How to increase air temps in roach bin?

[NRG]

Hi,

I live in the UK and have a dubia roach colony breeding in a bin and use 11x11 inch heat mat underneath it. The trouble is the air temp is way off because winter has arrived and I need some tips on what I can do to get them up?

Thanks

 

[Chewbecca]

try maybe a clip lamp and a 60 watt infrared ceramic heat emitter bulb above their enclosure?? But if you do this, it's important to have a temp gun or something that will allow you to check the temps whenever you need to to make sure they are not getting too hot in there.

I find the heat lamps work better for keeping temps up in a roach bin.
That's only been my experience, though.

Do you keep them outside or inside?

 

[NRG]

Had some bad experiences with lamps so I prefer not to use them. I keep them inside. It looks like my only choice is to have a heater running which I never wanted to due to costs.

 

[brothaT]

With a heat mat I've noticed keeping a small layer of moist substrate in the bin will raise the humidity and hold the heat much better.

 

[RainbowGecko]

Maybe you could try to insulate the bin somehow, like wrapping a towel around it or something. Additionally, I've closed off one of the vents on the top of my bin, in an effort to also raise the air temps a little, which has helped some. I don't think it has compromised overall ventilation too much.

 

[GLantern]

Buy some a big slab of cheap styrofoam like insulation and wrap your tub in it. that should help keep the heat in.

 

[snowgyre]

I keep my roach bin inside, but due to rising utility costs (and for the sake of being as least wasteful as possible), my house is only at 65F (18C) in winter. I had flexwatt heat tape under my bin but I was getting some adult mortality and attributed it to cold air temperatures within the bin.

I went to the hardware store and bought some cheap aluminum screening, some hex bolts, nuts, and washers, and a $8 reflector lamp that's normally used for car work. I cut out a hole out in the top of the tub big enough to hold the reflector.

Pet shops carry an $8 nighttime blue bulb. The 50 watt works great... keeps my tank at the perfect temperature and there's very little light.