Last Updated on April 14, 2021 by Kimberly Crawford
Create your own dubia colony in your home and maximize the number within the shortest possible time with the regular waste in your kitchen.
Among all types of cockroaches, dubia’s are considered the easiest and most productive to breed. Usually, people who breed dubia roaches on their own keep them in a box with some egg crates inside.
To keep them alive, you need to put some food into the box like an orange. However, dubias do not require any constant care or an excessive amount of food. Furthermore, they do not spread any odor on their own like crickets. Another noteworthy advantage is dubia roaches are noiseless. They do not hiss or chirp like any other type of cockroaches.
If you want to create your own dubia roach colony, you also do not need to monitor them constantly. While other insects are always ready to escape, dubia’s are content to stay in place.
They like to stay in one place if the place is comfortable enough and receive the necessary amount of food regularly. They also start breeding on their own without any additional care if the environment is ideal for laying eggs. They clean their living place on their own and do not make it dirty with unnecessary dirt or poop.
However, you can get more dubia roaches of your own if you have complete information and proper knowledge about dubia roaches.
The Process to Create Your Own Dubia Colony
Unlike any other insects, dubias do not like to fly or crawl; nevertheless, be sure to put a cover or lid on the tub of your dubia roach colony. To nurture the dubias properly, you should get a tub of about 40 to 50 quarts. As wood is prone to bacteria growth, it will be better if you get a plastic barrel. Moreover, plastics are easier to clean than wood or steel.
After getting the house for the colony, you have to arrange proper ventilation. Without proper ventilation, the whole process will not work. You should make holes in the lid or covering of the tub. Do not leave any openings except for the ventilation holes.
Proper ventilation will ensure the dubias receive proper oxygen and light. Do not forget to get an additional container alongside the colony because when you are washing the existing tub, you have to keep them together in the meantime in a separate plastic tub.
Keep Track of the Numbers
When the number of dubia’s is growing in your colony, you should keep track of their quantity. Do remember, the total number of male dubias will be only one-fourth compared to the total number of female dubias.
Bring out the adult female dubias and feed them to your reptiles. If you are breeding them for sale, you should sell the females as soon as they become 8 months old. While you are selling or feeding the roaches from the colony, you should note down the exact numbers subtracted from the total.
Benefits of Having Your Dubia Colony
By nature, dubia roaches are quite calm and more easy-going than any other cockroach. They do not bite or cut your clothes like other cockroaches. Let’s discuss some other benefits of having your own dubia colony:
Less Expensive and Easily Accessible Feed Item
The most surprising yet helpful fact about dubias is that you can feed them with your daily kitchen waste such as the skin of pumpkins, carrots, potatoes, oranges, papayas, or apples.Â
Do not feed them anything dry such as pet food, a chunk of chicken, seeds, egg, or a nutshell. Never put any rotten or stale foods into the colony, as it may create bacteria or introduce other insects.
Dubias do need water regularly. Do not pour a lot of water at once. To provide water proportionately, get some water in a bowl or plate and wet a cotton ball into the water; then place the dish into the colony.
Highest Productivity with Least Supervision
Unlike any other pests, dubias do not require a year to start the reproduction process; usually, they start reproducing only after 4 to 5 months. But they only start reproducing whn they are able to maximize the number of their breeding rate.
The dubiass are considered popular as feed items due to their reproductive capability. Baby nymphs are also capable of starting the reproduction process on their own only after 5 months. However, they are only capable of doing so if they have been bred by a pair of healthy dubia roaches.
If you put only 100 to 200 dubias at once they will grow in no time and will keep themselves alive without any constant supervision. Male dubias are more expensive than female ones. However, you do not need plenty of them to speed the reproduction process. For instance, if you have a total of 150 dubias in your colony, you need only 37 to 38 males. A male can survive almost a year. However, females live almost double compared to males which are approximately 24 months.
To breed this species you need only a few plastic tubs. If you want to boost the number in a short time span, you should separate the dubians into three different containers. You should put the nymphs in one container, the adults in the other one, and the last one for the ones that have become old and should be given to the pets as feed. It will be easier for you to keep track of the new members and the ones who have already become the feed of your reptiles or have been sold.
Though dubia roaches usually do not cause any direct harm to humans, some people may have allergic reactions from the dubias without proper protection. Do not forget to wear gloves, a face shield, and a mask if you are taking care of the colony regularly. Try to avoid close contact with bare hands and wash your hand properly after every contact. While you are cleaning the colony, do not rub your eyes, nose, or skin without a proper wash. And try not to sneeze or cough while you are working there.
However, despite all cautionary measures, if you still develop an allergic reaction you should consult a doctor about the matter and stop the work immediately.
Making your own dubia colony is an easy task if you have the proper knowledge about them. The whole process requires less expense and an ideal feed for your reptiles. So, don’t wait anymore to start your own dubia colony. Just bring a suitable bin and put a bunch of dubias into it. You are all set!