Dubia Growth

[presspirate]

I have the opportunity to get a med colony of Dubias, with a fair number of adults. I intend to basically keep a colony as pets, and sell off some. Can anyone tell me the growth rate from nymphs to adulthood?

Thanks all.

[Lankyrob]

Aww man, memory test time. Am about to get a breeding colony to feed our lizards. All the care sheets are on my laptop and i am on the Ipad........

I am fairly confident in sating it is sixteen weeks from nymph to adult BUT i have had my medication tonight so i could be waaay off!! :yes: ;) :)

If no one else dteps in before i will look out my info in the morninig and let you know.

[presspirate]

Thanks Rob, sounds like some wild meds you're on mate. :no: I wanted to get some hissers, but it seems the dubias are far cheaper. I had a whole display planned with hissing cockroaches, an aquarium, model buildings, and cars etc..... a post apocalyptic theme. Yeah, I'm a bit off.....but hey....somebody loves me anyways.:yes:

[Damion930]

Lol I think that sounds great lol

[infernalis]

I keep Dubia, never really counted the days, in short order a colony can become a swarm unless you are feeding them off.

They breed fast and make lots of babies, by the time you notice the numbers in there will grow very fast.

Start keeping empty egg cartons, those will be handy to have. Keep one or two in the roach enclosure, give fresh fruit as a treat, they will run right up and start attacking melon and tree fruit slices. It's cool to watch.

One of the reasons they make great lizard food is they reproduce fast.

[Nafun]

The other reason they make great lizard food is that they don't climb, fly, chirp, or stink.

[Lankyrob]

Wayne, what do you do for water for them? Just fresh fruit or do you use gel?

Think that is my final debate before setting up ready to pick the colony up! Should be in by next weekend, back willing.

[Jenn_06]

i order these rock looking things when you add water they get like 70% bigger.

[presspirate]

I plan to use water crystals. They are amazingly cheap when you order them online. I have been hoarding egg flats for awhile now. It should be kind of interesting once I get them home and set up. Guess I'll have to get me a lizard of some sort for thinning purposes. That's too bad.:crazy2:

[presspirate]

Ordered. They Should be here Tuesday! I am excited! My wife says...."Bugs....":crazy:

[PyramidScheme]

i'm new to snake ownership, and didn't know they were used as food. that's crazy (but logical i suppose). what kind of lizards eat them?

[Lankyrob]

We have a SPiny Tailed Monitor and a frilled dragon - both of which will be eating the Dubias when they are up and running. I think most insectivorous lizards can be healthilty fed on them for life.

It is likely in the future that our collection will grow with more four legged reptiles so hoping to get a decent sized colony or two going to minimise costs in terms of feeding.

[shaunyboy]

Ordered. They Should be here Tuesday! I am excited! My wife says...."Bugs....":crazy:


i'm thinking you better make sure its an escape proof tank greg

i dread to think what your wife will say if roaches greet her when she walks into the kitchen for breakfast mate:yes:

i think she will go post apocaliptic on you my friend

you all sound like your having fun with these gross wee guys

cheers shaun

[radstusky]

i'm thinking you better make sure its an escape proof tank greg

i dread to think what your wife will say if roaches greet her when she walks into the kitchen for breakfast mate:yes:

i think she will go post apocaliptic on you my friend

you all sound like your having fun with these gross wee guys

cheers shaun

Actually I have a fairly large colony of dubia going right now and I keep them in a plastic sterlite tub with a ceramic heater and the lid only partially covering them. Basically their container is just open, I place a lid on to help keep heat in, and that's about it. Since they can't fly or climb they can't get out. I don't find escapees, so it must be working. Well, I do have to admit to finding an escapee on rare occasion :eek:, but I think these are from the lizard cages where they've escaped.

Btw I use them to feed my two chameleons. I have way more than my chams could ever eat so I am trying to think of some ways to slow down their growth. Since my larger panther cham likes the adult males which have the wings, I am thinking of feeding off all of those. Another way might be to turn off their ceramic heater to reduce the temp. (or of course I could sell some off which is an option too)

Cheers,

Stuart

[Lankyrob]

I read that cooling them by ten degrees will keep them alive but stop them breeding. Not sure tho - my best solution would be to buy another lizard or two :yes: :yes: :yes:

[NennaMeerkat]

It never hurts to have more herps!

[presspirate]

i'm thinking you better make sure its an escape proof tank greg

i dread to think what your wife will say if roaches greet her when she walks into the kitchen for breakfast mate:yes:

i think she will go post apocaliptic on you my friend

you all sound like your having fun with these gross wee guys

cheers shaun

No worries there Shaun, they will be in my basement hideaway. I have a space heater and humidifier in here. Beyond the closed door the temp drops to the low 70's so I'm thinking any escapees would have a shortened life span. The wife actually encouraged me to get them, and since they are really no extra cost to us to feed and house, I thought....Why not? :yes:

[Lankyrob]

We have calculated a saving of £33 per month once the colony is established - and that is just feeding two lizards - the way i work it is that the more lizards we get the more money we save................ :yes: :) ;)

[infernalis]

For a treat I cut up a fresh squash and put the chunks in with my Dubia last night, within minutes they were all over it.

Soft fruit and veggies are favorites.

[shaunyboy]

i must admit it sounds like your all having great fun with these guy's

i don't have the space to have lizards any spare space is already pre booked by carpets

wish i had your basement greg

funds permiting i may floor my attic (loft) this year then i'd have a dedicated snake room

this may be my best option rather than waiting on the 3rd of my 4 kids moving out the house

my attic has no windows but i could just hang 2 or 3 4ft uvb 2.0 tubes up to give them a light cycle

also once i'm up there i'm in control of the ladders and hatch so it would be my sanctuary...!!

cheers shaun

[infernalis]

also once i'm up there i'm in control of the ladders and hatch so it would be my sanctuary...!!

cheers shaun

Don't overlook the fact that your wife can pull the ladder from below as well :eek:

Then sanctuary becomes prison.:yes:

[presspirate]

Don't overlook the fact that your wife can pull the ladder from below as well :eek:

Then sanctuary becomes prison.:yes:
Unless of course he has a well stocked little fridgerator and a porta potty, then his prison just became a sanctuary again.:yes: Every once in a while, Shaun, you just have to call out in a loud voice...."Oh bullocks I still can't get down. Oh woah is me whatever am I to do?"

I have one room here in the basement, it is approximately 10' x 12' But, I have one snake in here and I will have my roach colony. We're cozy. :freakedout:

[shaunyboy]

Don't overlook the fact that your wife can pull the ladder from below as well :eek:

Then sanctuary becomes prison.:yes:


got that covered mate....

told her id put a bolt lock on the inside so one of the grandkids can't open it while im up there

a back up excuse was also incase i stand on it by mistake and i fall through the hatch if it opens accidently

so i can lock myself in my own wee carpet world at will

thanks for the heads up wayne but i've planned this for a long time now:yes:

cheers shaun

[shaunyboy]

Unless of course he has a well stocked little fridgerator and a porta potty, then his prison just became a sanctuary again.:yes: Every once in a while, Shaun, you just have to call out in a loud voice...."Oh bullocks I still can't get down. Oh woah is me whatever am I to do?"

I have one room here in the basement, it is approximately 10' x 12' But, I have one snake in here and I will have my roach colony. We're cozy. :freakedout:

all husbands/dads should have a room like that greg:yes:

we've earned them:yes::yes:

cheers shaun

[Lankyrob]

Please be careful with the loft hatch mate! Father in law of a good friend went into the loft to get the xmas decorations on 20th Dec. He tripped and came through the loft door head first, he had used a dining chair to climb up into the loft and landed on the chair head first. Spent all Xmas and new year in hospital on a ventilator with a broken neck, paralysed from the chest down, possibly damaged spinal cord. They are hoping once the bruising and swelling goes that feeling and movement will return. We are hoping and praying for this to happen.

[presspirate]

I received my roaches today, and I could not have been happier with the service. I ordered 150 mixed adult and nymphs, and I got a significant overage on that amount. All arrived alive except for 1 Even though the temps here got to -4 last night. Shipment was well packaged and the survivors are all very active. I'll get some pics up in the next couple days, and I will post the link for where I got them if it is okay with Wayne. Otherwise, anyone interested may pm me for a link.

[presspirate]

Update: My roaches are amazingly big, no sign of babies yet. Keeping my fingers crossed. They go through apples like there's no tomorrow, but avoid everything else except for cat food, which they hide in an attempt (I think) to stockpile it.

[Damion930]

I need to get a critter that will eat dubia they sound like fun. Fortunately my girl beloved every man should have a space of ther own lol as women tend to take over most of the home.

[presspirate]

I'm a Daddy congratulate me. (Excuse the finger nails, I'm a printer.)

[Lankyrob]

COngrats!!! ;) :)

[stephanbakir]

Grats! that a dog in the background in photo 2?

[presspirate]

No, that's my step daughters stuffed Tiger. This is our dog Stewart. AKA Burm food.

[stephanbakir]

Lol, too cute to be burm food:P teach him to catch you burm food!

[presspirate]

He's such a wuss. And he's old and arthritic, and he gets horrible allergies in the summer. We're just keeping his sunset years comfortable.

[stephanbakir]

Oww, sorry man

[presspirate]

No worries, he's happy. and he gets benadryl in the summer. He loves his walks. And he eats like a human sometimes.