Dubia Roach Breeding/Care Guide

[@kenjiunno3453]

Dad: Whats your future plan? Me: cockroach farm

[@69EBubu]

You'd be surprised... The Chinese have understood that insects are the future of the world's food, for humans as well as for other animals, and an ecological alternative to food producing. The people who start now their companies will quickly make a fortune. Check the YT videos of BSF (Black Soldier Fly) farms in Asia....

[@GarbageEPYC]

Yutsky Tetsuya my centipede died during its molt probably because I didn’t keep it humid enough to get out of its molt so I dont want to get anymore pets because of this and instead start a dubia roach business right now I think I have 400 from 25 to start out with because I waited a year so yeah I think I’ll start when I have a couple thousand

[@rabrough2]

Great video! No extra talking that has nothing to do with video!! Straight to the point, very informative and excellent video quality. Professional results. Thank you 😊

[@robingagan6288]

Honey Sparkle i agree

[@MrAqua-ei3mb]

When you poured in the roaches it looked like a scene from the mummy

[@roksolida36]

Teacher: So.. What do you kids want to be when you grow up? Me: *Southern Accent* IM GONNA BE A COCKROACH FARMER FOR MAH BEARDIE!

[@maxie1199]

I just want a feeder insect that doesn't jump at me when I'm trying to feed my beardies... damn crickets

[@TheOpelkoenjas]

Tip: go to Ebay and order polymer watergel balls (original name being Orbeez). They are the exact same product as the more expensive (polymer) water storing crystals shown in the video, but just in the shape of little balls instead of little rocks. They come in different colors, but I went for the basic clear/transparent ones. I got a pack of 10,000 of them for only 1.22 euros (1.39 USD) , shipping included. They will last me for years if I can resist throwing them at my neighbor's kid in summer. LOL Cheers.

[@pamelafox5882]

Do you remember the site you got them from? I just paid $8 for a small jar at petsmart.

[@TheOpelkoenjas]

@@pamelafox5882 As I said, on Ebay. Just copy/paste or type in "10000x Water Beads Bio Gel Pearl Crystal Paintball Bullet Grow Magic Ball Set". Don't forget to set your search criteria to 'buy now', 'worldwide' and 'free shipping'. :) Cheers.

[@pamelafox5882]

Thank you.👍

[@SparklyUnicornDesi]

Pamela Fox Also at craft stores they sell pretty much the same thing. Little tubs of off brand "orbeez" they called stuff like water crystals, water pearls, water beads, etc

[@kristi9643]

Dang! Never thought of that! My daughter probably had a lifetime of those dang things that I hated so bad that I threw them out. Got tired of finding them everywhere

[@DrAppleCrispies]

you forgot about #3 they dont smell or make noise. The smell of a cricket bin drives me nuts it so bad.

[@kenjiro2676]

DrAppleCrispies so does roach bins

[@TheOpelkoenjas]

@@kenjiro2676 Bullshit. Roach bins have no smell at all when taken properly care of them. I clean mine out once every 4-6 months, and the only thing you can smell is the smell of fresh fruit that is laying in it. And in case you would say "Yeah, but you're used to the smell": nope. Over the years I had several different people smell the tub to proof something and everyone was surprised to find out that Dubia or their bins actually do not smell/reek at all.

[@TheOpelkoenjas]

@Jacob Kell And you need to be slapped with a dictionary.

[@c.chobbies7079]

@@TheOpelkoenjas they smell

[@TuberoseKisser]

They do make noise just not a lot and they do smell is they don't have they're hides changed.

[@justinhamilton8647]

Hi man, I just wanted to leave a comment thanking you for your amazing video. I watched it in early 2017 and it inspired me to start my own colony. Proud to say I’ve been doing very well so far, still trying to learn as much as possible each day but you’re the one responsible for making me start after putting it off for yeeears. You rock!

[@docniccals]

Thank you so much for these tips! I'm planning to start a colony of my own soon and this is so helpful!

[@lian7092]

DocNiccals im sorry for your neighbours 😂 , but they must make a good feed for our reptilians🐊🐢🐍🦎🐲🐉🐸

[@elle-iza]

Awww, the sound when you pour them back into their habitat gives me goosebumps. ^-^ I like those roaches a lot, I breed them for my tarantulas.

[@Sempiternalist]

What got me into Dubia roaches is my stubborn Armadillo lizard who only likes roaches and darkling beetles. Although it made me realise that Dubias are much better than crickets. I have also learned they are much easier to clean up after, which is another great plus. Great video

[@abfmkarin]

I love that you mentioned to feed them organic food.I have been feeding all my insect livestock organics over the years.The general foods are polluted by being fed with the cheapest foods available which are polluted with herbicides and pesticides

[@caitlynnkruppa1546]

OMGGG, you poured sooooo many roaches back in!!!!!!! Hahahahaahah, I laughed when you showed that big ass container!!!!

[@CelebrityDependent23]

7:25 was beautiful

[@imthatyeetedfetus8113]

a dubia roach just crawled in my ear and i figured a care guide would help me. thank you

[@fen4538]

Great video! I don't mind roaches as long as they arenot crawling up my wall at 3 am but not gonna lie when you pulled out the bin, with the like, 5 mil roaches crawling all over each other, then dumped it in, and the cartons MOVED because of all the roaches, i got a bit freaked out.

[@HavocParadox]

I just bought 100 of them, Hoping to breed them well. Crickets didn't work out well for me so one can hope these will :)

[@nathandurrant404]

Anarchy Time what was your problem with crickets?

[@chipparrish6647]

"Florida or somewhere tropical" gang, where y'all at?!?

[@BearkyUSA]

Cali gang here

[@richardroyster405]

7:15 was tough. Not gonna lie. Nice video!

[@SillyToadGirl]

I haven't gotten around to watching your channel until now, but I have to say I am extremely impressed! This is very well put together and informative :) Great Work! I have to ask, how long did it take your colony to grow to a significant size? Or did you just blow a bunch of money on a bulk order? lol. My colony has been very slowly growing since I got them 6 months ago, but to be fair I haven't really provided them with a lot of heat.

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

+SillyToadGirl I started out with 25 nymphs and 4 adults a couple years ago with plans to feed them off, but ended up keeping all of them. They hardly grew at all at first, but after I added heat they REALLY took off. At this point each adult female has about 20 babies every 2-3 weeks, even without heat (room temp is about 78 degrees). By comparison, I set up about half a dozen in my Chemistry teacher's class (without heat) last year, and the babies they had aren't even half grown yet.

[@kolbybui5317]

THEY'RE SO CUTE! I might start farming them for my leopard gecko

[@jimnegrete9026]

Hahahahaha I going to start a farm as well, For my Leo’s

[@SuitUndercover]

Think imma cop this from you Great video. New outlook on roaches now.

[@emailnolongerinuse3157]

intro ends at 0:45 in case anyone is wondering

[@memnoch19120]

Only thing I could think about was Joe's Apartment when you put the Dubias back in there setup.

[@marcusr3700]

Incredible video man, really thorough and helpful. keep 'em coming!

[@NaturesAquascapes]

oh the annotation saying 'technically not live hatchlings as they are live birthers' made me laugh! ;)

[@macy8518]

Cute little things. Looks much more simple than I was thinking. Going to start one for a new bearded dragon

[@tasha_111_]

I recently started using Dubias as feeders and for some strange reason I think they’re so neat!! They are so clean and have no smell, I’ve always hated keeping crickets since they’re so nasty/smelly/loud/and die extremely easy.. but not dubias lol I know this videos old but as usual Great info!!!👏💯🙏👌

[@jerumd]

Dubias are great feeders for my Tarantulas.. Problem with dubias is that they always act like possums and play Mexican standoffs with my Ts which waists tons of my time trying to observe my Ts eat. So i always throw my dubias in without observing to save time..

[@ronaldcross1794]

Jerum Distura

[@elle-iza]

Since those roaches don't eat living tarantulas that is perfectly fine. :) In my Chromatopelma's tarrarium lives a dubia roach since months. I feed her from time to time, and I guess one day she will be eaten (or dies of high age, who knows?). ;)

[@jerumd]

Dubias lives in the same habitat where Ts also live somewhere around the tropics of South America, so no surprise if its more of a evolutionary arms race of staying alive after millions of years coexisting with their deadly predatory neighbor in the wild. There is only one tarantula in my collection that doesn't get fooled so easily by any dubia's old playing dead possum tricks in the book, and that's my grammostola rosea rcf juvenile female lol Its almost as if she knows how to think like a dubia the moment the tips of her front legs touches a motionless dubia with antennas tucked in lol I love her, she's a very smart girl :D

[@jerumd]

I only feed pinkies and lizards once a year but Yes, i too feed them pinkies once in a while..

[@matthewtaylor6751]

oh lord

[@ForestExotics]

Thanks for the info

[@Kyle-yr5si]

very informational awesome video man deff gonna file this guide awesome for chameleon feeding

[@Crystalspets]

I love your hair style it looks really good on you

[@ericmack8021]

Excellent video. Thank you

[@jamiahthegreat]

Thanks for the help... I just started breeding and this video helped

[@daltoncody3364]

Yo man that helped me a lot thanks!!!

[@JTeulon]

Thanks!!! This really helped me a lot, nice video!!

[@TreyBeckGA]

Just got mine together , good Vid .

[@gabrieltriplett8981]

Just recently bought 50 small dubias only to see if my tarantula or even my blue tongue or leopard gecko would eat them as I’ve never tried dubias before but my tarantula hasn’t eaten them makes me think she could be getting ready for molting but my skink loves them so I think I should get some more and try breeding hopefully it would be successful

[@buglady2254]

Very informational. End of the video gave my cockroach phobia a bit of a panic attack but I am keeping these dubias to reduce my phobia. I am keeping these dubias with isopods as well in a tropical dirt environment. Is it important to have the crystal water or can frequent misting of the edges serve well enough to water the nymphs?

[@Andavane]

Very interesting young man. Thank you!

[@Endful2024]

They're cute🥺

[@shellibender9388]

Very informative. Thanks!!

[@jasonfreilich4909]

great video! thank you

[@TheAngieIshmael]

Great video!

[@samanthahind2704]

great video thank you so much this really helped me out

[@sugetoosty1685]

Don't feed exclusively however, as they can cause gout in your reptiles (ie. bearded dragons). They also don't trasmit parasites to the extent that crickets do. They won't attack your lizard at night if you leave them in the cage. (Crickets will chew on your reptiles if left in the cage overnight, harming eyes, toes, etc.). They DO make noise- it's a high-pitch squeaking- but nothing like crickets! :) So again, please do not feed exclusively, mix up your feeders for most nutrition (would you want oatmeal every day?) and the health of the joints, etc. of your reptiles. Also, keep them in dark bins- better heat absorption and they love the dark (dubias). For best nutrition and gut-loading- feed them kitchen scraps that are good for your lizard also- great video- thanks!

[@sugetoosty1685]

Also, just buy the cheap garden water crystals vs. the reptile brands- mine have done well with them. I usually just feed them water-filled fruit and vegs (oranges, cucumbers, peppers, etc.), and I haven't had to use water crystals for months- thats ONLY if you're feeding them fresh, as the food tends to dry up quickly so make sure you provide that daily. I may go back to the water crystals as my colony is growing, and I want to ensure they are properly hydrated.

[@EcologyArk]

Man there are soooo many in there! It's funny because I actually recorded a video to upload of my roach/cricket setup but you seem to have beat me to it haha.

[@dinosaurterrorworld144]

Cool video very helpful

[@vladverevkin]

Hi i was wondering if there is a way to safely mark the roaches to help distinguish them?

[@chickenjoe2878]

Thanks

[@swirlcrop]

Your channel is fantastic! Great job! :-)

[@thequestionwhy3827]

Great informative guide! Intro reel was a bit drawn out tho

[@cody___1700]

great video! very helpful

[@estrobart6785]

How do the roaches climb the Tupperware containers in order to feed and drink? I thought they couldn't climb smooth surfaces?

[@WinterMelon-k4o]

Thank you now i can now have alot of food for my tarantula.And How do you make them grow quickly?

[@Layla-og4dj]

This is so awesome! I want the full grown male and female.

Do they like if you keep them all together crowded in a relatively small place?

[@robingagan6288]

Thank you for the video. My reptiles love roaches, more than anything else.

[@rachelwood1884]

Omg you have a blue touché skink

[@leandrojimmyneutron6237]

Very helpful!

[@Inverts4Introverts]

The water crystals are a huge no go. Fruit and veggies are the best way to hydrate by far.

[@lesliebigcombo213]

Really nice video helped a lot but At 2:25 rip my home I have to make sure they don't leave because I live in Florida XD. Anyways somehow I was able breed an albino Dubai and I was screaming because it was sooooo beautiful I loved it. Thanks for great care tips bye!

[@DuckFromJupiter]

Leslie BIG combo A white dubia is typically a molting one. It'll turn back to brown after it has molted. Hope that helps!

[@CN-kf8xj]

Duck From Jupiter Yeah I agree it was probably just molting :)

[@kentvines]

r/whoosh

[@dylanmckerley3973]

i just feed then left over fruits and keep mine ontop of my lizards house because its hot up thereso they dont cost me a penny

[@grey00230]

thank you very much.

[@johndeschenes1242]

It's getting started with my colony but my question is how often would you keep an eye on the food source what would you just put more food in when the food is gone or do you let them go a little bit hungrier

[@zonester_exe9142]

Preparing for a blue tongue along with a beardie wish me luck...

[@mk3lish]

Roaches are cute but they were itchy while walking in your hands and disgusting but I love them!!

[@pandascribbles7211]

Are they making that rain sound??

[@pamelafox5882]

Daniel, do you sell any of your breeder Dubia's? I would love to set up my own colony.

[@theresenorway]

You should have had a bigger and dark box for them.

[@DavidJB2001]

very helpful vid

[@DragonBorn-dd7kl]

what about if i live in mississippi, its not as tropical but it still gets preatty hot

[@Defa_Noob]

I hate roaches but I do plan on getting a beardie and making dubia roaches it's staple diet

[@lernlern1]

Roaches are a LOT better than crickets. No smell and no jumping. It's not absolutely necessary to feed your pet roaches, but a varied diet of live foods is best.

[@Defa_Noob]

LOZ B I plan to avoid crickets all together and feed it dubia roaches phoenix worms and other insects along with fruit and vegetables

[@lernlern1]

Probably best. I give my beardy crickets at times but only because she likes the thrill of the chase. I've managed to figure out a way to make them smell less so I'm pretty happy to continue for varity's sake. Have some meal worms and wax worms too. I keep my own colony of dubia so never going to run out there :)

[@leegonzales1235]

I got food jelly's for my Dubia roaches doi just dump it out or leave it in the container?

[@dajoke24]

Currently I only plan to keep them as feeders and not to breed(maybe in the future). So would just oats and cut pieces of potato or carrot for hydration work? I would put them in a plastic cup that has rough sides for the roaches to get to. Do I have to cut the top of the bin lid and glue a mesh to it or can I drill holes in the lid? Is just rinsing off the fruits and veggies make them safe for the roaches? A reply is greatly appreciated. Thanks

[@TheOpelkoenjas]

Don't give them potato, specially not raw. To long to explain, but it has something to do with the starch in them and the fact it molds extremely fast. Just give them carrots (I grate them down as it easier for the babies to chew on), grapes (cut in half), pieces of oranges, apples, lettuce, spinach, ... anything your pet you're feeding them to can eat too. And yes, a good rinse is enough. You could drill holes in the lid, but that can be a pain in the ass sometimes since you'll have to make a hell lot of holes to get a good airflow. It's better to cut out entire parts of the lid and to close it off with a strong mesh. Tip 1: use a Dremel to cut out the parts. If needed, if you don't feel safe using the Dremel tool, ask someone to help you. It only takes a few minutes of their time. Make sure you have your safety goggles on. Tip 2: you can use hot glue for the screen, but as I have discovered not all hot glue sticks the same. Some will not stick to plastic at all or simply will detach in warm environments. I prefer to use silicon (use of a silicone gun is needed). It takes a bit to dry, but once it's dry its non-toxic and your mesh is going nowhere. Cheers.

[@joshj2862]

dajoke24 well it’s cheaper to breed them since you won’t have to keep buying them. They’re not the cheapest feeder ya know.

[@AimeeHarrisonDesigns]

I'm starting a colony for my frogs.

[@misaelintriago5434]

So do they give birth wherever or do you need a special container?

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

You can try to separate them by size if you choose, but they won't eat their babies or anything. I just leave mine alone and take what I need.

[@misaelintriago5434]

Ok thanks

[@gabrielferreira5065]

I Just cant find Water cristals. Do you know if I can use those colored Water balls?

[@BigLove101]

Awesome

[@The-Secret-Dragon]

Wow! That's a lot of roaches! Thanks so much for making this vid, it was very informative! I honestly find crickets more gross than cockroaches. Always found roaches to be kind of cute haha :) I'm thinking of starting my own colony to feed my tarantulas with but a bit concerned about using heat mats as they are a bit of a fire hazard. Don't want to bump up the temperature of the entire room though as my invertebrate room is also my art studio. Any recommendations?

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

+Hyogail ZooMed makes a pretty small heat pad you might find useful, or you could look into a thermostat for a larger mat. Thermostats come with a temperature probe and turn the heat pad off when it gets past a set temperature.

[@The-Secret-Dragon]

Thanks so much, I'll look into getting a thermostat along with a heat pad then :)

[@motoanalysis3383]

U keep a gila! I didn't even think u could.

[@serp9365]

Joel Pygott no he doesn’t, that was from another video of him going through someone else’s collection. But, he does have a Mexican beaded lizard now, you can see it on his Instagram.

[@ravedrake]

So you keep them in the same container the whole time?

[@michaelfabregas3496]

nice video man! dubia roach colony stink or have any bad smell ?

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

They don't really have a smell of their own, but over time it does start to smell because of their droppings. Usually it doesn't leave the tub.

[@level2416]

Bro how can I buy it online. We don't have the fatt one in my country. Can u sell for me some. And if it's ok. How much cost. Thanks

[@spamoons]

A question for you that I’m trying to solve a problem, if you put the water in the plastic tub they cannot come out. What is the best way to offer them water even this crystals so that they can get out.So what is the best way to deliver food and water crystals so that they can survive? Thank you for your answer

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

I cut a hole at the bottom of my food and water dishes to serve as a doorway for smaller roaches - you could also use pebbles or plastic filter media to serve as a life raft

[@virusthedestroyerofcricket7665]

1:25 RIP Male Dubia Cockroach 2016 - 2016

[@abcreations6512]

I wish I could get cockroaches! But my parents will never let me! I’m the black sheep in my family I LOVE BUGS the only bug I can keep is isopods

[@elliebarnes1143]

I love bugs too btw ^-^

[@fen4538]

Same here. Try land snails, and maybe find a roach species that doesn't look too "roachy," and don't call it a roach. When i went to get feeders for my leo we ended up getting baby dubias, my dad knew my mom wouldn't like them so around her we just say they are dubias, dubia bugs, dubia beetle, etc. She has no idea it's a roach and therefore doesn't care. My squeamish little brother doesn't have any clue either, and I showed them to him and he says they are cute. LOL

[@marbetu5394]

hi, what are fish flakes? are they the dried reddish fish food you get in the pet store? thank you

[@pamelafox5882]

Yes

[@caswinchester8476]

Hi! I am going to start a colony to feed my Lp geckos and to get them healthier, but, won't the adult roaches eat the small ones? Or can you leave them together?

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

If they're all well fed, you shouldn't have any problems. They're naturally communal animals. If you leave them without food for a long time you might get a few instances of cannibalism.

[@caswinchester8476]

+AfroHerpkeeper Ok I see. Thanks for the reply !

[@-OBEY-]

Do western fence lizards eat them as well?

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

Definitely - they could eat small-medium nymphs.

[@daniellelynds2778]

Is there a way to tell them apart?

[@michaelhernandez7505]

Where did you get your roaches to start your farm?

[@aerokillz1031]

Question do I have to add the mesh why can’t I just put holes

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

You can totally just drill or solder holes in the lid/sides, but you'll need a lot of them to match the amount of ventilation provided by a screen.

[@fatmanvidz]

could i keep these in a 10 gallon aquarium outside? i live in south louisiana so humidity and temp is about 50-80% and 70-100 degrees year round. in the winter it sometimes drops to the 40's

[@kristi9643]

There's no way they'd survive in the cold. They're tropical roaches. I'm in Alabama and thought about the summertime but decided against it because I was scared ants and such would get in there with them.

[@DarkSuricate4ever]

I don't understand why peple hate them, I bought some for my pogona... ended up keeping them because they're too cute haha

[@datdudetrent8938]

Sury maybe because roaches are generally regarded as pests that spawn as a result of human filth. That’s my guess.

[@Carrie_Krueger]

Hi, what should I do if the temperature in my area is 96 F? I'm pretty sure there's no cooling lamps.

[@daddysangels8641]

Is it ok to put tap water in sponge as their water?

[@kristi9643]

I think with the heat it would dry out pretty quickly.

[@RainWave13]

How long does it take for the nymphs to grow to sub-adult size? I have a leopard gecko and I'm starting to get super tired of crickets. I feed her mealworms too to give her some variety but I don't wanna use them only. I'd like to try dubia roaches but she will probably only be able to eat the nymphs as the adults are too large. I dont' want to buy a container of them only to waste a bunch because they're too big to eat.

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

They live for 1-3 years on average, so you'll likely have some time. If you need them to stay the same size, remove the heat source and provide very little food and water and they'll grow much slower. They're very hardy animals so not much harm comes to them from it.

[@jonny2273]

Hey Afro, How many adult Dubia riches you think I can start off with to make a colony . Thanks, please respond

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

I'd start with about 50-100 adults. You'll want to have 2-3 females for every male

[@jonny2273]

+AfroHerpkeeper so how many do you think I need to start a small colony just to feed my two beardies

[@AfroHerpkeeper]

50 adults should keep you from crashing. If you end up with too many you can sell the rest locally.

[@jonny2273]

+AfroHerpkeeper thanks dude