than keeping the roaches for feeding.
Supplies
You generally do not require much energy to give a happy home to your Dubia roaches. Below is everything that you will need to start:
- Dark-colored glass tank with a mesh lid or plastic bin with a lid
You should ensure that your containment has smooth sides. Roaches cannot crawl on the walls, but they can crawl on scuffed surfaces and can get out if the interior will not be smooth. Moreover, if you will select a plastic bin, then make sure to cut a ventilation hole in your box lid and use a glue gun for securing mesh over it.
- Egg crates
You can buy egg crates bottom from the local grocery store. Roaches like to scurry in and out of the crevices. If you only have fewer roaches, then you can pull apart standard-size egg cartons and then use the bottoms.
- Roach chow
It is not necessary to have this as roaches can eat different fruits or vegetables that people have in their homes, but roach chow is a better way to add essential nutrients that can help the dragon to thrive. A healthy roach means a healthy dragon.
- Water gel or crystals
These can be easily found at pet stores.
- A small heater
if you want to store or breed the roaches in a non-heated garage or an environment that is without regulated temperature.
- A small thermometer and hygrometer
It is used to monitor the temperature of your tank as well as the humidity level.
- A shallow feeding bowl and shallow water dish
Temperature
You should keep Dubia Roaches at an optimum temperature of 27°C (81°F). They survive at low temperatures; however, they cannot breed quickly at temperatures that are below this.
Water Crystals
These are important to keep roaches. A paper towel or wet sponge can harbor mold that will remove your whole colony. One mistake is to put in a dish of water and it is a very bad idea. Roaches will drown easily, specifically young roaches. You can buy Water crystals at different other places on the Internet.
You will just put 1 oz. (6 teaspoons) into a gallon container, then add water, and you will wait overnight. Water gel crystals are actually water-absorbing polymer that will expand over 400%. The roaches can crawl on these crystals without drowning.
Fruits and Vegetables
These need to be given to them a minimum of once if not, then twice a week. Clean anything that is not eaten after 48 hours for preventing an outbreak of mold. There are some foods that Dubia colonies really enjoy. Carrots are a staple. You can combine them with fruit. Oranges, apples, grapes, bananas, and pears are devoured in the 48-hour limit. You can also cut all food into wedges or pieces and they really will like it. Fruits and vegetables also provide another source of hydration.
Humidity
It is also important to roaches. You can accomplish it by combining the right temperatures and the right size vent, with a full dish having water crystals in the tub. It will give you about 40-60% humidity which is right for many species of tropical roach.
You should note that as your roaches will grow, then they will also molt. Appropriate humidity is very important for molting. A poor molt can cause the death of a cockroach. You can tell a freshly molted cockroach since they will be white. Therefore, it is important to have the right humidity for your dubia roaches.