Dubia Roach Care Sheet for maximum feed nutrition and longevity (2023)

This care sheet describes simple steps you can take to maintain the quality of ourDubia cockroachesovertime.

Our Dubia cockroaches are equipped with excellent health and superior nutrition for your animals. However, these things are perishable. Our cockroaches need a little maintenance to maintain their quality if you plan to keep them for more than a week or two before feeding them.

Fortunately, Dubia cockroaches are very easy to care for. Automatic feeders can live weeks or months at room temperature with little food, moisture and a dark place to hide. However, this is bare-bones survival. We want to help you do more, and it's easy with just a little knowledge and modest effort.

Table of Contents

• Temperature
• Hydration
• Mad
• Ly
• Humidity
• Lys
• Care by size (age)

NOTE: The following information applies to Dubia roach feeders, not breeders. Although there is some overlap between the two, raising Dubia cockroaches requires equipment, conditions, and effort beyond what we cover here. For detailed breeding information, please see our comprehensiveDubia Roach Breeding Guide.

Temperature

Store Dubia roach feeders between 50ºF and 80ºF. They can survive higher and lower temperatures, but they can become stressed if the high or low temperatures last too long. 50-80 is a safe series that supports their health and longevity. For example, a dark, quiet place in your home that stays between 62ºF and 72ºF most of the day and night will do well.

Temperature and growth

Keep your cockroaches between 70ºF and 90ºF if you want them to grow larger. To a point, the higher the temperature, the faster they will grow. But many people buy the largest size Dubia their animals can handle and don't want them to get any bigger. If this is the case, keep them between 50ºF and 70ºF. Dubia cockroaches kept at 60ºF can take up to 10 times longer to complete an instar (growth cycle) than those kept at 90ºF.

Gives heat

Whether for growth or to maintain the health of their Dubia roaches, people often increase the temperature of the holding tank with supplemental heat. Common heating methods include heating pads, tape, mats and cable, ceramic heaters and bulbs.

Pay attention to safety if you decide to provide external heat. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions and warnings. We do not recommend placing heating units inside Dubia roach enclosures. Nothing the cockroaches come into contact with should ever get hotter than 90ºF. As a rule, Dubia cockroaches should be able to escape temperatures above 90ºF. If they can't, they become stressed and their health suffers.

With feeder roaches, the decision of whether or not to provide heat depends on (1) how long you want to keep them and (2) the temperature of your home. If you plan to feed them in the next week or two and you keep them at a comfortable "room temperature" they probably won't need it. If you plan to keep them for a month and you keep the roaches in a basement that averages 50ºF, they may benefit from supplemental heat.

Hydration

Like all insects, Dubia roaches need moisture in some form. You can meet their hydration needs with fresh fruits and vegetables, water, or both.

If you want to feed the cockroaches quickly, it probably doesn't matter how you add moisture. You can drop a sliced ​​apple or a slice of carrot into their enclosure and this (or something similar) will work just fine.

However, if you plan to keep the cockroaches for a while, it becomes important to use a dish when giving your cockroaches food and water. A dish prevents moisture from coming into contact with frass, which is the cockroach and discarded exoskeletons that build up over time. Frass transports moisture and tends to dry slowly. When it's deep enough, it may never dry. This can lead to overgrowth of mold and bacteria.

If you use a dish or saucer, make sure it allows access to all the cockroaches - especially the smallest ones. The smaller the shell, the more vulnerable they are to starvation and dehydration. A dish that all cockroaches can use is one with a short lip that they can step over or with textured sides that they can climb.

Fresh fruits and vegetables

To the extent you can, give your Dubia roaches fresh fruits and vegetables. They are healthy and they are part of the Dubia roach's natural diet. In addition to satisfying their hydration needs, they also provide excellent nutrition. This benefits the cockroaches and it also benefits the animals that eat them.

Remove any uneaten food scraps from the cabinet before mold forms. This is especially important with foods with a high water content, which break down quickly. Examples include apples, bananas, leafy greens and moistened pet food. Carrots and potato wedges, for example, tend to last longer and require less frequent replacements.

Nutrition Note: Consider feeding your Dubia cockroaches plants that contain the nutrients you want your animals to eat. For example, you can choose vegetables with lots of calcium or carotenoids if your animal needs more of these nutrients. Also remember that for any animal, dietary diversity is probably better than monotony, so mix it up if you can.

Related reading:Gut loading Dubia cockroaches for the health of your animals »

Water

Dubia cockroaches can go a long time without water, but it's probably not very healthy for them.

If you do not provide your cockroaches with a constant supply of fresh fruit or vegetables, provide supplemental water. This can be difficult because Dubia cockroaches are notoriously prone to drowning. It would be nice if you could give them a saucer or dish of plain water, but you can't.

If necessary, provide access to water in one of the following ways.Common Dubia roach watering methodsincludes water crystals, paper towels and sponges. These methods absorb water and allow the cockroaches to remove it from the material.

Once you have chosen a hydration method that all of your cockroaches can use, place your water bowl inside the enclosure on the floor. Do not place it where it may tip over or where substrate or port may touch it. A spot on the floor with some space around it is usually best. Clean and replace the water bowl every few days before it dries out or before mold grows.

Nutritional Note: If you plan to eat the cockroaches within a few weeks, water quality may not be critical. But if you're keeping them longer, consider distilled instead of tap water. There are a lot ofchemicals in tap water(external link)atlast for a very long time(external link), and we know little about the long-term effects they have on us, let alone insects, reptiles, amphibians, and the like. What's in your water depends on where you live, but a few common chemicals include chlorine, fluoride, pesticides, copper, lead, fertilizers and prescription drugs.

Water quality is often unknown, so we avoid the potential risks to our cockroaches and animals by using distilled water in our colonies. This is something you don't have to worry about if you meet their hydration needs with fruits and vegetables.

Mad

Dubia cockroaches can survive for a long time without food. And they have specialized bacteria in their guts that enable them to eat items with almost no nutritional value like paper and cotton. This is certainly not ideal in terms of their health, but they can do it. Since these are automatic feeders, and because Dubia cockroaches can feed on almost anything, you need to focus on supporting the nutritional needs of the end consumer and not the shell. The end consumer is of course your animals.

Because Dubia cockroaches can eat almost anything, almost anything you feed them will keep them alive. But foods like fruits and vegetables will help keep them healthy and strong, and these foods will also help keep the animals that feed on them healthy and strong.

This goes back to the idea of ​​bowel strain, which we highly recommend.

The bottom line is that while Dubia roaches benefit from a healthy diet, they don't need a lot. They are scavengers with simple, basic needs. This is great for the animals that eat them. Feed your Dubia roaches healthy foods with the nutrients you want your animals to consume and they will live up to their reputation as superior feeders.

Examples of food for your cockroaches

Some common, widely available foods that are good for Dubia cockroaches (and likely for the animals that eat them) are oats, whole grain bread, cereal, apples, oranges, bananas, carrots, sweet potatoes, squash, and broccoli stems. Dubia cockroaches consume these foods readily.

Experimenting with foods

You can experiment with different foods and food combinations if you want. We feed our Dubia cockroaches different foods depending on their growth stage, but you don't have to worry about growth or reproduction with automatic feeders. Your Dubia automatic feeders have probably arrived at or close to the size you need them to be. Your concern is not their growth, but your animal's nutritional needs. Feed the cockroaches based on them.

Be careful with protein

We do not recommend feeding Dubia cockroaches high protein foods. They already area protein-rich insect, and they evolved to deal with scarcity ofstore uric acid when protein is abundant(external link)at times when it is not. Uric acid is an antioxidant and a natural byproduct of protein digestion, but it can also be a toxin at very high levels.

Instead of giving your animals more protein, overfeeding protein to Dubia cockroaches can create a situation where the animals eating them have to eliminate more uric acid than they would otherwise naturally. There is no benefit to this. While probably not a big deal for most captive insectivores, protein overload is potentially bad news for those with existing health problems—especially kidney problems—or who are otherwise on the edge health-wise. You can read our post aboutDubia cockroaches and dietary proteinif you would like to learn more. Protein is a bit of a mystery nutrient, and many people think the more the better, but that's not the case. A high protein diet is known to kill cockroaches, so don't go overboard with protein.

Housing

Naturally, you need a safe place to house your Dubia cockroaches. As automatic feeders, they don't need much. You can store them in any container that is:

• unaffected by moisture
• gives you easy access
• is smooth sided
• and opaque

Many different types of plastic storage containers work well for roach houses, but jars, buckets, aquariums, and similar items can also work. There are plenty of options when it comes to temporary storage. Perhaps the two most important things to consider when choosing a house for your automatic feeders are escape and air circulation.

Nutrition Note: We notice many things in large colonies that are less obvious in small ones. One of these is the importance of shelter, darkness and community. Dubia cockroaches that have these are healthier than those that don't. To maintain optimal health, make sure your roaches have a dark place to hide and regular access to physical contact with other roaches. Interestingly, there is such a thing as "roach psychology", and Dubia are especially social cockroaches. They seek the company of other cockroaches for protection whenever possible and prefer not to be alone. At least give them some shelter if you can.

Container size

Dubia cockroaches prefer small spaces. They will survive in large enclosures, but they do better in tight quarters surrounded by other cockroaches. You will find that they seek these conditions when placed in large, open spaces. Keep this in mind when choosing a container. A group of 50 Dubia will do better in a shoebox size than a 40-gallon tub, for example. Since these are automatic feeders, there is no need for a large container. Find a good size enclosure for the cockroaches you have now, and if you end up with a larger colony in the future, you can upgrade accordingly.

Harbor

To accommodate their need for darkness and physical contact, place some type of dock in their enclosure. This will ideally be something they can crawl on and hide inside. It could be paper egg cartons, crumpled newspaper, cardboard tubes from a used paper towel roll and much more. You can use anything that provides small, dark spaces where cockroaches can congregate. If you want to feed them in a few days or a week, this is probably not necessary. But if you keep them longer, consider giving them a place to hide.

Low

Covers are often unnecessary because Dubia cockroaches cannot climb on smooth surfaces. But in addition to keeping things in, lids also keep things out. This can be helpful if you have pets or people who might want to check out your cockroaches. Also remember that Dubia cockroaches can climb on lightly worn surfaces. With any new enclosure, make sure the sides are smooth enough to prevent escape before going lidless. Keep in mind that small nymphs are smaller and lighter than larger ones, which means they can climb smoother surfaces. Sometimes all it takes is a little dust or dirt on an otherwise smooth surface for little nymphs to climb all the way up. A container with smooth, clean sides will encourage the cockroaches to stay put.

If you use a lid, make sure the cockroaches have enough air. You can cut ventilation holes and secure them with window screen and hot glue or tape. Dubia cockroaches can chew through fiberglass screen, so if they can reach it, be sure to use metal. If you're not trying to keep anything out, open vents may work for you.

If you have a container with walls for the roaches to climb and you don't have a lid, you can prevent escape by spreading a two- to three-inch-wide band of Vaseline all the way around the walls inside the container. Apply it very thinly, using only enough to coat the surface. Vaseline loses its thick viscosity at high temperatures and tends to run down the walls if applied too thickly. This will not be a problem for those who keep their cockroaches at room temperature.

Alternatively, apply a strip of clear packing tape to the upper interior surface instead of Vaseline. Both work equally well. All things being equal, duct tape is less messy than Vaseline and would probably be our recommendation.

The best solution, however, is a container with smooth sides that the cockroaches cannot penetrate, and a lid with ventilation holes to keep cockroaches in and curious animals and people out.

Basis

Do not use any substrate in your cabinet. As mentioned above, bacteria and Dubia cockroaches thrive in the same conditions, and the two are not always a healthy mix. Reduce the risk of bacterial overgrowth by keeping the enclosure clean and dry. There is no benefit in letting some frass (roach poop and exoskeletons) accumulate. But in most situations there is no harm either.

The exception is with Minis who may still be in their poop eating stage. Young Dubia nymphs eat feces for the nitrogen and bacteria they need to colonize their guts. However, you don't need to worry too much about any of this if you plan to feed the roaches within a week or two. In most cases, frass is a waste product and you can dispose of it.

Humidity

In general, Dubia roach feeders do not have special humidity requirements. If you live in a dry climate or the air in your home is dry due to central air or heating, your cockroaches may appreciate daily misting. But it probably won't improve their health or increase their lifespan. Humidity helps melting, so if your air is dry and you notice melting problems, consider increasing the humidity. If you spray, allow the enclosure to dry completely before spraying again. Dubia cockroaches are not a super high humidity insect. 40% to 60% relative humidity is about all they need.

Remember that these recommendations are for Dubia roach feeders. Growers have moisture requirements that are not covered here.

Lys

If possible, keep your Dubia cockroaches in a dark place. This is not super critical if you need to feed them quickly. However, if you keep them for more than a few weeks or months, they will become stressed if exposed to too much light. On the other hand, they need darkness and can never have too much of it.

Size-dependent care

Our Dubia roach care sheet wouldn't be complete without size-specific care information. We think it's useful to be aware of the various differences between sizes from a nutritional perspective, although it's up to you how deeply you want to go into caring for your Dubia automatic feeders.

Temperature

Large cockroaches can withstand greater environmental extremes than their smaller peers. Nymph Minis, for example, are particularly affected by temperatures outside the range recommended for growth. They are also more easily affected by food and water shortages. The bigger Dubia cockroaches get, the better they can handle extreme environments and other stresses.

Young Dubia grow quickly, so they quickly use up the energy they eat. They also have fewer reserves due to their small size and because they have had less time to build up their reserves compared to older cockroaches. Basically, the bigger (older) the shell, the better it handles adversity. The smaller (younger) the shell, the more consistent care they need.

Colons stress

Small nymphs are vulnerable to predation in a colony. Stressed adults with insufficient protein, sporadic food availability, or poor food quality will eat young nymphs. Adults also tend to take out the young nymphs when colonies are crowded and conditions are otherwise substandard. Adult males will eat the young when reproductive pressure is high, such as when the ratio of females to males is low. Basically, the more stressed the colony is, the fewer little nymphs survive.

Under normal conditions, Dubia are social cockroaches and do not tend to harm each other. Newborn nymphs can generally be kept with larger nymphs and adults without problems if you follow the steps below.

• Keep temperatures within the "growth" range listed above
• Provide adequate food and water
• Provide adequate safe harbor and at least 10 hours of darkness in a 24 hour period
• Reduce the ratio of adult males to adult females to 1:3 or lower

Newborn nymphs receive a great deal of protective care from adult females. Captive insects probably do not need the protection to survive in well-stocked enclosures, but it may benefit their well-being. This in turn can affect their health, which affects how long they survive, how much they eat, how fast they grow and ultimately how nutritious they are as feeds. Dubia cockroaches need physical contact, and their growth can be stunted to the extent that they don't get it.

Frass

As previously mentioned, newborn Dubia cockroaches eat frass. This generally applies to cockroaches ¼-inch or smaller. If you have cockroaches of this size, consider leaving at least some frass in the enclosure. On the other hand, neither frass nor its absence appears to affect adults.

Conclusions

What is important to remember is that maintaining Dubia roaches is not an all or nothing proposition. There are some things they can't live without, but once you meet their basic needs, any marginal step you take to support their physiological (and in some cases psychological) health will likely preserve their overall health. And remember: Healthy feeders are nutritious feeders.

To decide what level of care to give your Dubia roaches, you must first determine their purpose. If you are feeding them in a week or two, there is nothing wrong with keeping them in a warm, dark place with some food and water and leaving it at that. If you want to keep them longer, or if you want to empty them or grow them bigger, the cockroaches and your animal(s) will benefit if you do more.

Our bottom line advice is to decide what you want from your cockroaches and then act accordingly. We hope this care sheet has given you helpful ideas as you work towards your goals!