Could someone tell me what dubias are? I've been hearing more and more breeders feeding them to beardies. How do beardies benefit from them? Do they also carry pinworm like crickets?
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Dubias for beardies?
robbeardies
Jun 14, 2010 06:44 PM
Replies (5)
kiknskreem
Jun 14, 2010 09:52 PM
Blaptica dubia roaches.
Superior to crickets in every possible way!
PHLdyPayne
Jun 15, 2010 04:46 PM
These roaches are also called "orange spotted roach" or "Guyana spotted cockroach".
I haven't used roaches at all for feeders, mostly due to the confusion on whether its legal to own/breed/import exotic roaches into the country. That and I can get more than enough variety of insects for my bearded dragon that I don't feel a need to have a colony of roaches. It would be more work than its worth...as I wouldn't need more than maybe 20-30 a week, if that. Though I could get small/medium hissers as a treat if I wanted to.
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PHLdyPayne
Paradon
Jun 15, 2010 07:39 PM
Dubia is ridiculously easy to breed and keep. I start out with a little over a hundred teeny, tiny, little, baby roaches and now have thousands of them. They don't stink and you don't have to clean out the cage very often because they don't die on you like crickets do. You don't have to keep the cage moist like some people suggested; instead, you can feed them water gel or provide them with fresh, moist, leafy green vegetable for them to stay hydrated. Now, i don't have to go to the store animal and by 500 crickets at a time for, like, eleven bucks.
BDlvr
Jun 15, 2010 05:13 AM
I don't know about superior to crickets in every way, I've tried them and always went back to crickets. I think it has a lot to do with how many animals you have and what kind of cages you use. I can deal with a stray cricket around the house but a stray roach just isn't going to work here.
Some of my dragons ignored the roaches. Others didn't digest them well and they came out looking much like they went in. There is just a lot more shell in a roach compared to any other bug.
If you have only a few animals and they are housed in terrariums they could be a good choice if your animals accept them.
BDlvr
Jun 15, 2010 05:15 AM
Oh and I don't think you can blame crickets for pinworms. Parasites can come from anything including salad.
