# Easy to breed, healthy feeders?



## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

I was looking into starting a dubia roach colony for my little ackie as he seems to love them but I read that they breed only at higher temps which means heating the enclosure.
Now this isnt really a massive deal but with a lack of free plug sockets and not really wanting them to be out on display anywhere in the house I was wondering if there are other feeders who breed easily but without the need to be heated ?

I know woodlice are supposed to be good food, but am unsure how easily they breed and how long the take to mature to feeding size. (adult woodlice are the perfect size for Riley right now but probably not for long so this is probably not the best idea)
Any thoughts ?


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## mitsi (Feb 1, 2012)

You can keep dubais in a tub in the airing cupboard. It stays warm enough in there. Thsts where I used to keep mine


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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

Thanks, for some reason my airing cupboard doesn't get very warm but I may just give that a try


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

dubia's are very easy to breed, I had mine with a heat mat on half the floor of the tub, and they bred like crazy, to fast infact, I now just keep them at room temp (well room is kept at a steady ~25C)


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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

they still breed at room temp ?


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

yeah, more than enough to feed my Sav, Leo and various ant colonies, and lots more left over...I've taken to freezing some every few weeks, as my Sav will happily eat dead ones, I figured having a backup source of food wuld be a good idea

I bought 100 nymphs at the start of the year, I've got thousands now lol


(bare in mind that my room is 25C, bit warmer than normal room temp)


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## mitsi (Feb 1, 2012)

Just put them next to one of the warm pipes and thry will be fine.as long as they are above around 23 24c they will breed.


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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

Great , it looks like dubia roaches are the ones then  He does love them too. 
Im sure I could find an answer if I searched but as I have you here... How many would I need to get to begin a colony? My little guy is eating small ones atm as he is only about 3 months old so any larger ones would be free to grow for a while.


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## CloudForest (Nov 27, 2013)

Fizz said:


> Great , it looks like dubia roaches are the ones then  He does love them too.
> Im sure I could find an answer if I searched but as I have you here... How many would I need to get to begin a colony? My little guy is eating small ones atm as he is only about 3 months old so any larger ones would be free to grow for a while.


the more the better really, they can be pretty expensive to buy straight out, I bought crickets and locusts for 4-5 months before I felt like I had enough to start feeding them off as the core of his diet, I must have 1500 now, that's taken 9-10 months from 200 (I waited for the 3rd generation to mature before feeding off)


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## Fizz (Jan 18, 2014)

Thanks


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## caen (May 11, 2013)

you do need to wait a few months, do not be tempted to feed them off.


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## jarich (Mar 23, 2012)

Id recommend going with the roaches but also trying to get the isopods (woodlice) started too. You can just put them right inside the enclosure and they will breed readily (and quickly). I have several species breeding prolifically inside numerous enclosures. The lizards pick off the not so careful ones when they see them, but they breed like rabbits so there are always more.


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