# Dubia Roaches - How I keep mine =)



## Burpy

After seeing quite a few threads in this forum about how crickets keep escaping and annoying you, I thought I would try and convert all you cricket users to becoming roach breeders by showing you how I keep my Dubia colony, how easy it is and the benefits of roaches over those pesky crickets. 

This is how I do it and this may not be the right way for you. I will post links to where I got the stuff to set up, but do not recommend any of them. Where you get your kit from is up to you. 

Dubbies are a doddle to keep and breed and can save you a fortune on your live food bill as they are an excellent staple food for your lizard and you don't need to feed any other insect (though I do give mine treats of hoppers and morio and wax worms).

Other benefits include:

They do NOT stink, they cannot climb smooth surfaces, they are relatively slow, they do not make any noise and if they do escape they die quickly without a source of moisture and will not breed unless your house is super warm. Infestation is HIGHLY unlikely.

*The Tub, or Rotel (as my kids call it)*

OK, first things first, my tub to keep the dubies in. I use the Curver Tote bin. It's made from a very durable plastic/rubber, will not smash or crack if dropped and is easy to cut to make the roach enclosure. It's completely opaque so no need to worry about doing anything to keep the light out (roaches HATE light and need to be kept in the dark.)

I can only find them at larger DIY stores and got mine from Homebase.










Next I need to put some ventilation in the tub. One of the things I like about the Curver box, although expensive at around £18, is that the plastic is very soft and not brittle, so cutting the vent hole is easy with just a stanley knife. They also have a brilliant little depression in the lid where their logo is, and I just cut this out for the vent. The lid also locks with the handles so is very secure. 

Once I've cut my vent, I cover it with mesh. I use this stuff and am really pleased with it. You get loads and it's so easy to work with. Just stretch it over and hot glue gun both sides for a tidy finish. 










This is the bottom of the lid.










And this is the top. I like double sealing this way as I feel more secure, but it also looks quite tidy too, and hides and sharp bits left from the cutting out of the vent. 

So thats my tub done (takes like 10 minutes). Now lets look at the inside. 

*The interior*

Right, so now I get some packing tape (clear or brown, makes no difference, I use clear, looks better) and run a strip around the inside edge near the top of the tub. This is to make sure you get no climbers as they can't get over the tape. Although the adults or even med nymphs can't climb the tub anyway, the tiny little babies can just about make it by using the tiny lumps and bumps present in every "smooth" surface. The tape however stops them in their tracks.

Next you want to put in the egg crates. This is what the roaches live on, mate and have those all important babies! You can get them from a number of places. Ebay, but they are expensive; £4 for 10, you get better value from places like this but thats alot of egg crates. I get mine free from the butcher or the other day I got 20 for a quid from guy who sells eggs at the local market. Bargin!! The roaches do chew through them eventually, or they get very grubby, so your going to have to replace them every now and again. 

I hot glue gun them together in twos. This gives the roaches plenty of living space and I don't have to worry about the crates falling together and squashing my babies. In my tub I can get 3 sets of two in comfortably. I stand them upright so all the frass (roach poo) sheded skins and anything else falls to the bottom of the tub and is not festering with the roaches themselves.










After the three stacks go in, I place a single crate on the top to hold everything steady. 










You'll note there is NO substrate. Don't use one, it isn't required or even desired and will make cleaning impossible.

*Food and Drink*

These roaches need moisture A to drink and B to keep the humidity up to help them shed. I use water crystals. There is a guy here on the forums who sells them cheap :whistling2:. Just soak them for 24 hours so they swell up.

This provides both water and humidity without the risk of drowning and having to use soggy paper towel or cotton wool (yuck). Humidity needs to be around 50-60%. You can buy these or similar for about a fiver if you shop around to check your humidity.

For food, roaches need a mixed diet. I feed mine my own roach chow, which is 60% Texco own brand dried dog biscuit, 30% organic oatsand 9% Cheerios. The other 1% is calcium and Vits (nutribal) i mix in. All of this goes in the food processor and whizzed down to a course powder. Roaches love sweet stuff so the cheerios go down well. This mix provides all the protien and vits they need. I just top this up as and when needed.

I also provide fresh food every two days. Roaches love oranges and mine get these as a staple as they provide moisture and vits (they are also supposed to encourage breeding!!), but I also feed butternut squash, carrot, brocolli, cabbage leaves or any other produce bits I've got going spare. They munch the lot. I replace all the fresh stuff every two days and discard anything that isn't eated.

As you can see, I don't just chuck everything in. I like to keep my guys and gals as clean as possible. The little dishes I use are from Wilkos, and are about 40p. I think they are water holders for little plant pots. But they are ace roach food bowls. The only things that go in loose are the fresh veggies as you can see with the orange. 










It's also really important that you keep the food accessable for you. It's really not a good idea to keep disturbing your roaches as this will stress them and reduce productivity. Make sure you can change the food and water without disturbing the crates if you can.

*Heating*

This can be one of the problem areas people get stuck with. Roaches need to be kept at quite high temps to breed and grow well. You really need to be getting to high 20's low 30's for them to breed well.

I keep my Warm end (the top) at 32c and the cooler end (the bottom) about 27c. This is how I heat my tubs.

Firstly, you may have already gathered, I don't like things looking messy. Well I didn't want roach tubs lurking about everywhere either. So I bought a cheap kiddies wardrobe off of Ebay. This I have insulated using radiatorfoil I bought from Focus. I covered the top, bottom and back and used my trusty glue gun to stick it up (I am addicted to hot glue). The back because it's crappy thin hardboard. 

I then installed a middle shelf (I have two tubs, one for feeders and one for breeders) and an unbranded 75w ceramic heat emitter which was a bargin at only £6.99 from Fortex fitted into a ceramic holder at the top of the cupboard. My breeders are on the top shelf. 



















The ceramic heater is controlled by a komodo simple on/off stat. The probe is placed, with a thermometer, just under the top egg crate in the tub. I just notched out a little section right at the top above the packing tape so as to ensure no escapees. The cables have a little Vasaline rubbed on them to ensure the roaches do not do any tight rope walking across either.



















This keeps my breeder tub at the temps stated above, keeps the entire wardrobe at a balmy 27C (though my guage is saying 25, I have had the doors open for the photos) so my feeder tub is plenty warm enough meaning I a save alot of energy. Come winter, I may insulate the sides and doors too.










As you can see, when the doors are closed, it all looks very tidy and not out of place. 










I know alot of people use heat mats, either inside thier tubs, taped to the side or underneath, but this is a nice, cheap solution which has worked for me very well. 

*Roaches*

Here are a few pics of my current breeder colony as I was shaking them down today (taking out the babies for feeders). You'll see I have a newly shed male and a newly shed nymph. I currently have 85 females to about 20 males in my breeding tub, as well as a large number of larger nymphs to replace the breeders as they grow old and die. (from babies to adults is approx 6 months for these roaches, so they are quite slow growing)





































As i have said, I keep all my feeders in a seperate tub, I also house my excess males there too until I sell them on as feeders as they are too big for my own dragon at the moment. 
The only difference between my breeder tub and my feeder tub, is that I do not glue the crates together in my feeder tub, is I'm in there a couple of times a day to get roaches and it makes life easier getting the beggers into the cricket tub not having have the crates glued.

I bought most of my starter roached from people here on the forum as well as a few small starter colonies from sellers on ebay. I am getting about 400 to 500 babies a month at the moment, but alot of my females are only immature and the production rates should increase in the next couple of months. 

*Cleaning*

I empty the frass and skins out of my tubs every month when I do the shakedown, but put a little frass back in as they babies feed off it (yuck).

About every 4 months I'll strip everything down and wash the tub out, replace any egg crates that are very dirty or nibbled etc.

Apart from that, I do spot cleaning when I'm feeding them, removing dead bodies or shed skins as I see them. Simple!!

*The End!!*

Well I think thats it!! If you have any questions or comments please feel free. But as I've said, this is my way of keeping them, it may not be yours!

One thing I can tell you though, since starting my own colony, I havn't had a single escapee (that I've noticed anyhoo) NO chirruping, NO smell, NO canabalism and I reckon by next month, NO LIVE FOOD BILLS (apart from treats)

So if you've had enough of crickets, I can't recommend roaches enough. Give em a go, I can promise you and your lizard won't be disappointed :no1:


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## Burpy

Just to highlight the advantages of roaches over crickets, check out the two YouTube vids I've uploaded:

Here and here

Notice how they can't even climb out of the small plastic dish we use for feeding? And when would you let crickets out in your living room?! :gasp:

Enjoy!! :2thumb:


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## imginy

LoL at heating a whole cupboard to heat a box its a bit of an over kill ain't it, you are using 10 times the amount of electric needed there is massive gaps in the doors and everything. 
Even if you seal the doors then the roaches won't be getting enough air, people use heatmats for a reason they work this idea of yours is crazy :2thumb:

Looks to me like that cupboard would be a lot better suited to growing a curtain illegal plant :gasp:

Sorry if it sounds a bit harsh but its all true. :2thumb:


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## Catfud

Great guide Burpy, I've been thinking about breeding Dubias for some time so I'm always keen to see different peoples setups. It's nice to see lots of pictures and info backed up with links to the actual products you use.

I won't be heating mine in a wardrobe, but I do like how tidy it looks. Besides it really doesn't matter how you heat or store them, if they are healthy and breeding, you're doing something right.

:2thumb:


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## Hunders

I'll be getting my starter colony tomorrow and they will be going in a setup almost identical to yours. Mine has the same tub but I'll just be sticking a 17" x 11" heat mat on the side with no thermostat.

Looking forward to be able to feed exclusively off my colony and not having to buy crickets as it's costing me about £8 per week.


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## Burpy

Hunders said:


> I'll be getting my starter colony tomorrow and they will be going in a setup almost identical to yours. Mine has the same tub but I'll just be sticking a 17" x 11" heat mat on the side with no thermostat.


I tried that too, but I just couldn't get the temps stable. This way, I keep the heat in the wardrobe. The heater is on about 10 - 15 mins every hour to keep the temps. 

Let me know how it goes : victory:


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## Burpy

imginy said:


> LoL at heating a whole cupboard to heat a box its a bit of an over kill ain't it, you are using 10 times the amount of electric needed


Well it's heating TWO boxes. As for electric, no not really. The heater is on about 10 - 15 mins every hour to keep the temps, so I can't see how that is using more electric than two heat mats that are on 24/7.



> there is massive gaps in the doors and everything.
> Even if you seal the doors then the roaches won't be getting enough air


I'm not sure what your definition of "massive" is, but I do wonder if your partner has been telling you that this: <------> is six inches. :whistling2:

Yes there is a gap at the top of the doors, it's about 1cm and is there for ventilation.




> people use heatmats for a reason they work this idea of yours is crazy :2thumb:


Like I make clear, this is how I do it and I certainly won't criticise anyone else for doing different. People also used to think that the earth being round was crazy. 



> Looks to me like that cupboard would be a lot better suited to growing a curtain illegal plant :gasp:


Well I guess that speaks more to your frame of mind than anything :Na_Na_Na_Na:



> Sorry if it sounds a bit harsh but its all true. :2thumb:


It doesn't sound harsh, just downright rude. :welcome:


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## tang soo do

Crackin guide :2thumb:


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## madmully

Well Done Nice Guide, Nice to see some people taking time to show their personal way of doing things, everyone has their own personal opinion however good or bad, all i can say is at least you took the time to show your way that works for you, Nice One.


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## Tehanu

http://www.reptileforums.co.uk/foru...careguides-black-crix-silent.html#post3115526

:2thumb:


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## imginy

I could show you quite a few points where you could improve things, but going on this post and all your others you obviously don't like being told that any thing you do is wrong.


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## Juzza12

imginy said:


> I could show you quite a few points where you could improve things, but going on this post and all your others you obviously don't like being told that any thing you do is wrong.


Perhaps it's the way that he's being told that he doesn't like. When i read your first comments here it was obvious that it was a bit of spill over from the other roach thread where you 2 were arguing. There's nothing wrong with stating your opinion, but there's no need to be rude about it as you were, especially in the first thread.


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## Tehanu

Juzza12 said:


> Perhaps it's the way that he's being told that he doesn't like. When i read your first comments here it was obvious that it was a bit of spill over from the other roach thread where you 2 were arguing. There's nothing wrong with stating your opinion, but there's no need to be rude about it as you were, especially in the first thread.


Obviously wants to be queen of the roach guides! Too bad mines been up there stickied for over a year already... *runs and hides* :flrt:


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## imginy

Juzza12 said:


> Perhaps it's the way that he's being told that he doesn't like. When i read your first comments here it was obvious that it was a bit of spill over from the other roach thread where you 2 were arguing. There's nothing wrong with stating your opinion, but there's no need to be rude about it as you were, especially in the first thread.


 The first thread I simply stated that using second hand egg crates wasn't the best of ideas they could contain germs, then this guy went off on one with post after post saying how I was trying to scare people and thats why he didn't get the nicest approach this time. 


Saedcantas said:


> Obviously wants to be queen of the roach guides! Too bad mines been up there stickied for over a year already... *runs and hides* :flrt:


I know my guide is not perfect and yours is obviously a more professional guide worthy of a sticky, I simply put mine up because there had been so many questions asked about roach breeding recently and thought it be easier for me to write down every thing I know then just link people to it, also when I get my bearded dragon website I want to include a roach breeding guide. But if you can't see the problem with this guy then what ever, but he is sat there arguing that is is easier to heat a whole cupboard than a little box and used egg crates are just as good as new ones. Maybe if you think his guide is that great you could adjust yours to include heating a cupboard and to getting your egg crates used from your local butchers : victory:


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## mrhoyo

The cupboard could help to keep some of the stench contained. I don't know about dubia but the turks I have can pong a bit. I think it's because they hide their food.
Not sure whether I'd prefer to heat the whole thing or use heat mats- if it worked out cheaper I'd do either. I suppose the cupboard would be very useful and cheap to heat if it had other livefoods in too. More boxes = more efficient heating.


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## Infernalis

I for one like the information, the presentation was well thought out and even though I have been breeding Dubia for over 2 years, I learned a couple things.

Cheers!

I too do things a little different than others, Diversity makes the world go round.


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## Burpy

Saedcantas said:


> Obviously wants to be queen of the roach guides! Too bad mines been up there stickied for over a year already... *runs and hides* :flrt:


and this is why we all bow down to you :notworthy::notworthy::notworthy::notworthy:

:lol2:


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## Burpy

Hey Folks!!

Time for an update!

First of all, thanks everyone for the supportive comments. Muchos Gratias :2thumb:

Right, after burning my fingers several times on the cermic heater it's had to go onto stand by mode!! I've now set it to keep the cupboard at 20c. My house is all electric heating, and I want production to stay at the max even in the winter!! With the wife going to work again soon, don't want to be paying for heating the whole room when no ones in!

Main heating is now provided by heat mats placed under the tubs, left on 24/7 no stats, but with thermostats in that record max/min temps so I can keep an eye on things. Bought the mats off of guys and gals here in the forum for good prices. You know who you are  Cheers. :2thumb:

With the cupboard at a constant 20C (ceramic heater is on very little at the moment, hardly ever at the moment as the house is still quite warm) I'm getting temps of around 38c right at the bottom of my tubs, through to about 27c at the top. 

I've hot glued (see, told you I was adicted!!) a multi plug extension to the inside of the cupboard to keep everything nice and neat (ok, I know I may have a case of OCD  )

I'm really happy with this setup now, as my roaches seem quite happy to be all over the tub, instead of congregating at the hotspots. They are getting through the food quicker and moulting / growing quicker. 

Production is going well, with over 600 babies this months. I've ordered more females though as my BD is nailing the babies quicker than I'm breeding them at the moment :gasp:

So there you have it!!

Cheers :cheers:


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## Burpy

So another quick update.

I've stopped feeding the babies now as my BD just keeps eating them like mad. 

I'm growing them all on at the moment and have been for the last month or so. It's amazing how quick they get through their first moult. Think I'm gonna give them another 2 months before I start feeding them again.

As my little fella is getting bigger I have been feeding off my excess males to him. WOW they go with a crunch!! :mf_dribble:

Well, thats it for now. Will get some more pics up when I have time as I'm still working on new viv (pics to follow in habitat section). :2thumb:


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## Phil3822

Just wanted to comment on a great guide. Worth looking at various ways of working things. I'm about to start my own colony so great seeing some variation.


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## madavies65

I am in the process of building my own version of this for my boxes and boxes of tubs... and about ready to place the heat mats in now. I notice you have yours resting on the silver insulation, does the heat mat not melt this?

Mine will be 4 tubs high and 2 across, insulated inside on a duel thermostat... there will be 8 heat mats in mine.


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## Burpy

madavies65 said:


> I am in the process of building my own version of this for my boxes and boxes of tubs... and about ready to place the heat mats in now. I notice you have yours resting on the silver insulation, does the heat mat not melt this?
> 
> Mine will be 4 tubs high and 2 across, insulated inside on a duel thermostat... there will be 8 heat mats in mine.


Hey Bud, 

No, the mat does not get anywhere near hot enought to melt the insulation. The stuff I have used in the radiator stuff, it's like shiney bubble wrap with really large bubbles!! Works a treat! :2thumb:

Must admit that the set up is working great even though I do say so myself. Becasue of the constant 23-25c background temp provided by the ceramic heater controled by the stat, the heat in the tubs stay constant, which means I've not had a slow down in production of babies, even when the house has been freezing!! And I don't care what anyone else on here says, heating the inside of my insulated cupboard cannot be more expensive than heating the whole bloomin house when no one is in.

Post some pics, I'm interested to see what you've done!

regards


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## madavies65

I can tell putting them in a cupboard with insulation adn on a thermostat will end up saving money, as at the moment as soon as I walk into the roach room :2thumb: its boiling hot, so if I can contain the heat in a smaller area it will save money,

If you have one or two tubs it will take longer to heat a area up though the principal is the same I think... I have been taking a few pics as I have been going on but will put them all on when I am finished (this weekend hopefully!)

So far only one electrocution during installation!


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## madavies65

Ok I have noew completed the set-up for the roach apartment:2thumb:

I used a sliding wardrobe, shelves and draws to fit 8 Roach Hotels... There are 8 heat mats in there, insulated with foil and controlled by a duel thermostat set to 30 degrees c...

I am awaiting a wireless thermometer so I can record the results accurately inside one of the tubs.


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## chalky76

Can you not just drill holes in the lid with say a 3mm drill bit or do you need to use the mesh?


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## xxx-dztini-xxx

great guides
im just wondering, i have mine on top of my pythons viv-he has a heater on the top of his viv which heats through nice and hot, is it enough to just heat the bottom of my roach rub?


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## chalky76

Ok so it seems the Curver Tote bins have been discontinued. What else do people use? I can only find clear RUBs which I can paint but thought it would be easiest to ask if there was an alternative.


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## mrhoyo

My new roach tub is a contico crocodile lid box from The Range. Opaque plastic and 50l with good dimensions.

Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


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## madavies65

chalky76 said:


> Can you not just drill holes in the lid with say a 3mm drill bit or do you need to use the mesh?


Whatever works for you really... Mine just make sure I dont get any condensation in there...

As to the totes, I can still get hold of them though range do have some opaque red tubs (pretty big!)


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## MrTall

Fantastic guide and insight into how you've got it set up 

I've got the inside insulated using radiator foil, though there's space only for the one tub. Have one heat mat (12w) under the tub and a 7w on the back of it. Both on thermostat. First night running the setup and going smooth so far. Nowhere near as neat as yours though 



chalky76 said:


> Ok so it seems the Curver Tote bins have been discontinued. What else do people use? I can only find clear RUBs which I can paint but thought it would be easiest to ask if there was an alternative.


I think it's just the old link - went into my local Homebase last week and they had loads still.

Also on the site still saying available: Multipurpose Tote - Graphite at Homebase


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## chalky76

MrTall said:


> Fantastic guide and insight into how you've got it set up
> 
> I've got the inside insulated using radiator foil, though there's space only for the one tub. Have one heat mat (12w) under the tub and a 7w on the back of it. Both on thermostat. First night running the setup and going smooth so far. Nowhere near as neat as yours though
> 
> 
> 
> I think it's just the old link - went into my local Homebase last week and they had loads still.
> 
> Also on the site still saying available: Multipurpose Tote - Graphite at Homebase


 
Doh and I just brought myself a Black RUB from Argos :blush:!!!!:censor:


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## _TiMiSdRuNk_

Saedcantas said:


> Obviously wants to be queen of the roach guides! Too bad mines been up there stickied for over a year already... *runs and hides* :flrt:


But yours was probably stickied because you were a mod, and also an attractive female. I've read yours and it's very good, but it's done on a very large zoo kinda scale. 

I'm in the need to know how to breed bits and bobs at home. So this isn't to bad although i feel heating a cupboard is a little to much, but it's upto him how he keeps his colonys warm. He's paying his heating bills etc.


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## Tehanu

I breed em exactly the same way at home


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## _TiMiSdRuNk_

Saedcantas said:


> I breed em exactly the same way at home



You must have a massive house then! Roaches i can understand as i breed roaches, mealworms, bean weavils and i've just started a wax worm colony, but crickets have me beat.... I get them to breed and egg lay, but rearing the young isn't easy.


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## madavies65

having looked at her breeding of roaches, i cannot see why it cannot be implemented at home either. The scale shown is about average from my experience.


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## mrhoyo

madavies65 said:


> having looked at her breeding of roaches, i cannot see why it cannot be implemented at home either. The scale shown is about average from my experience.


Smaller than how I used to do mine!


Sent from my HTC Desire using Tapatalk


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## Burpy

madavies65 said:


> Ok I have noew completed the set-up for the roach apartment:2thumb:
> 
> I used a sliding wardrobe, shelves and draws to fit 8 Roach Hotels... There are 8 heat mats in there, insulated with foil and controlled by a duel thermostat set to 30 degrees c...
> 
> I am awaiting a wireless thermometer so I can record the results accurately inside one of the tubs.
> 
> [URL=http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/5631/img20110120192437.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4180/img20110123154753.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8149/img20110123202047.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2081/img20110123202059.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/6894/img20110123202108.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/7788/img20110123202134.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/6743/img20110123202149.th.jpg]image[/URL]


Hey, thats a sweet set up. Sorry I've not responded sooner, been mega busy at work, lost both comps and had to upgrade etc etc!!

So you've had em up and running about a months now. How are the going? You saving on your electric bills yet? 

I have plenty of airspace around my tubs in the roach cupboard. Yours look a lot more tightly packed in there. How are you getting on with air circulation? Are you getting any condensation problems?

Get back to me when you get time.


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## Burpy

madavies65 said:


> Ok I have noew completed the set-up for the roach apartment:2thumb:
> 
> I used a sliding wardrobe, shelves and draws to fit 8 Roach Hotels... There are 8 heat mats in there, insulated with foil and controlled by a duel thermostat set to 30 degrees c...
> 
> I am awaiting a wireless thermometer so I can record the results accurately inside one of the tubs.
> 
> [URL=http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/5631/img20110120192437.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img214.imageshack.us/img214/4180/img20110123154753.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img52.imageshack.us/img52/8149/img20110123202047.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img225.imageshack.us/img225/2081/img20110123202059.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img200.imageshack.us/img200/6894/img20110123202108.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img141.imageshack.us/img141/7788/img20110123202134.th.jpg]image[/URL]
> [URL=http://img714.imageshack.us/img714/6743/img20110123202149.th.jpg]image[/URL]


Just noticed in the 6th Picture down, is that a Hot Glue string I see on the side of your wardrobe? You're gonna start getting hot glue gun fetish like me!! I can't stop using the thing!! :lol2:


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## madavies65

Burpy said:


> Just noticed in the 6th Picture down, is that a Hot Glue string I see on the side of your wardrobe? You're gonna start getting hot glue gun fetish like me!! I can't stop using the thing!! :lol2:


haha I did gluegun the crap out of it when I stuck the insulation inside! Though one scar later i have a little respect for it now 

A month down the line everything seems to be going well, for the amount of tubs I have it definitely regulates the heat better. The mats are almost always on the off position when I check them so thats a good thing!

No condensation in any of the tubs at the moment, each side has its own separate thermostat too so that helps with controlling heat variations.

How unlucky are you with computers! lost and broken!? eek


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## Burpy

madavies65 said:


> How unlucky are you with computers! lost and broken!? eek


Well when I said lost I meant not working!! Still, they are all upgraded and functioning well again now Hooray!!

I'm not surprised the mats are normally off. I've found that by keeping the background time in the cupboard a constant 25C my mats are not struggling to maintain the temps when the rest of the house is cold. And because the cupboard is well insulated, the ceramic heater is not on much either. 

I guess it's like a reverse fridge. You don't chill down the whole room to keep your milk fresh do you? No, you do the sensible thing and by a fridge and chill down a smaller, insulated space. It's the same principle.

Well let me know if you notice any difference in your baby rate. My has been pretty constant, which I'm putting down to the Dubie Cupboard.

Andy


----------



## Burpy

madavies65 said:


> haha I did gluegun the crap out of it when I stuck the insulation inside! Though one scar later i have a little respect for it now
> 
> A month down the line everything seems to be going well, for the amount of tubs I have it definitely regulates the heat better. The mats are almost always on the off position when I check them so thats a good thing!
> 
> No condensation in any of the tubs at the moment, each side has its own separate thermostat too so that helps with controlling heat variations.
> 
> How unlucky are you with computers! lost and broken!? eek


How's the roach apartments working out?


----------



## madavies65

Burpy said:


> How's the roach apartments working out?


Not bad thanks... I have noticed that the mats are hardly ever on, and there is far less chance of condensation in these tubs than ones outside the cabinets.

This is due to the constant temps I think. On a side note the domino roaches love the dark in there too, I can place them in plastic clear tubs without issues of light.:mf_dribble:


----------



## Burpy

madavies65 said:


> Not bad thanks... I have noticed that the mats are hardly ever on, and there is far less chance of condensation in these tubs than ones outside the cabinets.
> 
> This is due to the constant temps I think. On a side note the domino roaches love the dark in there too, I can place them in plastic clear tubs without issues of light.:mf_dribble:


Domino Roaches?? Will have to Google them as I've never heard of them!


----------



## The Roach Hut

my site in signature will provide all the info to breed roaches take a look


----------



## Burpy

FireDragon said:


> my site in signature will provide all the info to breed roaches take a look


Isn't this just spam? Lol!!


----------



## Bensreptiles1

nice setup


----------



## The Roach Hut

Not spam but people seem to intent on arguing here rather than all just getting along. after all we are one community and people do things differently each has their own prefered way. all u can do is offer the advice and let those who want to use it, use it. The reason i tell people to go to my site is that there is caresheets and over 10 videos on setups and so forth, its easier for them to get the answers to their questions than for me to be writing here answering question after question. i have no issues doing that though just ask many ppl here they will agree with you. for example popitgoes has been emailing me for a couple of weeks and we spend hours passing advice back and forth. thats what communities do. we all love reps of one sort or another thats why we are here, dont understand the biccering. its not all about money guys. yes i sell roaches on my site as i do here, ebay,youtube, twitter,facebook and many many other forums. but its not just about money, we try to help ppl gain knowledge whether they want to buy from us or not. we have never had a penny from popitgoes but proberbly has asked us over 150 questions and he be the first to tell you that. we dont mind if we can help. thats why we spent the time making the videos to help ppl. 

Ppl can say what they like about prices we offer or undercut others thats business and maybe not everyone will like that, infact there is someone here in this thread who undercut us on ebay the other day, thats just good business sense offer the same cheaper is the way its been done for generations and i dont have an issue with them for wanting to earn money. 

where we stand out is there is a after sales and knowledge section for our customers or anyone who wants to learn. what we do works we bred half a million dubia so far this year. 

all im saying here is that it dont matter how u do it if it works for them it works and there is no need to be arguing with each other, just appreciate the advice and use what u want out of it. just acuse someone does something dif to you dont mean its wrong. 

Things are only wrong until proven right, and if its proven its right

Tony


----------



## SnoopyLeoGecko2011

Burpy said:


> After seeing quite a few threads in this forum about how crickets keep escaping and annoying you, I thought I would try and convert all you cricket users to becoming roach breeders by showing you how I keep my Dubia colony, how easy it is and the benefits of roaches over those pesky crickets.
> 
> This is how I do it and this may not be the right way for you. I will post links to where I got the stuff to set up, but do not recommend any of them. Where you get your kit from is up to you.
> 
> Dubbies are a doddle to keep and breed and can save you a fortune on your live food bill as they are an excellent staple food for your lizard and you don't need to feed any other insect (though I do give mine treats of hoppers and morio and wax worms).
> 
> Other benefits include:
> 
> They do NOT stink, they cannot climb smooth surfaces, they are relatively slow, they do not make any noise and if they do escape they die quickly without a source of moisture and will not breed unless your house is super warm. Infestation is HIGHLY unlikely.
> 
> *The Tub, or Rotel (as my kids call it)*
> 
> OK, first things first, my tub to keep the dubies in. I use the Curver Tote bin. It's made from a very durable plastic/rubber, will not smash or crack if dropped and is easy to cut to make the roach enclosure. It's completely opaque so no need to worry about doing anything to keep the light out (roaches HATE light and need to be kept in the dark.)
> 
> I can only find them at larger DIY stores and got mine from Homebase.
> 
> image
> 
> Next I need to put some ventilation in the tub. One of the things I like about the Curver box, although expensive at around £18, is that the plastic is very soft and not brittle, so cutting the vent hole is easy with just a stanley knife. They also have a brilliant little depression in the lid where their logo is, and I just cut this out for the vent. The lid also locks with the handles so is very secure.
> 
> Once I've cut my vent, I cover it with mesh. I use this stuff and am really pleased with it. You get loads and it's so easy to work with. Just stretch it over and hot glue gun both sides for a tidy finish.
> 
> image
> 
> This is the bottom of the lid.
> 
> image
> 
> And this is the top. I like double sealing this way as I feel more secure, but it also looks quite tidy too, and hides and sharp bits left from the cutting out of the vent.
> 
> So thats my tub done (takes like 10 minutes). Now lets look at the inside.
> 
> *The interior*
> 
> Right, so now I get some packing tape (clear or brown, makes no difference, I use clear, looks better) and run a strip around the inside edge near the top of the tub. This is to make sure you get no climbers as they can't get over the tape. Although the adults or even med nymphs can't climb the tub anyway, the tiny little babies can just about make it by using the tiny lumps and bumps present in every "smooth" surface. The tape however stops them in their tracks.
> 
> Next you want to put in the egg crates. This is what the roaches live on, mate and have those all important babies! You can get them from a number of places. Ebay, but they are expensive; £4 for 10, you get better value from places like this but thats alot of egg crates. I get mine free from the butcher or the other day I got 20 for a quid from guy who sells eggs at the local market. Bargin!! The roaches do chew through them eventually, or they get very grubby, so your going to have to replace them every now and again.
> 
> I hot glue gun them together in twos. This gives the roaches plenty of living space and I don't have to worry about the crates falling together and squashing my babies. In my tub I can get 3 sets of two in comfortably. I stand them upright so all the frass (roach poo) sheded skins and anything else falls to the bottom of the tub and is not festering with the roaches themselves.
> 
> image
> 
> After the three stacks go in, I place a single crate on the top to hold everything steady.
> 
> image
> 
> You'll note there is NO substrate. Don't use one, it isn't required or even desired and will make cleaning impossible.
> 
> *Food and Drink*
> 
> These roaches need moisture A to drink and B to keep the humidity up to help them shed. I use water crystals. There is a guy here on the forums who sells them cheap :whistling2:. Just soak them for 24 hours so they swell up.
> 
> This provides both water and humidity without the risk of drowning and having to use soggy paper towel or cotton wool (yuck). Humidity needs to be around 50-60%. You can buy these or similar for about a fiver if you shop around to check your humidity.
> 
> For food, roaches need a mixed diet. I feed mine my own roach chow, which is 60% Texco own brand dried dog biscuit, 30% organic oatsand 9% Cheerios. The other 1% is calcium and Vits (nutribal) i mix in. All of this goes in the food processor and whizzed down to a course powder. Roaches love sweet stuff so the cheerios go down well. This mix provides all the protien and vits they need. I just top this up as and when needed.
> 
> I also provide fresh food every two days. Roaches love oranges and mine get these as a staple as they provide moisture and vits (they are also supposed to encourage breeding!!), but I also feed butternut squash, carrot, brocolli, cabbage leaves or any other produce bits I've got going spare. They munch the lot. I replace all the fresh stuff every two days and discard anything that isn't eated.
> 
> As you can see, I don't just chuck everything in. I like to keep my guys and gals as clean as possible. The little dishes I use are from Wilkos, and are about 40p. I think they are water holders for little plant pots. But they are ace roach food bowls. The only things that go in loose are the fresh veggies as you can see with the orange.
> 
> image
> 
> It's also really important that you keep the food accessable for you. It's really not a good idea to keep disturbing your roaches as this will stress them and reduce productivity. Make sure you can change the food and water without disturbing the crates if you can.
> 
> *Heating*
> 
> This can be one of the problem areas people get stuck with. Roaches need to be kept at quite high temps to breed and grow well. You really need to be getting to high 20's low 30's for them to breed well.
> 
> I keep my Warm end (the top) at 32c and the cooler end (the bottom) about 27c. This is how I heat my tubs.
> 
> Firstly, you may have already gathered, I don't like things looking messy. Well I didn't want roach tubs lurking about everywhere either. So I bought a cheap kiddies wardrobe off of Ebay. This I have insulated using radiatorfoil I bought from Focus. I covered the top, bottom and back and used my trusty glue gun to stick it up (I am addicted to hot glue). The back because it's crappy thin hardboard.
> 
> I then installed a middle shelf (I have two tubs, one for feeders and one for breeders) and an unbranded 75w ceramic heat emitter which was a bargin at only £6.99 from Fortex fitted into a ceramic holder at the top of the cupboard. My breeders are on the top shelf.
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> The ceramic heater is controlled by a komodo simple on/off stat. The probe is placed, with a thermometer, just under the top egg crate in the tub. I just notched out a little section right at the top above the packing tape so as to ensure no escapees. The cables have a little Vasaline rubbed on them to ensure the roaches do not do any tight rope walking across either.
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> This keeps my breeder tub at the temps stated above, keeps the entire wardrobe at a balmy 27C (though my guage is saying 25, I have had the doors open for the photos) so my feeder tub is plenty warm enough meaning I a save alot of energy. Come winter, I may insulate the sides and doors too.
> 
> image
> 
> As you can see, when the doors are closed, it all looks very tidy and not out of place.
> 
> image
> 
> I know alot of people use heat mats, either inside thier tubs, taped to the side or underneath, but this is a nice, cheap solution which has worked for me very well.
> 
> *Roaches*
> 
> Here are a few pics of my current breeder colony as I was shaking them down today (taking out the babies for feeders). You'll see I have a newly shed male and a newly shed nymph. I currently have 85 females to about 20 males in my breeding tub, as well as a large number of larger nymphs to replace the breeders as they grow old and die. (from babies to adults is approx 6 months for these roaches, so they are quite slow growing)
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> image
> 
> As i have said, I keep all my feeders in a seperate tub, I also house my excess males there too until I sell them on as feeders as they are too big for my own dragon at the moment.
> The only difference between my breeder tub and my feeder tub, is that I do not glue the crates together in my feeder tub, is I'm in there a couple of times a day to get roaches and it makes life easier getting the beggers into the cricket tub not having have the crates glued.
> 
> I bought most of my starter roached from people here on the forum as well as a few small starter colonies from sellers on ebay. I am getting about 400 to 500 babies a month at the moment, but alot of my females are only immature and the production rates should increase in the next couple of months.
> 
> *Cleaning*
> 
> I empty the frass and skins out of my tubs every month when I do the shakedown, but put a little frass back in as they babies feed off it (yuck).
> 
> About every 4 months I'll strip everything down and wash the tub out, replace any egg crates that are very dirty or nibbled etc.
> 
> Apart from that, I do spot cleaning when I'm feeding them, removing dead bodies or shed skins as I see them. Simple!!
> 
> *The End!!*
> 
> Well I think thats it!! If you have any questions or comments please feel free. But as I've said, this is my way of keeping them, it may not be yours!
> 
> One thing I can tell you though, since starting my own colony, I havn't had a single escapee (that I've noticed anyhoo) NO chirruping, NO smell, NO canabalism and I reckon by next month, NO LIVE FOOD BILLS (apart from treats)
> 
> So if you've had enough of crickets, I can't recommend roaches enough. Give em a go, I can promise you and your lizard won't be disappointed :no1:


Thank you ever so much for this brilliant post! Very helpful indeed, I shall be sure to look into doing this myself. :no1:


----------



## ReggieRaven

Burpy said:


> After seeing quite a few threads in this forum about how crickets keep escaping and annoying you, I thought I would try and convert all you cricket users to becoming roach breeders by showing you how I keep my Dubia colony, how easy it is and the benefits of roaches over those pesky crickets.
> 
> This is how I do it and this may not be the right way for you. I will post links to where I got the stuff to set up, but do not recommend any of them. Where you get your kit from is up to you.
> 
> Dubbies are a doddle to keep and breed and can save you a fortune on your live food bill as they are an excellent staple food for your lizard and you don't need to feed any other insect (though I do give mine treats of hoppers and morio and wax worms).
> 
> Other benefits include:
> 
> They do NOT stink, they cannot climb smooth surfaces, they are relatively slow, they do not make any noise and if they do escape they die quickly without a source of moisture and will not breed unless your house is super warm. Infestation is HIGHLY unlikely.
> 
> *The Tub, or Rotel (as my kids call it)*
> 
> OK, first things first, my tub to keep the dubies in. I use the Curver Tote bin. It's made from a very durable plastic/rubber, will not smash or crack if dropped and is easy to cut to make the roach enclosure. It's completely opaque so no need to worry about doing anything to keep the light out (roaches HATE light and need to be kept in the dark.)
> 
> I can only find them at larger DIY stores and got mine from Homebase.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Next I need to put some ventilation in the tub. One of the things I like about the Curver box, although expensive at around £18, is that the plastic is very soft and not brittle, so cutting the vent hole is easy with just a stanley knife. They also have a brilliant little depression in the lid where their logo is, and I just cut this out for the vent. The lid also locks with the handles so is very secure.
> 
> Once I've cut my vent, I cover it with mesh. I use this stuff and am really pleased with it. You get loads and it's so easy to work with. Just stretch it over and hot glue gun both sides for a tidy finish.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This is the bottom of the lid.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> And this is the top. I like double sealing this way as I feel more secure, but it also looks quite tidy too, and hides and sharp bits left from the cutting out of the vent.
> 
> So thats my tub done (takes like 10 minutes). Now lets look at the inside.
> 
> *The interior*
> 
> Right, so now I get some packing tape (clear or brown, makes no difference, I use clear, looks better) and run a strip around the inside edge near the top of the tub. This is to make sure you get no climbers as they can't get over the tape. Although the adults or even med nymphs can't climb the tub anyway, the tiny little babies can just about make it by using the tiny lumps and bumps present in every "smooth" surface. The tape however stops them in their tracks.
> 
> Next you want to put in the egg crates. This is what the roaches live on, mate and have those all important babies! You can get them from a number of places. Ebay, but they are expensive; £4 for 10, you get better value from places like this but thats alot of egg crates. I get mine free from the butcher or the other day I got 20 for a quid from guy who sells eggs at the local market. Bargin!! The roaches do chew through them eventually, or they get very grubby, so your going to have to replace them every now and again.
> 
> I hot glue gun them together in twos. This gives the roaches plenty of living space and I don't have to worry about the crates falling together and squashing my babies. In my tub I can get 3 sets of two in comfortably. I stand them upright so all the frass (roach poo) sheded skins and anything else falls to the bottom of the tub and is not festering with the roaches themselves.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> After the three stacks go in, I place a single crate on the top to hold everything steady.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> You'll note there is NO substrate. Don't use one, it isn't required or even desired and will make cleaning impossible.
> 
> *Food and Drink*
> 
> These roaches need moisture A to drink and B to keep the humidity up to help them shed. I use water crystals. There is a guy here on the forums who sells them cheap :whistling2:. Just soak them for 24 hours so they swell up.
> 
> This provides both water and humidity without the risk of drowning and having to use soggy paper towel or cotton wool (yuck). Humidity needs to be around 50-60%. You can buy these or similar for about a fiver if you shop around to check your humidity.
> 
> For food, roaches need a mixed diet. I feed mine my own roach chow, which is 60% Texco own brand dried dog biscuit, 30% organic oatsand 9% Cheerios. The other 1% is calcium and Vits (nutribal) i mix in. All of this goes in the food processor and whizzed down to a course powder. Roaches love sweet stuff so the cheerios go down well. This mix provides all the protien and vits they need. I just top this up as and when needed.
> 
> I also provide fresh food every two days. Roaches love oranges and mine get these as a staple as they provide moisture and vits (they are also supposed to encourage breeding!!), but I also feed butternut squash, carrot, brocolli, cabbage leaves or any other produce bits I've got going spare. They munch the lot. I replace all the fresh stuff every two days and discard anything that isn't eated.
> 
> As you can see, I don't just chuck everything in. I like to keep my guys and gals as clean as possible. The little dishes I use are from Wilkos, and are about 40p. I think they are water holders for little plant pots. But they are ace roach food bowls. The only things that go in loose are the fresh veggies as you can see with the orange.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> It's also really important that you keep the food accessable for you. It's really not a good idea to keep disturbing your roaches as this will stress them and reduce productivity. Make sure you can change the food and water without disturbing the crates if you can.
> 
> *Heating*
> 
> This can be one of the problem areas people get stuck with. Roaches need to be kept at quite high temps to breed and grow well. You really need to be getting to high 20's low 30's for them to breed well.
> 
> I keep my Warm end (the top) at 32c and the cooler end (the bottom) about 27c. This is how I heat my tubs.
> 
> Firstly, you may have already gathered, I don't like things looking messy. Well I didn't want roach tubs lurking about everywhere either. So I bought a cheap kiddies wardrobe off of Ebay. This I have insulated using radiatorfoil I bought from Focus. I covered the top, bottom and back and used my trusty glue gun to stick it up (I am addicted to hot glue). The back because it's crappy thin hardboard.
> 
> I then installed a middle shelf (I have two tubs, one for feeders and one for breeders) and an unbranded 75w ceramic heat emitter which was a bargin at only £6.99 from Fortex fitted into a ceramic holder at the top of the cupboard. My breeders are on the top shelf.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The ceramic heater is controlled by a komodo simple on/off stat. The probe is placed, with a thermometer, just under the top egg crate in the tub. I just notched out a little section right at the top above the packing tape so as to ensure no escapees. The cables have a little Vasaline rubbed on them to ensure the roaches do not do any tight rope walking across either.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> This keeps my breeder tub at the temps stated above, keeps the entire wardrobe at a balmy 27C (though my guage is saying 25, I have had the doors open for the photos) so my feeder tub is plenty warm enough meaning I a save alot of energy. Come winter, I may insulate the sides and doors too.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As you can see, when the doors are closed, it all looks very tidy and not out of place.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I know alot of people use heat mats, either inside thier tubs, taped to the side or underneath, but this is a nice, cheap solution which has worked for me very well.
> 
> *Roaches*
> 
> Here are a few pics of my current breeder colony as I was shaking them down today (taking out the babies for feeders). You'll see I have a newly shed male and a newly shed nymph. I currently have 85 females to about 20 males in my breeding tub, as well as a large number of larger nymphs to replace the breeders as they grow old and die. (from babies to adults is approx 6 months for these roaches, so they are quite slow growing)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As i have said, I keep all my feeders in a seperate tub, I also house my excess males there too until I sell them on as feeders as they are too big for my own dragon at the moment.
> The only difference between my breeder tub and my feeder tub, is that I do not glue the crates together in my feeder tub, is I'm in there a couple of times a day to get roaches and it makes life easier getting the beggers into the cricket tub not having have the crates glued.
> 
> I bought most of my starter roached from people here on the forum as well as a few small starter colonies from sellers on ebay. I am getting about 400 to 500 babies a month at the moment, but alot of my females are only immature and the production rates should increase in the next couple of months.
> 
> *Cleaning*
> 
> I empty the frass and skins out of my tubs every month when I do the shakedown, but put a little frass back in as they babies feed off it (yuck).
> 
> About every 4 months I'll strip everything down and wash the tub out, replace any egg crates that are very dirty or nibbled etc.
> 
> Apart from that, I do spot cleaning when I'm feeding them, removing dead bodies or shed skins as I see them. Simple!!
> 
> *The End!!*
> 
> Well I think thats it!! If you have any questions or comments please feel free. But as I've said, this is my way of keeping them, it may not be yours!
> 
> One thing I can tell you though, since starting my own colony, I havn't had a single escapee (that I've noticed anyhoo) NO chirruping, NO smell, NO canabalism and I reckon by next month, NO LIVE FOOD BILLS (apart from treats)
> 
> So if you've had enough of crickets, I can't recommend roaches enough. Give em a go, I can promise you and your lizard won't be disappointed :no1:


I know this is old now, but I've just come across this and wanna say thanks, it's super helpful and I'll be starting a colony shortly. It's threads like this that really help, although the odd negative keyboard warrior twat is always annoying!
Thanks ever so much


----------



## M1chelle

This helped me, I set up my colony late last year...I haven't used them much as I've been trying to get them to breed before I use them. Will be from this week.

Mine have bred well and I look forward to not needing to buy insects all the time.

Mine aren't fed all the same food, but that is purely because my dubias are going to be fed to crested geckos and I'm not sure those foods are suitable for cresties.


----------

