Avoid These Common Problems and Make Your Roach Colony a Success

It is fairly simple to start a Dubia roach colony—you need little more than a couple plastic storage containers, egg crates, and, of course, roaches. Maintaining your colony will require slightly more care, effort, and attention. To help guide you, we’re highlighting some of the worst mistakes that Dubia roach breeders make so that you can avoid them.

Mistake #1: Not supplying adequate nutrition.

Feeding your Dubia roaches is a balance. You not only need to feed them the right foods, but you need to feed them the right quantity. Your roaches should always have a high-quality protein source and a high-quality carbohydrate source. Most breeders use a premium roach chow in addition to fruits like apples and bananas as well as vegetables like leafy lettuce and carrots.

If you’re experiencing problems with your colony—such as a high volume of roaches dying—go back to the basics and consider these questions:

• How often do your roaches go without food and for how long? While skipping a day every once in a while is okay, your roaches should generally be fed every day.
• Do your roaches get very excited when you offer a certain food? This may indicate that your roaches have a nutritional deficiency that needs to be met on a more regular basis.

Mistake #2: Keeping too many males in the colony.

If competition for mates in the enclosure is high, males are more likely to eat young nymphs. The recommended Dubia roach female to male ratio varies depending on who you ask, but generally that ratio should be kept between 3:1 and 7:1.

Mistake #3: Not monitoring the humidity and temperature of your enclosure.

When it comes to breeding Dubia roaches, the temperature and humidity level of your enclosure is so critical. Make sure that your roaches’ enclosure is kept between 80℉ and 90℉ with a humidity level between 40 and 60 percent.

Mistake #4: Not cleaning the tank with frequency.

You don’t need to clean your roach colony’s enclosure every week or even every month, but it should be cleaned every couple of months. However, remember that your enclosure shouldn’t smell bad. While it might smell slightly musty, a strong or unusual odor can signal a mold or bacteria growth in the colony, and the tank should be cleaned immediately.

Mistake #5: Not starting with high-quality Dubia roaches.

It might seem obvious, but you’re not going to succeed at Dubia roach breeding without the highest quality live Dubia roaches. You can shop the best Dubia roaches available at ABDragons.

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