You don’t have to suffer tedious trips to the pet store to buy roaches for your pets anymore. It is time you set up a dubia roach starter colony because they are so easy to breed and are not as smelly as crickets.

Check out expert websites like https://www.topflightdubia.com/dubia-roach-colony to learn more about setting up a dubia roach starter colony at home. Before you set up your dubia roach colony at home, check if you have any allergies to dubia roaches, and if you do, be prepared to treat such allergies.

You need to have a well-ventilated area, and remember to wear a pair of protective gloves when you are anywhere near the dubia roaches. You may also want to wear a mask or respirator, which will help you avoid developing an allergy. If you sense itchiness in your skin, it is advisable to consult your doctor immediately.

Here are 5 things to keep in mind while buying your roach starter colony:

1. Have a Proper Enclosure

You need an enclosure or aquarium to house your dubia roach starter colony.  A 10-gallon plastic tub should suffice. It is better to get a lid to cover the tub, though there is no risk of your roaches getting out as they hardly crawl out and cannot fly. Drill some holes on the sides to allow fresh air inside. Alternatively, you could have a screen fixed on the lid. Keeping an extra tub handy makes sense as you’ll need to transfer the dubia roaches while cleaning the enclosure.

2. Ensure the Enclosure is Heated

Dubia roaches need to be kept warm at all times as it enhances their breeding capacity.  Hence you may want to keep the area heated at approximately 90 degrees F. You may want to fix a thermostat to maintain a uniform temperature, as too much or too little heat is not suitable for the roaches.

Better still if you have an adjustable thermostat that lets you control the temperature. Also, don’t forget to fix a thermometer to monitor the temperature. Give the heat source enough time to heat up uniformly.

3. Make Provisions for your Roaches to Stand

Ensure that you give enough shoulder space for your roaches so that they can move around without running into each other. If the space is too congested, the roaches may crush each other in their hurry to move around.

You may want to use the cartons that the roach eggs come in and stack them inside the enclosure. Don’t stack the cartons up to the top as that makes an easy way for the roaches to try to get out.

4. Food for the Dubia Roaches

It would help if you fed your dubia roaches well for them to be healthy. Roaches love munching on roach chow or any cricket feed. You can check out the gut load available in pet stores. Even dry dog food (leftovers) and chicken mash are great substitutes for roach feed. Store the feed in a cool, dry place as moisture tends to make the stuff moldy and smelly. Don’t throw vegetable and fruit peel in the garbage; they make excellent, nutritious roach-feed.

5. Buy more Females than Males

If you want your dubia roach colony to multiply fast to have an unending supply of dubia roaches, buy more females. All it takes is a virile male to impregnate a horde of female roaches. Also, ensure that you have a good number of breeding-sized roaches as the nymphs (young ones) are not old enough to breed. Also, as roaches get older, they tend to get less productive.

Summing it Up

Breeding dubia roaches may not be everyone’s cup of tea, and some people prefer to buy them as and when the need arises. Of course, there are significant savings in the long run, but handling dubia roaches comes with risks.