# Quick Dubia Roach Q re Babies.



## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

How small are freshly-hatched baby dubia's ??

Reason I ask is that i've had mine for just over a year now (Bought em when they were lrg-woodlouse sized) haven't seen any babies or evidence of any..until yesterday when I cleaned them out.
There was was looked to be part of an empty ootheca in the bottom of the tank..only about 1cm long and not dissimilar to a mealworm skin shed but different 'pattern'.It was totally dry and crunchy.

I keep them in a large flat exo terra faunarium (On which they love to climb on the roof) but im kinda wondering whether any babies could've gotten out through the roof of the tank ?

I'm gonna set a catch-trap just incase (As I did find a 2cm dubia under the edge of my carpet a few months ago)

but before I rip my carpet up and have to move my bed, and all the junk under there, I wanna know if its possible or probably that they've escaped.

ty


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## KarlW (Oct 6, 2009)

the newly born ive had are about 3-5mm at most.

So they may have escaped, depending on the size of the holes.

Hope it helps.

Karl


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## NXSmiggy (Oct 29, 2008)

1) yeah there out, thet will get through the holes in a flat faun as they can crush themselves flat (its a defensive trait they have, like all cockroches)
2) how did they get to the roof? dubias cant climb smooth surfaces
3) the "ooth" you described was a dropped egg case, the females do this when stresed or scared. They prep the eggs, then retract them into another part of there body to hatch befor giving a pseudo live birth


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

Uh-oh.

I had a quick look under the edges of the carpet lastnight with a torch and didn't see any movement...but I'll have a good look this afternoon.

I did have them in with only kitchen-roll tubes etc which they couldn't reach the roof, but got hold of some egg crate so put it two trays high (In the hope they'd go in the middle because I chucked all the bran that was on the tank floor due to mites, and now have it bare plastic)

I took one of the trays out when i cleaned em out the other day and replaced it with kitchen-roll tubes but they're still getting on the roof of the tank so i'll have to remove the egg crate altogether and just have the tubes because they really don't seem to like the egg crate much for some reason :S


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

Hmm...Well i emptied under my bed and had a good look everywhere, under the carpet, in the floorboard cracks, under the skirting, behind the radiator...and didn't find anything (Except part of a mealworm :s)
But yesterday when changing their food/gel I found a baby roach's skin...or atleast I think its just skin anyway...too small to tell for sure though.
Again I found parts of ootheca but when I lifted the eggcrate and had a look, there were no babies at all.

So im confuzzled.

I'm gonna finish escape-proofing their tank today (Good old dave's mesh) and have put a minnow-style trap next to the tank incase some did get loose.


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## Juzza12 (Jun 12, 2008)

If you're finding ootheca then they're being dropped by the female and would explain the lack of babies. I kept getting dropped ones, part of the reason I got rid of them as I've never had that problem with lobsters. The females could be dropping them through stress because they're being disturbed too much or through overcrowding. Get a storage tub and that will stop the escapees.


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## REDDEV1L (Nov 27, 2008)

:2wallbang:

Yup, it appears they're dropping them all the time....there's a dried out piece on the floor (Which wasn't there yesterday) and just as I was finishing putting the mesh over the tank, I noticed a fresh one on the egg crate.

There's about 40 in the tank so I don't think it's overcrowding...but can't see it being stress either (Well the one today probably was) but i only go near the tank max of twice a week to change veg and check food and water gel.

I've got them next to the radiator so is it possible the fluctuation in temp is causing them to freak out ??
I could move them away from the radiator so the temp is more constant but probaly lower.


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## Juzza12 (Jun 12, 2008)

Doesn't seem like it would be you disturbing them then, some people feed them every/every other day. Moving them is worth a go, are they on a heatmat?


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## jools (Apr 4, 2009)

I don't keep them so this is only a random thought. If you don't have any substrate for the babies to bury in could the adults be eating them?


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## madavies65 (Jan 21, 2009)

In general Dubia Roaches don't feed on their young, however in cases of dire low humidity they will prey on their young, but so long as there are aqua crystals in there or you need them fresh fruit or veg then they will get all their water from those.


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