# Sorting Dubias without disturbing them too much ?



## Big Red One (Oct 17, 2007)

Hi all,

any tips on getting small dubias out of a large colony without chasing around for ages and disturbing all the happily settled adults ?

I was thinking of some sort of trap system where only the smaller ones can get into a tub, but can't get the idea off the ground !

:lol2:

Any tips ?


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## OrigamiB (Feb 19, 2008)

sounds like a good idea, just get a tub with food in it and make the hole only big enough for the little ones?


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## swift_wraith (Jan 4, 2009)

nice idea, only problem i forsee is the dubais normally go back to shelter once they have fed so it'll be completely pot luck on how many are feeding at any given time.

hmmm... brainwave has just hit me. How about a 2nd layer in the tub about 3 inches off the floor. holes drilled into it the same size as the dubs you need to feed from. They climb through the holes but due to their inability to climb upwards they are trapped.

oooh dragons den here i come!!


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

swift_wraith said:


> nice idea, only problem i forsee is the dubais normally go back to shelter once they have fed so it'll be completely pot luck on how many are feeding at any given time.
> 
> hmmm... brainwave has just hit me. How about a 2nd layer in the tub about 3 inches off the floor. holes drilled into it the same size as the dubs you need to feed from. They climb through the holes but due to their inability to climb upwards they are trapped.
> 
> oooh dragons den here i come!!


I was initially thinking a 2nd tub under the main one with holes like you suggest. Other that something like this I think any other way will disturb them alot more than need be


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## Gemstone Dragons (Jul 29, 2009)

I use 1 of these to sort bug sizes if needed.......Each of the 3 inserts has different sized mesh in it and the tin is about a foot across.......


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## toad650 (Feb 9, 2009)

snowgoose said:


> I was initially thinking a 2nd tub under the main one with holes like you suggest. Other that something like this I think any other way will disturb them alot more than need be


The thing with 2 tubs would be that all the dirty etc would end up in the bottom one along with all the smalls so you would end up starting a second colony under the first unless you picked out the ones that have grown and are now too big and then put them back in the main colony.


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## imginy (Jun 14, 2009)

Gemstone Dragons said:


> I use 1 of these to sort bug sizes if needed.......Each of the 3 inserts has different sized mesh in it and the tin is about a foot across.......


Where do I buy one of them I got just 2 babeis hatching out soon and wanted to feed them some turks


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## snowgoose (May 5, 2009)

imginy said:


> Where do I buy one of them I got just 2 babeis hatching out soon and wanted to feed them some turks


Looks like a garden sieve to me. Most garden centres should sell them


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## Gemstone Dragons (Jul 29, 2009)

imginy said:


> Where do I buy one of them I got just 2 babeis hatching out soon and wanted to feed them some turks


It was ordered online by Loubielou211, about £20 inc postage - their made for bonsai tree's????

I will text her and ask her to dig out the website address when she gets a minute :2thumb:


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## loonymoony (Oct 22, 2009)

Hi BRO
Our solution to this is to have another pot just for the weeks feeder roaches, once a week we go in and take out required size roaches, do it in the evening with just the rep light on, we find that the smaller ones tend to conglomorate around the moist feed area, so put a plastic tray at one end and masses of small ones then hang around here, hiding in mainly the first two eggbox cells nearest, I suppose as they have a lot of growing to do they stay on top of the energy/sugar rich foods like orange, they looove this! and thus are easy to harvest/farm as required, personally I like to take a peek once a week anyway to remove any old food, shed bits and the very occasional dead, they're pretty hardy little fellows and don't seem too upset by my weekly foray (they're all in good health, eating and breeding so must be happy enough!)


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## Big Red One (Oct 17, 2007)

Thanks for the tips... I have tried the last couple of nights with a glass bowl in the tub and a bit of food in it with a kind of stairway up to it!

Seems ot work, have a mixed selection of sizes, so I just pop the adults etc back into the colony and tip the small ones back into a seperate tub for growing on :2thumb:


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