Dubia Roach Farm

Dubia Roaches (Blaptica dubia)
Another Live Insect Feeder Adventure began last night with a scary start.

Please see my Facebook group for a learning document, Dubia Farming for the Beginner, and the price list page on this blog if interested in purchasing end September 2019.

2/19/19
My husband found my box of dubia on the front porch of our home instead of safely held at the post office as I requested, and, without the heat pack I paid for.  This made me nervous, if they got too cold or not.  Being this was my first experience with dubia, I was pleased there was no "ewww" or "ick" learning curve, as I unpacked them into their home.  I decided to use a plastic drawer for housing, since I already had this on hand.  I tossed in chicken layer pellets and non-medicated chick starter on one side, as well as some carrot slices and orange slices for drink on the other side.  A dehydrated water crystal pack was included as part of my order, but, I didn't have time to hydrate those before I unpacked the box.  I only had a few pieces of paper egg crate to use.

Note (according to one breeder):  "Too much protein fed to dubia roaches will cause gout in your reptiles, so, rabbit pellets are a better feed source."  Since these are breeders, I have followed other advice at this time.  [I later was told calcium in feeds is not recommended, as it causes the exoskeleton to be too hard during molt.  Oops, I will use only chick starter in the future!]

My first dubia in their temporary home.

Cute little roaches!

2/20/19
The dubia settled into their new habitat with no problem I could see.  I worked to outfit the dubia bin with one of the below divided cat food bowls.

Coarse sandpaper scuffed up the plastic divided dish, making treads for the dubia.
The upper bowl is scratched up well and dull, while the lower is still slick and shiny.

I had no experience with water crystals, so, I used too many in my first ever batch.

Once I filled up one side of the feed dish, I put the covered bowl in the refrigerator,

since I have no idea what else to do with the excess!

I put the scuffed dish in the short side of the bin and tilted the egg crate off one side of it.  Not sure if that was good or bad, but, twas the only way to make the egg crate fit with the dish right now.  I will cut another egg crate and stack it tomorrow, but, for now, I am going to let them be. 

2/21/19
The second order of dubia arrived and are in a similar "temporary" set-up.  These are very small dubia (shirt-button size, if that).  I intend to keep these separate from the other colony, as they are from different suppliers and I want to mix the females and males alternatively some day as part of my breeding plan.  This plan is based on one breeder's endorsement that concluded inbred stock becomes smaller over time, but, I have no idea if this is correct, so, I will have to research it further.  Until then, two colonies!  I have observed shedding in the first colony, realizing that means growth and health.

3/13/19
The third order of dubia, 20 freshly molted adult females and 4 adult males arrived today.  This setup is similar in several ways to the others, but, the large drawer sits on a seed mat.  I will monitor the temperature, since, this is the "breeder bin".  I can imagine my excitement at seeing my first babies!

4/05/19 [or somewhere around there]
I see babies!  It was as exciting as I expected.  I marked this drawer Nymph #1, and I am sure it is the first of many.  I traded mealworms for a fourth colony of dubia of various sizes for future breeders, and was blessed with buffalo beetles as a clean up crew.  I didn't realize I would be marketing buffalo beetles in the future, but, I guess I am!  Later, an order of superworms came with buffalo beetles, so, I secluded them into their own bin.  Buffalo Beetle Cultures are listed on my price list thanks to these two sources!

9/06/19
My method to keep nymph sizes consistent per drawer involves moving by hand the breeding females and males as I see many extra small to small nymphs.  I am well into my 5th drawer of nymphs and started a second breeder bin recently.  My first nymphs are now beginning to molt into adults.  By the end of September, I will have made my first sale of a Dubia Roach Starter Kit.

This is how I set up a new Breeder Drawer if I am only using carrots for hydration.

 

9/03/21

The below section of the basement closet, a partial retaining wall, is now painted and outfitted with the expansion to my dubia roach business with 12 large Sterilite drawers, 34 drawers total.