MY SELF CLEANiNG DUBiA ROACH COLONY BiN SETUP!

[@TheRareCriticalThinker]

I like the amount of effort put into this video, especially the part with the stop motion assembly process. Pretty neat. Anyway, I really want to do this because I have a bearded dragon that eats about 30 roaches a day and it's getting expensive constantly having to buy 200 of them a week.

[@TheTurtleGirl]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@__Nikola__]

Its a lizard not a pig, stop overfeeding it!! They are cold blooded and don't need that much energy, 5-6 dubias daily is more than enough, and give him some plants too, it will be much healthier.

[@__Nikola__]

@@bigdaddythunderr in nature they eat a lot less and are lot healthier/vital and happier than in captivity. No matter how big it is 30 roaches a day is very bad. If you try to feed your dragon "all it can eat" it will basicaly die from overstuffing. Again the accent is on "they are cold blooded"!

[@TheRareCriticalThinker]

@@bigdaddythunderr Yep. My bearded dragon is 1.5 years old now, and her diet consists of 4-5 roaches a day plus a small mustard green/dandelion green salad, with occasional blueberries.

[@jamiedauphney7553]

I saw some other comments saying this, and its an old video. However, I really appreciate the effort you put into the video

[@animalisticlee4910]

Just started mine a week ago. I love the 2 bin idea! I have to go buy a second bin now!

[@TheTurtleGirl]

definitely! It's been really helpful :)

[@lightend100]

"measure twice cut once"... Someones dad is in the trades :-) great video, well done. I doubt your dad would be mad if he watched the vid, I think he would be very proud,,, even if he does have dubia roaches running over his feet.

[@TheTurtleGirl]

hahahaha this made me laugh so hard. thank you!

[@kinnikuzero]

I like the concept. Keeping a small ledge on the bottom would make it stronger and provide a better surface for attaching the mesh

[@oooyeahooyeah7451]

Tip: heat the knife with fire from the stove. It cuts through the plastic easily

[@TheTurtleGirl]

thanks!!

[@marshiemellow]

Idk :( I had to use a lighter on mine. Electric stove lol

[@rtw1947]

Cut it quicker with a Dremel!

[@elishamccomas8033]

Solder it

[@jordandudley9120]

Blowtorch dab nation

[@SuperJellies]

I loved this idea. But after reading other peoples self cleaning bins learned the roaches eventually eat through the screen and Hot Glue. I fixed this problem by using a Wood burning / Welder. To cut the bin, used Aluminum screen. Instead of Hot glue I used a Iron ore extra that came in my wood burning kit to melt the screen into the plastic tub.. But love this idea!!

[@brianmumpower]

I have 5 colonies and I've struggled to keep the enclosure clean without having to spend hours scooping up and catching the babies. I like the mesh idea to let it all fall into another container and it will go a long way to keep the colony healthy and the smell down! Thanks for sharing!!

[@ascendingspirit1976]

I love dubias. Also i love hissers. Super adorable with the hissing.

[@13634landing]

Thank you for making this video. Very helpful and your upbeat approach make it very easy to watch. Thank you again, Cheers

[@hunterhickman9449]

Do the roaches (particularly the nymphs) have any issue walking on the Mesh material?

[@akiraandrews5630]

Big cockroaches scare me so much enough to induce a panic attack. But I admire you so much taking the dedication to take of them in order to feed your babies :)

[@michaele.derrickjr.9200]

Awesome video. Thank you so much for the pointer on how to do a set-up for roaches. Very easy and clean

[@Mechtroid10]

Love the layout of the video. I Have been having a hard time keeping my temps up in my dubia's bin. Never even thought of using 2! Thanks

[@bmerceri69]

A while ago we utilized a heat pad for our Colony and noticed they were not responding well and no breeding. We since removed the UTH and went with a low profile heat lamp above and it made a world of difference. They are breeding very well and now are up to a few hundred.

[@madfishdiva]

Wow that is pretty cool. Roaches are pretty interesting creatures.

[@TheTurtleGirl]

They really are!

[@ahuyx]

I’ve been thinking about starting a farm for my beardie...very interesting thank you

[@jonathanbetancourt4486]

If you do, don't feed the roaches citrus. I watched a video mentioning that the citrus causes a build of a chemical in the feeders that isn't good for the bearded dragons. I can't say that that is a 100% true but I'd rather take the advice of someone who has had more exposure with raising beardies.

[@yesyes1299]

@@jonathanbetancourt4486 i heard that dubia roaches have an enzyme that kills the citrus

[@2pacalypse601]

@@jonathanbetancourt4486 I realize your comment is super old but wanted to comment for future readers. Saw a vid made by someone who needs beardies & he said to give crickets & Dubai's orange slices because beardies need vit c & the powdered supplements don't have it or not enough of it. I will be researching this myself & others should do the same..

[@leilani2302]

I’m thinking of switching to Dubai roaches instead of crickets for my leopard gecko should I switch?

[@nicksaquaticsandreptiles6805]

Dubia roaches per roach are the equivalent of 7 crickets

[@Duzzer_One]

Switch

[@Spawn-je9zw]

Awesome video! Thanks 😊

[@ginofoogle6944]

Guess you could put a big mesh vent hole on the side where the heatmat is so the heat doesn't get trapped and function more efficiently in heating the bin..

[@TheTurtleGirl]

another great suggestion!

[@cogwheelfeline9124]

Ooo I’m about to replicate this with my paint bucket I just bought and messed with

[@MonsieurPointdujour]

The heating pad...do you remove the white glued sheet from it before attaching it. How come the pad isn’t sticking the the container. Curious as I want to use the same method?

[@jennagarlock567]

How often do you feed the big burger? Do you just make sure there’s always food in their bowl?

[@saberallen5]

your whole room is quite aesthetic

[@TheTurtleGirl]

thank you!

[@robertclark2714]

Great Video. The heat pad needs a thermostat control. Without a thermostat to control it, if it goes over 100 it will kill your colony.

[@nothingmanofgod.6288]

Awsome dubia roches is cool😄

[@TheTurtleGirl]

they are!

[@AWildGrickit]

What a great video. Thank you so much!

[@itsjustrevo]

I leave the frass unless the bin starts to smell, I also use whole oats on the bottom of the bin in the channel around the edges so the baby's can move to the food and water source easier. Also I have a Dubia and Discoid cohabitation bin. Plus a meal worm farm.

[@raymanandeze]

I would be a sad bin too if i had roaches in me lol

[@TheTurtleGirl]

lol what?

[@raymanandeze]

@@TheTurtleGirl you said the toat looked like a sad face 😂

[@TheTurtleGirl]

@@raymanandeze ohhhhh haha I just got that

[@stuff6723]

just got dubias from the reptile expo in my city im glad i found this video great idea thanks

[@ArtietheArchon]

how do you select which animal to use as food and which to let live

[@americanhumaninterferencet7550]

This helped me be less grossed out by my roaches, they really aren't that bad

[@TheTurtleGirl]

haha I'm glad I could help overcome that a little bit xD

[@venitarandall1063]

Amazing I've been trying to think of a way to do that ,ur brilliant 👏 thanks xxx

[@hammer-r]

Don’t the little baby ones fall thru the mesh in the bottom? Or are they still bigger than the mesh? Tks great video. We ar about to start our own colony.

[@holliemmx88]

Darkling beetles are great for keeping up maintenance in colonies

[@TheTurtleGirl]

good to know!

[@retaliationeffort2864]

I know this is an old video but thought I would comment for some ideas. I purchased a dubia roach colony from a reptile expo about 3 years back. The colony was being housed in a bin with clips on the side with egg crates inside. The only problem I have is that there is Coconut coir as a substrate, this seems to trap moisture. I also have fruit flies/ gnats inside the bin and they fly out of the bin when I go to feed the roaches. How do I go about changing or taking out the coir without throwing away baby dubias? Do I need the coir? I do not have a heater on them because I keep my house at about 77-78F and I think the room I keep them in is a little bit hotter because of my bearded dragon's lamps.

[@amandafox29]

I have started a colony with your awesome idea! However, the heat mat I ordered (the one linked) only heats the warm side of the bin to around 75-78, any ideas why it's not warm enough? Did I get a dud of a mat?

[@aikorodriguez6903]

I'm trying to figure out a heating source. I been looking at heat pads and also Heat tape. I'm new to this and am trying to start a colony of roaches.

[@TheStephany1219]

Awesome video ! Definitely gonna give this a try

[@aaronkeys4470]

Stephany Banks " How many roaches have U Step On in your lifetime?

[@elizabethstein369]

I found my roaches love lab rat blocks! The same stuff labs and rat breeding places feed their rats and mice. Try that for some cheap food, some fruits and veggies are always appreciated as well but those lab blocks are eaten up faster than dog food. Also your stop motion skills are amazing! Really neat!

[@bingbangbongmukbang3015]

Great video and so informative

[@thereptiledude7247]

Just an FYI. The reason you have those giant holes in your cardboard is because there isn’t enough frass in the bottom for the babies to eat. So when they eat on the frass that’s on the cardboard not only are they eating the frass but they’re also unintentionally eating the cardboard. Maybe for you next run try cutting one of the sides off. Like 3”up and 3”in and use the mesh there. Then just tip the colony and tap the box for frass to deposit into the other box. Also would increase airflow for heat mat :).

[@gimmefuel7268]

Oh my god this video is awesome! This is just what we need. So so much better than our current set up! Question for you, how often do you find that you still have to “clean“ your set up to dispose of your dead roaches and what not? Thank you again for the great video!

[@TheTurtleGirl]

Maybe every few months...I don't have a huge colony so they don't produce that much waste. You can see the cleaning here :) kzbin.info/www/bejne/bZyUe39jjdqoba8

[@joriantrowbridge5701]

I did this build and I was just about to empty out the frass when I saw a ton of babies that fell through the screen. Are you having larvae fall through the screen mesh?

[@Fluffaloo]

It might depend on the type of mesh, I am doing mine with finer mesh (the kind you would find at the dollar store) so hopefully that will have a bit of better results.

[@joriantrowbridge5701]

Hi I just watched your video, I love it thanks for uploading it. I was just wondering if you ever developed an allergy to the roaches or if you take precautions to prevent developing one? Thanks for any insight you can provide!

[@austinburton9247]

Love this video and idea! I definitely need to give this a try, cleaning the bin can be such a pain lol

[@Fluffaloo]

This is the best idea ever! Do you ever have to deep clean the roach bin? If so how often do you clean that one? I know we would need to clean the under bin where it gets all messy but I was just curious about the other one.

[@rebeccagrace5715]

I never thought I'd find a video on roaches so fascinating lol

[@ultum4tegunz]

How is that enough roaches ? I have 500+ and that’s just pushing the lower limits my tarantulas eat dubia like hot cakes. Excellent video!! I never thought about a self cleaning bin that’s genius !!! 6:05

[@RoyelAugustine]

Is it possible to make a smaller one and if so will i NEED a heat mat?

[@TheTurtleGirl]

A heat mat is definitely helpful, you could probably scale it down a bit.

[@danareed1656]

great info thank you! i just upgraded my colony to a bigger tub but still not as big as yours.i think my next upgrade will be like urs that is an awesome idea for cleaning it easier! thank you

[@TheTurtleGirl]

Glad I could help!

[@furrylittlemonsters4238]

How often do you mist?

[@guppykingaquatics7477]

Good bin ideas for sure :)

[@koreyratering4662]

Great tutorial . You rock this DIY stuff. More please.

[@annmarieodwyer8027]

How do you clean the roaches. Can you do a video with you transferring them from one to another?

[@TheTurtleGirl]

Coming soon! :D

[@sugetoosty1685]

Great video with wonderful info!

[@jasminewelland2521]

I've literally done the exact same thing as you and I thought I was unique lol

[@SaralisaL]

This is so smart!! Thank you for this great tutorial :)

[@LittleScotty-px6zf]

I love your set up, and I will be implanting it into my colony. Thank you for the tips and tricks

[@eliasshapero7357]

What is the point of the mesh on the bottom? Thanks for this helpful vid :)

[@SmokeyEdits]

So waste can fall out and it's not making the inside nasty. That's what she's referring to when she says "crass", the younger Dubias will eat the crass of the older Dubias. That's what makes it self-cleaning.

[@eliasshapero7357]

Smokey Jef oh ok thanks. I believe it’s called frass, though

[@SmokeyEdits]

@@eliasshapero7357 Frass, crass, grass, sass.... whatever it is.

[@2pacalypse601]

Can also just add 2" of potting soil with a thin layer of wood chips then add cleaner crew bugs like isopods/beetles you can get online & they eat any grass & mold that may grow. Don't cut the bottom of bin of using the dirt method! This method rarely rarely if ever needs dumped or cleaned. Just bake some leaves from the woods until crisp & add as an additional light layer once in awhile..

[@reptitan5498]

Great video! If you don't mind me asking what do you use to record?

[@TheTurtleGirl]

I film with a Panasonic g85 and usually my 12-60mm lens

[@yesyes1299]

Why do i see u in alot of videos reptilian

[@ForgottenFriendReptileTV]

Wow, really helpful video! Informative and really fun and well done. We do a reptile rescue in PA and we just subscribed and look forward to more of your videos. Thanks!

[@emerald4691]

The begining was really funny!!! Also they look scary but im thinking of getting a lepard gekko sooz that is bigg oof

[@luisnolasco1609]

do more videos of your turtles! always enjoy watching them (:

[@siobhanRN05]

Do eggs ever fall and hatch past the screen mesh?

[@MarzieMalfoy]

“My dad is going to be so mad when he sees this video.” Dude, I felt that 😂

[@mrsdiaz614]

I’m thinking about breeding discoid roaches. I live in Florida and it gets pretty hot here. My house is usually 72 degrees. Would I be able to do this same setup without a heating pad?

[@aaronkeys4470]

Mrs Diaz " How many roaches have U Step On in your lifetime?

[@2pacalypse601]

Yes.. I've spoken to many people from Florida & none of them use an outside heat source.

[@cheyenneb4263]

Hi, I live in Florida and I have a discoid setup. They don’t need additional heat, but if they aren’t breeding fast enough I will warm them for a little bit with a ceramic heat emitter and that usually speeds up their breeding and growth

[@mr.j6567]

Nice video. Thank you for sharing. Peace, love and blessings!

[@Jenmag1]

I need this for my Cham. This is crazyyyy

[@aaronkeys4470]

Jen " How many roaches have U Step On in your lifetime?

[@Jenmag1]

Only one set up. I have a secured bin of Dobias for my bearded dragon and chameleon

[@aaronkeys4470]

@@Jenmag1 " LOL, Have u ever Step On A roach or any type of bug in yur lifetime Jen ?

[@daniellethomas3145]

Could I use a ceramic heating element instead of a net mat too?

[@cheyenneb4263]

Yes

[@BigFran19]

How is your colony now? Your video is very helpful. I’m just wondering if you made any changes since then?

[@hackalabac]

My glue won't stick with o the tote. Did u sanded the tote?

[@VL-bf3iq]

Hi Turtle Girl, you keep you turtle tank so clean, what kind of filter do u use? There are so many kinds. And what size tank does the ⭐ of the vidoes live in? My daughter's painted turtle is a mess. We have even begun to feed her in a separate tank. That helps some. I thing she needs a stronger filter. V.

[@kyronjadepreddy4964]

Hi! i’m looking into getting a leopard gecko soon and starting a colony like this for him/her and was wondering where you got yours! i know there is several sites online and how many males/females did you start out with? thanks!

[@FishForThought]

Did not know keeping Dubia roaches needed this much consideration! Also I think those roaches might groom themselves more often than I groom myself :')

[@TheTurtleGirl]

hahahaha

[@Avocetexotics]

How many dubias do you suggest starting with?

[@okmemers]

Do they need water?

[@SouthBayFamily]

Great video dear

[@paintballlover365]

Just watched the PACNWRS video and loved seeing the Narrows bridge and Tacoma Dome shown off in the video. great seeing my home town shown off like that😂

[@alyssakleven3615]

So the hot glue just goes over the mesh or in between the mesh and the tote?

[@rtw1947]

Through the mesh, to the tote. Try it, piece of cake.

[@potatopoii2720]

Bob Ross

[@ch6201]

THAT INSANE ROACH QUALITY 😱

[@thereptiledude7247]

piconico I know I’m resurrecting the dead here but what? She could have so many more if she didn’t have the self cleaning part

[@thereptiledude7247]

Good idea on the self cleaning however; if the babies eat off the egg crates itself they will eat holes into them and wear them out quicker. But I’m sure some will be on the floor.

[@lanieg8306]

Hi! I've been wanting to start a colony myself for a while...primarily for my dumpy frogs, but also my musk turtle and hedgehog. I was just wondering where you got your starter colony? How is your colony doing today? (I am sorry if you answered this elsewhere already, but I have not found that). I have been a fan for about 2 years now, i love your work!

[@mattwilliams3820]

Great vid, thank you

[@priscillasimpson6070]

Does the heating pad melt the plastic?

[@TheTurtleGirl]

No, though I have experienced a little bit of warping :)

[@beatrice9949]

I find your videos are always interesting! Even though I'm not a fan of bugs, I enjoyed this video! But I would not get those Roaches! Ew! I wouldn't be even able to pick one up! You are so cool! :)

[@arachnofan73]

My original colony is doing fine . I ordered 12 females and 7 males. A male and female died the first night and another female died last night. Maybe old age? Stress?

[@alysani0193]

this is absolutely genius, i need to make this! I cant seem to keep my colony clean no matter how hard I try. im so scared to throw away any of the buffalo beetle larva or baby dubias

[@SecretRedBeard]

Late comment, but have you ever noticed babies down in the Frass tub with this setup?

[@SilverConundrum]

Great video. I'll be making one just like it. Thank you

[@h22sparkle]

Hey turtlegirl got a question i got a 50 gallon watertank for my turtle MichaelAngelo. The water gets dirty is it me because the water gets brown easily is it because i got a 15-20gallon tank waterfilter? Any suggestions?

[@bakenman6371]

h22sparks yes you need a much better filter that filters at least i would say 75 gallons for a 50 gal tank

[@h22sparkle]

@@bakenman6371 thankyou my waterlevel isnt high at all so would i still need one?

[@bakenman6371]

h22sparks it depends on how high it is, if its about halfway you could get away with using a 40 gallon filter

[@h22sparkle]

@@bakenman6371 more like a quarter of thw way up i left it low so that he can make make it up to his basking area

[@bakenman6371]

h22sparks i would still recommend a 40 gal filter

[@silverpanda7167]

How many males and females did you start with?

[@OutlawMenace82]

Great content

[@monagurl1973]

Thank you

[@jwysw]

Wait, do you have to clean the bottom of the second tote? Or do you just leave it as is?

[@TheTurtleGirl]

Yes, on occasion you'll clean it out.

[@xSensu]

@@TheTurtleGirl I would think the easiest way is to get 3 totes, one to keep them in, 1 to be the bottom, and a 3rd so when you go to clean, you can lift the main bin up and put it in the clean one, then take the dirty one and go clean it. then when its time to clean you can just put the first one in the other one, and you can stack all 3, i love this, great job.

[@hwickward]

My dad just found a tiny little tortoise in my backyard and the tortoise is a newborn I know because one of his eyes still shut In his tummy still soft he is super small and I have him in a in a 10 gallon tank what should I do?

[@TheTurtleGirl]

Do the tortoises naturally occur in the area? If he's wild....I'd personally release him and hope for the best.

[@hwickward]

The Turtle Girl yes they are always in my backyard

[@koalamarsc7452]

That’s not good!Hopefully the mom will come back for him or her.You should probably release him (or her) and check to see if the mother comes back.

[@hwickward]

The Turtle Girl she died 💔😭

[@koalamarsc7452]

hwickward Oh no that’s awful!

[@DowntheWormHole]

neat set up!

[@miabaker86]

How many male and female roaches do you have for this size bin?

[@TheTurtleGirl]

hmm.....I don't quite remember. I've had this colony for almost 2 years now I think. I maybe started with 30 females and 15 males and assorted nymphs? Or something like that? But I'm not really sure.

[@SamJ-jn1sn]

Where can I buy a northern DBT?

[@geraldineesquivel2593]

Quick question just got a turtle should a baby turtle have a lot of water or a little water I’m scared idk what to do should I add a normal amount of water like a lot for them to swim or a little plz hellpp

[@snowyg357]

so why not do mesh on one side of the bin, and shake bin to that side to clean when feeding. Plus this would allow babies to eat amply with all excess. This would also prevent bin warping from lack of structure.

[@TheTurtleGirl]

ooh, that is an interesting idea! that could definitely work.

[@snowyg357]

Thanks. It works to clean it, plus it maintains the bins integrity. The cheap plastic uses both the base and the lip to keep the bin in its shape. It's less about heat changing the bin shape and more about the lack of structure not supporting it when the plastic heats the bin.

[@xSensu]

@@snowyg357 So then use that same heat pad and put it over the the mesh side where most of the heat actually goes into the bin and doesn't have to go through the plastic? Have you made one like this, if so you should put up some pictures and link it for others to see and get ideas :)