Blaptica dubia are considered by many to be one of the best feeder insect available.
They are easy to breed, produce little odor, and are very nutritious. For those who keep microgeckos, however, there is a minor complication.
Dubia grow. And they grow rather quickly.
Newly hatched nymphs are excellent for many species of micro geckos that aren’t quite so “micro.” They have excellent nutritional value and are generally accepted very readily.
For this reason, they continue to be a staple of the diet in my breeding program.
Dubia need good ventilation, hides, steady temperature and a bit of humidity. A classic plastic box with some egg cartons works perfectly.
Colonies produce way better between 28 and 30°C, the production is greatly decreased with cooler temps.
I primarily use my dry feed mix for feeder insects supplemented with separated hydration sources.
The colonies always have access to a water source through the watering system I use for all my feed insects.
I make sure to use a saucer that’s deeper than the others so it can hold more water. This way, some of that water evaporates—a process aided by the high temperatures—maintaining a level of humidity in the air that greatly aids the reproduction of dubia roaches.
The main challenge isn’t raising dubia roaches, but managing to collect them while they’re still small enough.
Many of the nymphs commonly sold as “baby dubia” are already too large for numerous species of microgeckos, which is why I periodically sort the colony using sieves of different sizes.
This way, I’m able to separate them into:
adults
subadults
juveniles
newly hatched nymphs
This system requires a bit of extra work but ensures that I always have insects available in the size best suited to the different species I’m raising.
Yes, without a doubt!
They require a bit more organization than other prey when breeding microgeckos, but their nutritional value more than makes up for the time needed to sort them by size.
Plus, they don’t climb smooth surfaces and aren’t pests—that’s two fewer problems to worry about compared to breeding lateralis cockroaches.