Dubia question

[Willtheeman]

So I got a couple adult dubias and I noticed something weird. Idk if they gave birth or if it's normal for them to have a dry sack looking thing hanging from their rear...right now two females have them but I don't see any nymphs in their tub. I haven't really search so I don't disturb then too much besides the weekly water crystal resupply and every other day change of veggies . I got then about two weeks ago so I'm guessing they came already ready to pop if that's what that sack means.
Also, I have read that if there is a sweet smell to the container, it pretty bad. I put oranges weekly and I don't think the smell is that sweet but it does have some weirdish smell to it but its subtle (this is my feeder tub) should I worry? I don't see much dead dubias just shed molted skin and the ones that are dead are from a shipment that got delayed a week and only half survived. I got a few cleaning beetle larvae but I think I need more since they're not keeping up

 

[Hdrydr31]

If it's a dry sac and you don't see any nymphs moving around in the fras or under the female then she already gave birth before you got them as I don't think the females will eat them if they have something else to eat..the males will. What I've noticed that if I disturb a female that has a redish tubular thing (I think eggs) she will drop it the next day so I am now really careful when I have to move the egg flats. I have a well established colony that I don't have any weird sweet smell other than the oranges I give them.. I however change out the orange slices every couple days to keep the dang fruit flies to a min..Every month I sort them into 2 tubs (1 colony 1 feeders) I take out any shed's and any that pass but that's pretty rare now.

 

[Willtheeman]

If it's a dry sac and you don't see any nymphs moving around in the fras or under the female then she already gave birth before you got them as I don't think the females will eat them if they have something else to eat..the males will. What I've noticed that if I disturb a female that has a redish tubular thing (I think eggs) she will drop it the next day so I am now really careful when I have to move the egg flats. I have a well established colony that I don't have any weird sweet smell other than the oranges I give them.. I however change out the orange slices every couple days to keep the dang fruit flies to a min..Every month I sort them into 2 tubs (1 colony 1 feeders) I take out any shed's and any that pass but that's pretty rare now.

Thanks hdrydr31! Always helpful! I think maybe the males ate them because ever since I got them I haven't seen the chow go down in size...oranges will get eaten but that's it...the water crystals get consumed also but not the chow. Should I throw some oatmeal in the bean and wheat bran? That's what I put on the feeder tub and it gets eaten ...I also have some cricket cricketcrack but idk if I should use it

 

[Hdrydr31]

No worries! I make my roach chow I put chic feed, guinea pig pellets, wheat bran, oatmeal, fish flakes (I think that's all of it)

 

[Willtheeman]

I might try that then...on regards of the breeder tub....I have them with a heated mat seat at high...the ones that come with a fleece...should I remove it? Because I feel like its not hot enough and I read that for dubias to reproduce they need 95-100 degrees and when I check with the temp gun they're at mid 80s

 

[Hdrydr31]

This is my set up and they are producing very well, now I've been told they do need the higher temps but it's working well for me.. ..
They are in my basement in a small room, I have them in tubs covered in dark folder paper, mesh tops, mesh holes along sides, I have a space heater going and 2 red lamps. My temps are 80-85, I also have a bowl of water keeping the humidity at around 30-35. I check to see where they are in their egg flats to see if they are warm enough and they are evenly spaced for the most part with a few more closer to the lamps in front.. It's working for me as I just sorted them last night and have at least 60 new nymphs, I will be feeding off quite a few nymphs the next few days and have many juv's both male and females to feed off and my female to male ratio is 3:1.

 

[Willtheeman]

Ooh OK...I'll give it shot for a couple more weeks the way I have them because its more convenient, if not I'll try your method...I noticed that 4 males died since I got them but it could be old since I haven't touch then since then...today I saw a couple small nymphs by the water crystals so maybe one did have some nymphs.

 

[Hdrydr31]

That's a good sign if you see the small nymphs! do your best to not bother them give them the oranges as they really like those! dark, warm, humid, quite = nymphs

 

[Hdrydr31]

A big thing is getting a good ratio of male to female 3:1 In the beginning I had 4:2 and as they got producing I went back down to 3:1. You will get more males than females from what I've found. The hardest thing for me was the waiting and the leaving the colony alone except to change water crystals and new oranges.. It was expensive in the beginning to keep buying roaches to feed while waiting to be able to use my own...It was well worth the wait as they are a happy colony with many producing females! I've had to slow them down by lowering the temps a bit as my Izzy is partially brumating so her eating has slowed.. I'm going to be knee high in roaches when she fully wakes up!! lol Every month I sort my main colony I use 2 bins 1 for males 1 for females, I sort thru them down to the smaller nymphs. First the adults 3:1 any extra males go into my feed off bin. then I sort the juv's 4:2 (allowing for any deaths) Then I remove all the babies they go into my other bin for them to grow to become the next breeders or to become feeders. I do this so I can see how fast/slow they are producing. Make sure you leave the fras as the babies need that to burrow in and to eat so I only remove the shed's and any dead ones. Once the fras gets to be 3" then you can remove some leaving 1-2".

I prefer roaches over crickets for sure ( I raised crickets for 4+ years) way way easier!!

 

[firehawk0285]

They carry their egg sacs internally. Sometimes they eject part or all of the sac. I think it he's regulate the temperature. If you need future roaches, check discountdubias.com. Super cheap!