# Dubia Colony Die Offs



## JJShacks (Mar 2, 2013)

I'm having trouble with my Dubia colony, i have around 300 in total about 50/60 adults and the rest are nymphs. My temps are about 28C at the top of the bin and I'm heating via a heat mat on the bottom, humidity is around 50%. The problem is that I'm fishing our dead roaches on a daily basis, it seems they become paralyzed and eventually die. Their diet is chick mash as a base and fresh carrot/orange or any other vegetables i have every couple of days. Has anyone had this problem before? The tub is quite small but i have 4 egg crates covering the whole tub. There is a hole cut in the lid for ventilation, no mold or condensation is occurring.


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## ExoticInsectsUK (Nov 15, 2008)

If its adults they could be old but if nymphs then it may be getting too hot and drying them out, offer insect gel and this will help stop it.


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## JJShacks (Mar 2, 2013)

I have been using water crystals up until last week and the same problem occurred, I've been trying to isolate factors to find out whats causing it.


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## Artisan (Mar 27, 2011)

I'd say it was too hot too. Mine have been breeding like mad for a year nearly and I moved them around 2 weeks ago ontop of a different viv ....also the viv below was heated by a ceramic bulb like in the viv it was on top of for the previous year......seems the new place I put them was justya tad too hot and I list quite a few over a few days...raise you roach tub slightly off the mat with something likesome drinks coasters/folded cardboard or blobs of blu tack in eack corner to act as feet........mine are back to how they were before :2thumb:


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## imginy (Jun 14, 2009)

Is there much moisture on the insides of the tub? If so they are probably too wet.

Also 28c in the cool spot doesn't sound right.


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## marijan2 (Mar 2, 2013)

imginy said:


> Is there much moisture on the insides of the tub? If so they are probably too wet.
> 
> Also 28c in the cool spot doesn't sound right.



i doubt high humidity would be problem. i kept my colony on very high, and only it brang was better ooth realisation :Na_Na_Na_Na:

and 28c cool spot doesn't seem too high


OP i'd try get the humidity up, i had similar problem and when i was in 50's range, and not only they stopped dieing off, but they started to produce much better


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## jarich (Mar 23, 2012)

I agree, the humidity is better when its higher. The only issue that might arise with the higher humidity is that you have to watch out for mold on your veggies. Switching them out daily will keep that from occurring. 

Also, you said you measured the temp up at the top of the tub. Measure the temps down at the bottom where the roaches are, as thats the important part. 

Is this a new colony? Have you been cleaning it out regularly? The small roaches feed off the wastes of the adults, so dont clean it out. Let the droppings build up, it will also help keep the humidity up. 

For food, stay away from the citrus, the other vegetable matter should be fine, just make sure you are changing it daily. Though its not essential by any means Id swap out your chick feed with a rabbit mix. Chick feed is a lot of grains (and oats sometimes though that can vary by source of course) which roaches dont really go for, whereas rabbit feed is mostly made up of alfalfa and grasses, which is much higher in calcium and a better food source for them.


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## ZOO CENTRE (Apr 1, 2010)

JJShacks said:


> I'm having trouble with my Dubia colony, i have around 300 in total about 50/60 adults and the rest are nymphs. My temps are about 28C at the top of the bin and I'm heating via a heat mat on the bottom, humidity is around 50%. The problem is that I'm fishing our dead roaches on a daily basis, it seems they become paralyzed and eventually die. Their diet is chick mash as a base and fresh carrot/orange or any other vegetables i have every couple of days. Has anyone had this problem before? The tub is quite small but i have 4 egg crates covering the whole tub. There is a hole cut in the lid for ventilation, no mold or condensation is occurring.


Maybe there is too high temperature.
If on the top is 28C than what is on the bottom?
If you have heat mat on the all bottom - I am suppose it is the problem.


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## marijan2 (Mar 2, 2013)

ZOO CENTRE said:


> Maybe there is too high temperature.
> If on the top is 28C than what is on the bottom?
> If you have heat mat on the all bottom - I am suppose it is the problem.



roaches can live regularily on 35c so i doubt it's the issue, as i stated above. also, heat rises so if 28c is on top, middle is about 25. i have 25W heal cable on the bottom and had 0 problems whatsoever.

dubias are *tropical* species, they live in argentina/brasil forest/reinforest area, so having high humidity on them is crucial.


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## ZOO CENTRE (Apr 1, 2010)

marijan2 said:


> roaches can live regularily on 35c so i doubt it's the issue, as i stated above. also, heat rises so if 28c is on top, middle is about 25. i have 25W heal cable on the bottom and had 0 problems whatsoever.
> 
> dubias are *tropical* species, they live in argentina/brasil forest/reinforest area, so having high humidity on them is crucial.


Really 35C in high humidity? 
Did you try to breed them or did you read it somewhere on the internet? NONSENSE! (maybe short time only)


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## marijan2 (Mar 2, 2013)

ZOO CENTRE said:


> Really 35C in high humidity?
> Did you try to breed them or did you read it somewhere on the internet? NONSENSE! (maybe short time only)












breeding like a madmen. i keep them in slightly lower temps than 35 though. not a single unexplained death in last 3 months

now, did YOU tried to breed them at high temp high humidity or you read on internet it's not going to work?


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## ZOO CENTRE (Apr 1, 2010)

marijan2 said:


> image
> 
> breeding like a madmen. i keep them in slightly lower temps than 35 though. not a single unexplained death in last 3 months
> 
> now, did YOU tried to breed them at high temp high humidity or you read on internet it's not going to work?


Sorry but your picture is a proof of NOTHING!
Where is high humidity?
Of course the 35C temperature can be locally- NOT EVERYWHERE!

BTW: YES i tried to breed them at high temp and high humidity- NO WORKING!


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## marijan2 (Mar 2, 2013)

ZOO CENTRE said:


> Sorry but your picture is a proof of NOTHING!
> Where is high humidity?
> Of course the 35C temperature can be locally- NOT EVERYWHERE!
> 
> BTW: YES i tried to breed them at high temp and high humidity- NO WORKING!


high humidity i achieve with water bowl(as seen on picture) and misting daily. i'm not going to buy a hygrometer and set my thermomether to just to prove something to someone. i'm not in mood for fights, i'm simply stating my observations. yes of course i meant 35c on hotspot


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## jarich (Mar 23, 2012)

Ive had my colony for about a year, and keep them on top of my monitor enclosure. Slightly more than 1/2 of the enclosure is at 33 C, the other part stays around 30 C. Humidity stays around 60-80%. They have always and continue to breed prolifically. As mentioned above, the high humidity is very essential.


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## imginy (Jun 14, 2009)

ZOO CENTRE said:


> Sorry but your picture is a proof of NOTHING!


His picture proves that he knows more about roaches than you :whistling2:

eBay Feedback profile for zoocentre

seriously guys zoo centre breeds millions of them they know best : victory:


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## marijan2 (Mar 2, 2013)

imginy said:


> His picture proves that he knows more about roaches than you :whistling2:
> 
> eBay Feedback profile for zoocentre
> 
> seriously guys zoo centre breeds millions of them they know best : victory:


selling millions of them and working with them is not sign someone knows everything about subject(tried to go to shop where they sell animals and ask for Tarantula husbandry?). for example the guy here in my country that have literally tens of thousands of them and sells them off massively(and have great service). he DO NOT know even tell gender in nymph stage(i showed him at the end) and keeps them miserabely. sure, he produces alot, that system is not failing but if he kept them in better conditions he would literally triple production... stating that dubias don't need high humidity and that 28c is is the same as stating that boas needs to be fed often like royals and kept on same humidity. sure, they can, but it is not optimal and not the best for animal...

again, i'm not here to start any fights, but this is lacking common sense :/


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