Dubia Roach colony not breeding!!! Some advice?

[migdem]

I got around 100 sub adults on 19th February and by the beginning of March they all got adults. I set the box with egg crates and as a heating source I used UTH. Temp is getting to 25-26 Celsius maximum right now. I tried to cover the box with foam but that was the maximum i could reach. They are eating ok (crushed dog food, fish flakes and oats) and carrots/oranges. When do

I start to see some baby nymphs?
Am I doing something wrong?

Thank you

 

[lillith]

I had my colony for 3 months before I started seeing nymphs.
I was beginning to wonder if I had done something wrong...

However, since I've only had them for 5 months, I'm not anywhere near a Dubia expert. I just made sure they had enough food and then left them alone for a few weeks. Give them another month or two before you worry.

 

[migdem]

ok will do then i need to keep buying crickets and some bargains on dubias. Damn they are expensive.

 

[ReptileWorld]

Since you didnt start out with adults thats a problem there they needed time to mature and then get breeding.

your temps arent so bad. 25C is too low but 26C is a bit better. the lowest my bin ever reaches is 25C. you really need temps about 30C and above for very good results.

I started my colony with 25 adults 5 males and 20 females and realized i needed more. i purchaed another 25 and that still wasnt enough. finally i found someone to trade with me for some supplys they needed and i got 20 males 40 females and 100 nymps mixed size. that was added to my 50 adults and that was a great way to start it. but when i started with my first 25 i had nymphs within days so im guessing some of the females that were sold to me were gravid.

but ideal temp for the Dubia are 88 to 92F and 40 to 50% humidity. this will get you very good breeding

 

[migdem]

Ok will wait and see. For now then I need more nymphs to feed to geckos.

Should I add more to the 100 adults that I have now?

 

[ReptileNinja101]

My colony also took a few months to start breeding but after that you will get an explosion of babies just like what happened to me.
The amount of adults depends on how many leos/other reps you have to feed. If its only one leo I think you would be good with your hundred.

 

[Kotori]

In addition to what everyone has said, oranges are like Viagra to them...Give them some orange, and you shall get babies.

 

[migdem]

I always give them orange & carrots every two days because then it will start to mold. And always available a mix of dog food, oats and fish flakes.

 

[Kotori]

I guess you could cut a hole out of the top, screw mesh on, and put a darklight bulb for warmth...Or another UTH... Or put it next to a heater.

I just went back and reread it and realised you said what you fed them...my bad.
If they need high levels of protein, I think cat food has a higher percentage than dog food.

 

[migdem]

OK. I was thinking of making a smaller plastic enclosure in a Styrofoam with some water in the bottom and a water heater in it and on top of that the plastic enclosure. What do you think?

 

[Chestersmom]

I started with 300 mixed. My roaches took a couple of months to start breeding as well. Now that I've had them for over a year I had to lower the temps to slow breeding down. And I'm feeding 5 lizards. the oranges is a great trick. I also keep mine in a closet so it''s always dark.

 

[ReptileWorld]

I wouldnt complicate this by building a water heated set up. The reason why we all keep the roaches is because they take very little effort to maintain. Try just getting the heat a bit higher. Patients is key.

 

[migdem]

I know that patience is the key but my heat mat do not go beyond 26 degrees Celsius for now because I am sure that in summer it would be different. Any tips on what to use to get this value up?