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The great dubia escape... a cautionary tale

KrissyLeigh

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
302
Location
south Texas
So one morning I stumble out of bed at the crack of dawn (7:30), bumping into everything and tripping over dogs as per usual, and I open the door to my bedroom to find a large roach greeting me at the doorway. So I think to myself, "well that's kindof gross but I'll deal with it after coffee" - no, I'm not a morning person. Continue my zombie walk to the kitchen...

And almost step on two more roaches. Now something is beginning to alarm my sleeping brain cells, and I pick one up and see that it is a dubia roach. Uh-oh. I proceed to follow a trail of dubia roaches, like breadcrumbs, back to my reptile room.... and my multi-thousand strong breeding colony. To see that my CHE had MELTED A HOLE in the container, and the egg crates were positioned so they could escape. Obviously.

So my partner does NOT approve of the roaches, pretends they don't exist, will have NOTHING to do with them, was about to wake up and see a roach infestation in our house, and I absolutely NEEDED to be at work on time for a training. So I frantically begin picking up roaches, hair all askew, barely dressed, sheer panic driving my sleep deprived brain. WORST SCAVENGER HUNT EVER.


I pick up all I see, throw the dubia bin in the bathtub (they can't climb the tub walls), hide it with the shower curtain, and barely make it to work on time. I will never tell my partner of this. I repaired the bin as a temporary fix, work in progress for a better solution. Moral of the story - for the love of beardies now sure your heating element is not going to melt a hole in your colony!!!!
 

Hdrydr31

Bearded Dragon Veteran
Staff member
3 Year Member
1,000+ Post Club
Messages
5,574
HAHAHAAHA great picture you painted.. Yea CHE get pretty dang hot I just use the red heat bulbs.
 

PatsyB

Super Moderator
Staff member
1,000+ Post Club
Beardie Club
Messages
9,390
Location
Chicago
LOL! There are so many things that our partners don't need to know!!!! I don't tell my guy how many dubia I actually "lose" in the warm tropical bio setting of the frog tank!
 

Aziara

Hatchling Dragon
Messages
59
You just described my worst nightmare.
Indeed, that story is why I don't think I'll ever be able to handle having dubias... or any other roaches for that matter.
I think I'll stick to the various wormies, lol. At least if they get out, they can't get very far.
 

hilabeanz

Bearded Dragon Egg
3 Year Member
Messages
18
I will say, as much as my skin still crawls when handling them, I GREATLY prefer them to crickets. Crickets are stinky and they can jump. These dubias are almost sad, they are so harmless. My disdain for them is inexplicable. But, well, it is what it is. That said, I will always feed mainly dubias for protein.

I don't have a colony, though. Just a roach motel for housing my feeders. :)
 

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KrissyLeigh

Juvenile Dragon
Messages
302
Location
south Texas
I will say, as much as my skin still crawls when handling them, I GREATLY prefer them to crickets. Crickets are stinky and they can jump. These dubias are almost sad, they are so harmless. My disdain for them is inexplicable. :)

I actually feel the same way about them. As far as insects go, they are one of the more ineffectual. Especially the babies - sad little rollypollies scurrying about. Still not fun trying to track them down and pick them all up in a hurry in then morning though! Wouldn't suggest it. :)
 
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