# Out of control dubai colony



## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

How does everyone here keep their colonies in check? I started feeding off some of the females a few months ago in an effort to get it under control, but it's not working. 
I just took out and froze 1100 roaches (400 females, 300 males, and a ton of juvies) and it didn't even make that much of a dent in the colony.
I took away their heat source about 6 months ago, but they still breed like crazy. 
I feed off about 100 adults a week.
Any ideas? Or am I down to a cull and burn type of thing?


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## GoodbyeCourage (Aug 14, 2013)

Sell them! There's a feeder section in the classifieds on here, you could sell a thousand or so as a starter colony's as they're always in high demand http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/forums/food-classifieds/


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## Corfel (Apr 29, 2013)

If you're getting extras then sell them, they're not the cheapest of bug for people to buy so it's nothing I'd be destroying.

I wouldn't just destroy them

I had a colony recently that I actually gave away for free cause I'd rather see someone make use of them than me simple destroy them.


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## Discodaz (Aug 7, 2013)

Yep,thats my plan..i will never use all the dubia i have..i plan selling off and making some cash,lol..

Daz


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## Sylvi (Dec 30, 2008)

Leave the females in and keep taking out the mature (winged) males keeps my colony nicely in check. When it does get too big I give them away or sell them.


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## Salazare Slytherin (Oct 21, 2009)

Agreed sell them, before moving something wiped my colony out, still not sure what it was tbh, but the house was new and their was still fumes knocking around, a few survived but they never really got back to the thousands that there was lol, so yeah, deffo don't just throw them they are definately not cheap lol
. : victory:


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## ConnorTrussell (Apr 5, 2012)

I will do you a MASSIVE favour, a 1 time offer, box em up, take em to the post office, adress them too me, and I'll take it from there, you're welcome:whistling2:


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## Vastation (Oct 1, 2013)

Where can I invest in one of these? Sounds fab. Do they require much care?


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

I would love to sell them, but its not permitted where I live . Maybe if I found a safe way to kill them I could sell them as frozen feeders- I don't think there is anything against selling them dead...
I know freezing alone won't work, but what if I sprayed them with water first??


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

Vastation said:


> Where can I invest in one of these? Sounds fab. Do they require much care?


 Mine don't . I just throw in some food every few days and clean it out every 6 months or when it starts to stink a bit.


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## Vastation (Oct 1, 2013)

ToothlessSav said:


> Mine don't . I just throw in some food every few days and clean it out every 6 months or when it starts to stink a bit.


Easy as pie. Mmm, roach pie.

Where did you get yours sir?


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## Discodaz (Aug 7, 2013)

Take a look on ebay..theres plenty selling dubia..i bought a colony of mixed sizes 250 for 20 quid..just pop them in a storage tub..feed them water gel crystals,cereal,any veg you have left over,and oranges,they go mental for fresh oranges and breed well as a result..dunno why.
Add a heat mat under one side of the tub and allow them to get on with it..i have just had probably 400 babies in the last week..

As i said earlier..once set up,its free food forever and costs pennies to keep

Daz


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Depending on where he lives though there's different legislations. Locust for example are illegal to breed in the US, which is bizarre considering they can be found there in the wild anyhow. They'd die off over here so isn't such an issue. 

My guess is the op is from somewhere with a warmer climate so keeping/breeding/selling some feeders may not be possible.


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## tremerz97 (Nov 30, 2012)

or get another bosc to help keep up with them :2thumb:


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

tremerz97 said:


> or get another bosc to help keep up with them :2thumb:


I'd love to get a water, but one monitor is more than enough for a small appartment. Maybe some day...  Any small reptiles that eat like powerhouses??


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

ToothlessSav said:


> I would love to sell them, but its not permitted where I live . Maybe if I found a safe way to kill them I could sell them as frozen feeders- I don't think there is anything against selling them dead...
> I know freezing alone won't work, but what if I sprayed them with water first??


Are DUBIA illegal where you live, or just posting them is not allowed?

If you have a pet store near you that sells live food, and they are legal, I would try swapping for other livefood.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

tomcannon said:


> Depending on where he lives though there's different legislations. Locust for example are illegal to breed in the US, which is bizarre considering they can be found there in the wild anyhow. They'd die off over here so isn't such an issue.
> 
> My guess is the op is from somewhere with a warmer climate so keeping/breeding/selling some feeders may not be possible.


Please tell me if I am wrong, but I don't think Schistocerca gregaria or Locusta migratoria are found in US (in the wild) ? There are parts of the US not that different to parts of North africa and asia where these species can be found. 

They could potentially just as easily devastate maize or other cereal crops as they do in Africa.


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## Artisan (Mar 27, 2011)

I would personally bang em on ebay. And take them off the heat for a while/keep them somewhere cooler so they don't breed as rampantly :2thumb:


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

He said he can't post them.


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

Dragon Farm said:


> Are DUBIA illegal where you live, or just posting them is not allowed?
> 
> If you have a pet store near you that sells live food, and they are legal, I would try swapping for other livefood.


 All the above unfortunately. I havn't been able to find anything that says you can't sell dead ones though, so maybe I'll give that a try. I would hate to destroy any as they are such great feeders.


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## lozmick (Jun 24, 2013)

ToothlessSav said:


> I'd love to get a water, but one monitor is more than enough for a small appartment. Maybe some day...  Any small reptiles that eat like powerhouses??


Bearded dragons mine love dubias


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

Where do you live ? I am not aware of anywhere that they are illegal. Maybe Australia or Hawaii (guess).


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

Dragon Farm said:


> Where do you live ? I am not aware of anywhere that they are illegal. Maybe Australia or Hawaii (guess).


 I'm from a lovely exotic place where we ride polar bears to work and take our pet beavers for a walk before eating them .


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

Ahhhh, of course, Milton keynes.


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## tomcannon (Jan 2, 2008)

Dragon Farm said:


> Please tell me if I am wrong, but I don't think Schistocerca gregaria or Locusta migratoria are found in US (in the wild) ? There are parts of the US not that different to parts of North africa and asia where these species can be found.
> 
> They could potentially just as easily devastate maize or other cereal crops as they do in Africa.


I couldn't tell you mate, I'm just going off something an American once told me, it could be totally wrong! They were just saying that we in the uk have it lucky as there's many feeders we use that they can't, locusts being one I remember him mentioning.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

tomcannon said:


> I couldn't tell you mate, I'm just going off something an American once told me, it could be totally wrong! They were just saying that we in the uk have it lucky as there's many feeders we use that they can't, locusts being one I remember him mentioning.


Yes locusts are illegal to breed/sell in the US as far as I am aware. Probably for very good reasons. Locusts already can fly (and do fly) from Africa to Southern Europe. So no additional danger here. They have native grasshoppers, but I don't think anything quite as potentially serious as the two species used in the European trade. 

The US do have horn worms that are illegal here. So its not all one way.


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## ConnorTrussell (Apr 5, 2012)

Would also love to know how you got them to go like that mate. I'd love to have a boom like you say you have had but never been able to get them to go like that


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

lozmick said:


> Bearded dragons mine love dubias


 What size enclosure does a beardie need? I don't know too much about them, but heard they like mostly greens? I'm not a big fan of having to cut up fresh veggies every day and buying them in the winter can get rather pricey. 
Any other reptile that's similar but doesn't like veggies?


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

ConnorTrussell said:


> Would also love to know how you got them to go like that mate. I'd love to have a boom like you say you have had but never been able to get them to go like that


The funny thing is that I've tried everything I can to KEEP them from breeding, but they just exploded anyways. They have no heat or light, rubbermaid tub with screen cutout top, egg cartons, water crystals, and I feed them most of our food wastes from the day (except dairy, spicy, or junk foods). I usually feed off large juvies or adult males (about 100 every week), but the last little while I've been feeding off both adult males and females. I just cleaned the tub, and am guesstimating that there are approx 6300 (tried counting them, but it's not extremely accurate). This is babies right up to adults. 
I was shocked as I thought 'MAYBE 2000' when I went to clean the tub. Once I removed all the egg cartons, I realized that there were litterally THOUSANDS of the cute little buggers .
I've found a few pet stores across the great wilderness that carry frozen roaches, so I guess it's ok to sell dead ones . Looks like I may be making a pretty penny off some of these guys- would be nice as I'd like to build our new leo a nice 4 x 2 enclosure. Cute little guy looks a tad cramped in a 20 g.


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## starsoryx (Aug 10, 2012)

Baby beardies eat by the bucketload, when they get older they still eat a lot but more veg than bug usually. 

Hardly costs me anything to feed veggies, just whatever is leftovers in my fridge, or i buy Living Salad leaves to trim off, or best yet go to the supermarket at closing time and buy the cheap veggies that are going out of date but will do beardie for a few days.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

Suggesting another getting another reptile pet _just _to deal with a large colony of roaches, seems a bit crazy.


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

Dragon Farm said:


> Suggesting another getting another reptile pet _just _to deal with a large colony of roaches, seems a bit crazy.


I agree...... :gasp: I agree


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

Dragon Farm said:


> Suggesting another getting another reptile pet _just _to deal with a large colony of roaches, seems a bit crazy.


 I was actually already considering getting another lizard sometime next year- I have to finish building our leo his new enclosure first though before I even start looking for another reptile .
Helping deal with the large colony would just be a bonus if we do end up getting another one. 
I agree that getting another mouth to feed purely to keep the colony in check is not a good idea though .


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

starsoryx said:


> Baby beardies eat by the bucketload, when they get older they still eat a lot but more veg than bug usually.
> 
> Hardly costs me anything to feed veggies, just whatever is leftovers in my fridge, or i buy Living Salad leaves to trim off, or best yet go to the supermarket at closing time and buy the cheap veggies that are going out of date but will do beardie for a few days.


That sounds pretty easy, but I still think I would prefer something that doesn't need veggies . 
I got a while yet to find something that would suit my preferences, so am in no rush although suggestions on species to research is always welcome.


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## Bradleybradleyc (May 7, 2012)

In that case maybe something like a monitor would be good say a group of ackies for example


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## tremerz97 (Nov 30, 2012)

Bradleybradleyc said:


> In that case maybe something like a monitor would be good say a group of ackies for example


they already have a bosc, so i suggest a group of ackies or VTO's :2thumb:


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

tremerz97 said:


> they already have a bosc, so i suggest a group of ackies or VTO's :2thumb:


If I did go for an ackie, it would just be one due to space limitations. I only have room for at most a 4 x 2 x 4. 
What is a VTO? 
Uromastix (sp?) also look interesting, but I'd have to look into them more as I don't know anything about them.


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## tremerz97 (Nov 30, 2012)

ToothlessSav said:


> If I did go for an ackie, it would just be one due to space limitations. I only have room for at most a 4 x 2 x 4.
> What is a VTO?
> Uromastix (sp?) also look interesting, but I'd have to look into them more as I don't know anything about them.


varanus tristis orientalis. 
and with an extra level 4x2x4 will be enough for a trio IMO. usually its 5x2x3.


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

tremerz97 said:


> varanus tristis orientalis.
> and with an extra level 4x2x4 will be enough for a trio IMO. usually its 5x2x3.


I was always under the impression that 4 x 2 was the minimum for 1 ackie? I could always make the enclosure 4 x 2 x 5 or 6 feet high and add a bunch of extra levels like I did with Toothless. Is it ok to just get two or will they fight?
I love the look of them and think monitors in general are amazing.
How large to the VTO's get?


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## Pyrite (Oct 13, 2012)

I envy you so much! My dubias just make babies but they never seem to grow! You should sell starter colonies to people or start supplying reptile/pet stores and make a name for yourself as "The roach guy" :2thumb:


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

Pyrite said:


> I envy you so much! My dubias just make babies but they never seem to grow! You should sell starter colonies to people or start supplying reptile/pet stores and make a name for yourself as "The roach guy" :2thumb:


 Mine seem to grow like wildfire for some reason...
Unfortunately if I became well known in the area I would end up loosing my whole colony:whistling2:.


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

Just starting looking into basalisks (sp?). They seem pretty neat, and from what I've been reading one would be ok in a 4 x 2 x 5. 
Time to do some research as I really like the looks of these guys . I think it would be a fun enclosure to set up.


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## ConnorTrussell (Apr 5, 2012)

ToothlessSav said:


> Just starting looking into basalisks (sp?). They seem pretty neat, and from what I've been reading one would be ok in a 4 x 2 x 5.
> Time to do some research as I really like the looks of these guys . I think it would be a fun enclosure to set up.


They're pretty cool. I reckon a few pax man frogs could do some damage to the colony if you're into that sort of thing...


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## starsoryx (Aug 10, 2012)

Dragon Farm said:


> Suggesting another getting another reptile pet _just _to deal with a large colony of roaches, seems a bit crazy.


I disagree, people get cats to deal with mice. As long as you have the room, the ability to house and feed and look after another 'mouth' then I dont see the problem.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

It would be a very simple matter to reduce the colony by half, or two thirds or whatever. So to my mind it would be stupid to invest in a reptile you don't want, the viv, the lighting, the heating, the ongoing care and costs, just to reduce the colony size. 

If you want another reptile fine. Yes probably a good idea to get an insectivore rather than a carnivore then.

The difference with the cat is that they will continue to provide pest control, as in some environments, mice and other rodents can be a ongoing problem. Cats are frequently being given away, cost little to keep and,require very little care.


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

ConnorTrussell said:


> They're pretty cool. I reckon a few pax man frogs could do some damage to the colony if you're into that sort of thing...


 Pack man frogs sound interesting. My son LOVES frogs so would enjoy watching them. Can you house more than one together?


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## alexandrosham (Nov 5, 2011)

ToothlessSav said:


> Pack man frogs sound interesting. My son LOVES frogs so would enjoy watching them. Can you house more than one together?


pacman frogs definitely cannot be housed together... roaches won't be the only thing on the menu!
Great frogs with amazing appetites; doubt one or two would make much dent in a roach colony unfortunately though!


Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk


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## ConnorTrussell (Apr 5, 2012)

ToothlessSav said:


> Pack man frogs sound interesting. My son LOVES frogs so would enjoy watching them. Can you house more than one together?


No defiantly not, as stated they can and will eat one another, the pro is that they need little space and can take down adult females, they come in different colours and the albinos are stunning, 3 of these chowing down on adult females every night would defo dent the colony


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## ToothlessSav (Aug 5, 2013)

If we did decide on a pacman, it would be only one then . Those whites tree frogs look pretty neat as well (I think that's the name)- the pale green ones that stick to the sides of the tank . 
I find it amazing that a pacman can swallow an adult .


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## ConnorTrussell (Apr 5, 2012)

ToothlessSav said:


> If we did decide on a pacman, it would be only one then . Those whites tree frogs look pretty neat as well (I think that's the name)- the pale green ones that stick to the sides of the tank .
> I find it amazing that a pacman can swallow an adult .


If it moves, you can bet the pacman will shove it in


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## Pyrite (Oct 13, 2012)

Dragon Farm said:


> It would be a very simple matter to reduce the colony by half, or two thirds or whatever. So to my mind it would be stupid to invest in a reptile you don't want, the viv, the lighting, the heating, the ongoing care and costs, just to reduce the colony size.
> 
> If you want another reptile fine. Yes probably a good idea to get an insectivore rather than a carnivore then.
> 
> The difference with the cat is that they will continue to provide pest control, as in some environments, mice and other rodents can be a ongoing problem. Cats are frequently being given away, cost little to keep and,require very little care.


I wholeheartedly agree. Apart from the costs and time spent on lightening, vivarium setup, bills and the increase possibility of vet bills, lets say everything does go swimmingly and he does get a reptile that does considerable amount of damage to the colony. What happens to the reptile once the problem is dealt with and food starts dwindling? Are funds available to keep that reptile happy and healthy from there inwards or will it lead to finding it a home once the problem is done?

In my opinion getting a reptile just for the sake of dealing with a roach problem sounds like investing in unnecessary future hassles.

I am more inclined on the frog idea. Get something like a cane toad and feed off the female roaches or better yet why don't you take steps to slow down the breeding like lowering the temperature and separate them in multiple tubs?


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## chase2200 (Jul 30, 2016)

*Solution*

Hello, just read about your dilemma. Not sure if you live in the U.K however my contingency plan for a roach boom is to sell cheap to local pet shop/sell on gumtree/eBay/forums like this one/give them away to friends...(if I had any lol) or freeze them and sell frozen. I figure that if I do the above that they will be kept in check.


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## danielle101 (May 8, 2008)

Such a shame you can't post it would have gladly bought a small colony off you as I've started looking into them for my beardies even though I seriously can't stand them I'm too scared to even think about if one pregnant female escaped some how :censor::bash:


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## marijan2 (Mar 2, 2013)

danielle101 said:


> Such a shame you can't post it would have gladly bought a small colony off you as I've started looking into them for my beardies even though I seriously can't stand them I'm too scared to even think about if one pregnant female escaped some how :censor::bash:


no worries about escapees, they are not invasive species


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