# Dubia roaches do i need new blood line?



## theboyw (Jul 21, 2009)

Does anyone Know if you need to add a new bloodline of roaches to an established colony of roaches?


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## Pyrite (Oct 13, 2012)

I have been thinking of this as well lately.

I have had dubias now for 7months. Even though they gave birth to approx 700 I suffered some deaths, mostly males and a few bad molts from carelessness.


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## Tiliqua (Dec 6, 2008)

In my view, yes. I find that my colony always surges after adding new blood, and goes off the boil after maybe a year...

Mark.


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## ExoticInsectsUK (Nov 15, 2008)

Just look at the adults if there small or deformed then yes. If there not producing many nymphs then add more.
I add new lines every 6 months:2thumb:


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

I have a healthy colony of dubia that breed like crazy, and were started with around 300 original roaches. Generally in animal biology I have heard it said you need about 100 or more of each species to maintain enough genetic diversity. I have never seen any signs of inbreeding depression. 

Considering the health problems (viruses, bacterial infections) that have been seen in the livefood industry with several species of cricket and morio worms, I would never dream of adding new stock to mine. I can't see the point of taking the risk.


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## ExoticInsectsUK (Nov 15, 2008)

There's no risk people have been doing it for years.
I take it the 100 all need to be from different female roaches of different blood lines as 100 roaches could be from just 3 females.
I think most people buy extra adults when needed to boost production or even if they need extra as they used to many as feeders.
I have lots of colonys of dubias & I mix adults as needed and have never had a issue. In fact I now have a very light dubia colony which are white/yellow from mixing some imported from the USA which I mixed with one of my oldest colonys and now also a gold dubia colony. I have been told of someone that has a green dubia colony in Germany. Like Geckos & royals insects can have different morphs by mixing the blood line.

I think with the cricket and morio problem over the years is because of what they add in there diet to make them grow faster or what cleaning products they use. it could be a number of things.
It does not seem to affect small breeders like myself and many others just the large breeders:hmm:.


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

Yes for a few years I had found myself running out of Morio worms late in the summer, and bought some in. For a few years there was not a problem. Then later last summer I bought some in, and now my stock has that disease problem. Nobody seems to know what the disease is, and just because stocks in the UK seem healthy now, the disease could come back again and again just like the house cricket virus did. Buying in new stock is never a problem until _it is_ a problem. 


Saying I started with 300 hundred is a under estimate, and I started with roaches from several sources. That may be a good idea for people starting with new colonies. 

Everybody is free to take whatever action they choose. Please bare in mind I don't have the luxury of easily buying in alternative foods if things go wrong. I have to be 95% or more self sufficient in feeder insects. I have very little choice. I can't afford to take risks.


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## vukic (Apr 9, 2010)

You don't have to add the new bloodline direct to your main colony... I'd keep them separately.. Or start a smaller side colony where I'd add to from my main colony, then combine both colonies if I wish in 6 months or so... 

Sent from my ST26i using Tapatalk


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## Dragon Farm (Aug 7, 2009)

I remember 13 years ago when viruses hit house crickets in Europe. Some of the live food producing companies tried to sterilize everything thourougly with some pretty serious disinfectants, and even started with new premises, with stock that had never been infected with the virus. 

But the virus always made its way back, and could never seem to be cured. It seemed likely it was transmitted on the hands of the staff, who moved between premises. So I am not sure having two parallel colonies is 100% safe. There is always the risk of cross contamination. 

Thinking about it, the rest of you should do what Vukic says, because frankly whats the worst that can happen ? Personally I won't take that risk !


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## ExoticInsectsUK (Nov 15, 2008)

scaremonger :lol2:

Mass production of any living thing where the breeders fill them full of food, vitamins and growth pills or whatever they do sometimes can cause a disease.
Anytime there has been a outbreak in whatever it was has been man made as far as I know.
The giant mealworm is just the normal mealworm that has radiation to make them grow & also butterworms that have it to stop them breeding.
Many living things are mass produced like goats, chickens, pigs and cows that all have had problems the same as the crickets. The only difference is the government nor the breeders are willing to pay millions for the research into the cricket virus.

I don't see what this has to do with cockroaches. There not mass produced like any other livefoods. People mix the blood line when breeding tarantulas, scorpions and 99% of any pet or livefood.
Roaches have been around a lot longer then us so im sure there made of strong stuff.

I stick by what I do because it works. So back to the op if your colony needs a boost then add more there is no harm I have done it for years and now I have millions of roaches:2thumb:
If you are not sure then start a second colony like vukic has said 2 post down


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