Breeding Dubia roaches in warmer months is highly rewarding because they:

• Naturally thrive in warm environments
• Grow quickly 
• Breed more frequently 

However, if you are first-time breeders raising roaches as reptile food or as a hobby, you should be cautious, as higher temperatures can also lead to issues like overheating, humidity imbalances, and increased stress on the colony. These problems can lead to: 

• Slower reproduction
• Higher mortality rates
• Mold and bacterial growth
• Stressed, unhealthy roaches

So, it is important to understand how to keep the colony of roaches healthy and productive despite the heat. 

Here is the guide by TopFlight Dubia experts, which will share the step-by-step approach to breeding roaches during the warmer months. 

Dubia Roach Lifecycle 

Alt Text: Male and female Dubia roaches side by side

What Supplies Do You Need to Start a Dubia Roach Colony? 

Step 1: Choose the Right Enclosure 

Alt Text: Left side: glass aquarium 'minimum size 10 gallons.' Right side: plastic tub, minimum size 40 quarts.

Dubia roaches need an enclosure with smooth sides to prevent escapes. Although roaches cannot climb, they can use rough-surfaced walls to reach the top of the enclosure. 

So, there are two options for choosing a container for Dubia roaches:

• Glass Aquariums: A minimum size of 10 gallons is recommended. 
• Plastic Tubs: A minimum size of 40 quarts is ideal. 

Step 2: Maintain Proper Temperature And Humidity

Alt Text: Dubia roaches clustered near a thermometer on the left side.

The ideal temperature range for breeding Dubia roaches is between 24°C and 35°C (75°F and 95°F). Within this range, you can expect:

• Mating more often
• The time it takes for females to give birth is shorter
• The baby roaches grow up faster

They will not breed below 20°C (68°F). They need 40% to 60% relative humidity to molt and breed successfully, so make sure the humidity level is not too low.  You can mist the bin or add a water dish. While misting helps maintain humidity, ensure your enclosure has good ventilation to prevent excess moisture buildup, which can lead to mold growth.

Step 3: Food

Alt Text: Dubia roaches feeding on fresh orange slices in their enclosure.

Feed apples, oranges, tangerines, carrots, potatoes, and a dry food mixture because these foods contain essential nutrients that keep the roaches healthy. If you are a reptilian pet owner and want to give your pet live feeder insects, ensure the live food is nutritious and healthy. 

Rule for Feeding Citrus Fruits to Dubia Roaches:

Feed citrus fruits no more than twice a week. This is because excess citrus can cause digestive upset in roaches themselves as well as in reptiles like bearded dragons that eat these roaches. 

What Should You Not Feed Dubia Roaches? 

Avoid feeding high-protein pet foods such as dog or cat food, as they can lead to excess uric acid buildup, which harms roaches.

Step 4: Consider Substrate 

Alt Text: Left side: Dubia roach enclosure without substrate. Right side: Dubia roach enclosure with substrate.

Dubia roach enclosures can be set up with or without substrate. While substrate is not necessary for these roaches because they burrow in their own droppings. But some people choose to use it for many reasons: 

• Helps in controlling humidity
• Create a more natural habitat
• Aid in waste management
• Provide a comfortable medium for burrowing and hiding

If you choose to use substrate, then there are four options:

• Repti Soil mixed with some desert sand. 
• Paper towels.
• Eco earth, coconut fiber, sphagnum moss, or other soil mixtures. 
• Mix of eco-earth, topsoil, forest floor, reptile mulch, sand, and charcoal. 

Step 5: Use Egg Crates or Boxes

Alt Text: Stacked egg crate panels are commonly used as flooring or climbing surfaces in insect enclosures.

Roaches need dark, tight spaces to live and hide. The most common shelter is stacking egg crates vertically inside the bin. Egg crates are preferred because they provide ample surface area for climbing, which allows for a higher number of roaches per bin. 

The paper pulp style egg crates  (made from recycled cardboard and paper) are mainly used.

Flats with a + shape at the bottom of the cells are preferred over those with sharp points, as they appear more durable due to fortified edges.

Step 6: Ensure Ventilation 

Alt Text: Close-up of a metal window screen used for ventilation, featuring a sturdy mesh that prevents roaches from chewing through.

Using a plastic tub as an enclosure is common, but roaches can chew through some plastics if left unchecked. That’s why ventilation openings should be covered with a sturdy material like a metal window screen, which roaches cannot chew through. 

So, while the tub provides the main enclosure, the ventilation must be protected with a metal cover to prevent escapes and damage. 

Step 7: Mating 

Alt Text: Two Dubia roaches mating, showing the male mounted on the female. 

Ensure your colony has a good mix of males and females. The breeding ratio ranges from 1:3 to 1:7. 

Step 8: Cleaning and Maintenance

While feces and urine can dampen the bin over time, Dubia roaches produce relatively dry waste compared to other insects. So, you can clean the bin every few months unless it starts smelling bad or gets too wet. 

However, if moisture or odor builds up, it is important to clean the bin sooner to prevent mold and pests.

The waste inside, which is also called frass, is normal and helpful for roach health, but should not get wet or moldy. 

You only need to clean the bin every few months unless it starts smelling bad or gets too wet. 

Conclusion 

Breeding roaches in warmer months can be rewarding when you set up the right environment and follow the proven steps to breed roaches in warmer months. However, it is important to remember that patience is key, as the roaches need time to grow and reproduce successfully. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)