# Starting Dubia Colony - struggling



## Miss Lizee (Feb 25, 2011)

to know how many to buy!>?

The large breeding pack on roachcolony has:
Small x 550
Medium/Large x 250
Adult Females x 50
Adult Males x 25


is this a good amount to start with? too few or too many? 

We have 1 young BD and that's it. hating crickets with a passion.. evil little things. 

how long til we could start to feed from the colony if we bought that many? I know it takes a while to be seld sufficient as it were, but how do you know when you can start feeding from it?

Thanks


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## TIMOTHY AND MATILDA (Oct 31, 2008)

I have 100 mixed sizes to start with,they seem to be doing well and after a month I have some little ones.I am not an expert though but I think that is too many :2thumb:


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## Sylvi (Dec 30, 2008)

I bought a similar starter unit and they are breeding really well. I have them on a heat mat, they like it pretty warm. I'm feeding tarantulas and I started using it right away but have been using crickets as well until the numbers really build up.


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## Pumpkinman (Mar 26, 2011)

There is no such thing as starting with too many!!!! The more you start with the less feeders you will have to buy while waiting for your colony to build to a level that you can feed off..


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## GemmaPerks (Mar 8, 2010)

Pumpkinman said:


> There is no such thing as starting with too many!!!! The more you start with the less feeders you will have to buy while waiting for your colony to build to a level that you can feed off..



what about starting with 100 billion (said in the voice of Dr Evil for comedy value), I think that might be too many.


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## Pumpkinman (Mar 26, 2011)

GemmaPerks said:


> what about starting with 100 billion (said in the voice of Dr Evil for comedy value), I think that might be too many.


If you had that many I am sure your neighbors would fire bomb your house.


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## Dee_Williams (Aug 15, 2010)

i was told that you need to see if you have plenty of maturing ones before you can feed the extras. i think you need to look at them and see how many males you have to females. if there is lots of males then feed some off and if there isn't don't. 

trouble is with anythnig live is you are always going to get some deaths so you don't want to feed ALL the spare males off straight away. i give any dead ones to my chickens, they love them.

edited to say: i was told as a rough guide that you want to wait at least 6 months before you feed off them. i guess this would be a rough guide and then just keep an eye on them and see how numbers are doing?


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## jonodrama (May 7, 2009)

I've had mine going for nearly 3 months, 
used roaches from 3 different sources. have lots of babies, but just feeding with the odd adult male at the mo.

in a few weeks i'll probably start using half roaches and half locust or crixs to feed my sub adult yemen, 3 leos and the red kneed T i'm getting in a week or 2.



I'm using chick mash/cat foot, plus orange/carrot and greens 2 or 3 time s a week and the odd handful of cherios or other cereal


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## Nigel_wales (Mar 24, 2009)

I wouldn't feed from a colony until the 6 month mark has been reached which is normally the amount of time it takes for the colony to have done a full cycle. It'll definately be self sustaining that way as long as you don't have to many reps and not enough breeding adults


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