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Why Dubia Roaches Are the Ultimate Feeder Insect and Should You Breed or Buy Them?

Dubia roaches are among the most popular feeder insects for reptiles, amphibians, and birds due to their high nutritional value and ease of care. As a pet owner, you might wonder whether it’s better to buy dubia roaches as needed or start your own breeding colony to ensure a constant supply. While breeding Dubia roaches can save money and offer greater control over their health, it also requires time, space, and proper care.

In this article, we’ll break down the process of breeding Dubia roaches, including how to set up a colony, maintain the right conditions, and manage costs. We’ll also compare this to the convenience and expense of buying roaches from pet stores or online suppliers. By the end, you’ll have a clear understanding of whether buying or breeding Dubia roaches is the best option for you and your pets.

What’s Involved in Breeding Dubia Roaches

Breeding Dubia roaches can be an effective way to maintain a constant supply of feeder insects, but it requires careful planning and ongoing care. Here’s what’s involved in the process, from setting up their habitat to managing the breeding cycle.

Habitat Setup: The first step to breeding Dubia roaches is creating the ideal environment. Start by choosing a plastic or glass container with a secure lid and proper ventilation. A large plastic bin with small holes or mesh openings is ideal, as it provides sufficient airflow without allowing the roaches to escape. Add egg crates or cardboard tubes to the enclosure to give the roaches places to hide and climb—this reduces stress and promotes breeding.

For substrate, many breeders choose not to use any substrate to make cleaning easier, but if you prefer a more natural setup, use coconut fiber or paper bedding. Ensure there’s a shallow dish for food and a water source such as water gel crystals, which prevents drowning. Refer to this helpful tutorial for detailed instructions: How to Set Up a Dubia Roach Colony .

Care and Maintenance: Breeding Dubia roaches requires daily care to keep the colony healthy. Feed them a mix of fresh fruits, vegetables, and high-protein commercial roach food. Change the water gel regularly to keep them hydrated.

Maintain the enclosure at a temperature of 85°F to 95°F (29°C to 35°C) for optimal breeding. Humidity levels should be moderate, around 40% to 60%, to prevent dehydration but avoid mold growth. Clean the enclosure weekly to remove waste and uneaten food, which can attract mold and pests.

Breeding Schedule: Dubia roaches have a steady breeding cycle. Female roaches produce live nymphs after a gestation period of 30 to 60 days. They can give birth to 20-40 nymphs at a time, and the young roaches reach adulthood in about 4 to 6 months.

Managing multiple generations in the same enclosure is easy if you provide enough space and hiding places. Rotate egg crates to encourage even breeding. To maximize breeding success, keep the colony warm, feed them nutrient-rich foods, and maintain a clean environment.

Cost of Breeding Dubia Roaches: The initial setup costs for breeding Dubia roaches include the container, egg crates, food dishes, and heating equipment, which can range from $50 to $100. Ongoing costs include food, water gel, and heating. The time investment is moderate, requiring daily feeding and weekly cleaning, but breeding Dubia roaches can save money long-term by reducing the need to purchase feeder insects continuously.

Breeding Dubia roaches can be rewarding and cost-effective, but it requires a commitment to regular care and maintenance. With the right setup and conditions, you can ensure a healthy, thriving colony that meets your pet’s feeding needs.

Comparing the Costs and Convenience of Buying Dubia Roaches

When deciding whether to buy Dubia roaches or breed them yourself, it’s essential to weigh the costs and convenience of each option. Here’s a breakdown to help you make an informed decision.

Cost of Buying Dubia Roaches:

The average cost of purchasing Dubia roaches varies based on quantity and source. Typically, Dubia roaches cost between $0.10 and $0.30 each. For example, a single adult roach can cost around $0.25, but buying in bulk can bring the price down to about $0.10 per roach.

Let’s say your bearded dragon eats 10 roaches a day. This adds up to about 300 roaches per month. If you’re purchasing at $0.20 per roach, this translates to $60 a month, or $720 a year. On the other hand, buying in bulk may drop the cost to $30 a month or $360 a year. Bulk purchases can significantly reduce costs, but you need to ensure you can properly store and maintain the roaches before they die.

Convenience Factor:

One of the main benefits of buying Dubia roaches is convenience. You can simply purchase them as needed, whether through pet stores or online suppliers. This saves you from the daily responsibilities of breeding and maintaining a colony, such as feeding, cleaning, and monitoring temperature and humidity levels. Additionally, buying roaches eliminates the need for extra space to house a breeding colony.

However, there are cons to relying on purchased roaches. Availability can sometimes be an issue, especially during high-demand periods. There may be delays in shipments, or local pet stores might run out of stock. This unpredictability can disrupt your pet’s feeding schedule and lead to stressful situations if you run out of roaches unexpectedly.

Potential Savings vs. Time Investment:

While breeding Dubia roaches requires an initial investment in equipment and daily care, it can lead to substantial long-term savings, especially if you have multiple pets or use large quantities of roaches. Breeding can save hundreds of dollars a year compared to buying roaches regularly.

However, breeding roaches is not without its time commitment. You’ll need to invest time in feeding, cleaning, and ensuring the right conditions for breeding. The trade-off here is time vs. money: if you’re willing to spend time maintaining a roach colony, you can save money. If you prefer convenience, purchasing roaches might be worth the higher cost.

In the end, whether you choose to buy or breed Dubia roaches depends on your priorities—cost savings and self-sufficiency versus convenience and time savings. Both options have their advantages, and the best choice depends on your situation.

Pros and Cons of Breeding Dubia Roaches

When considering breeding Dubia roaches, it's essential to weigh the benefits against the challenges. Below are the key pros and cons to help guide your decision.

Pros:

1. Constant Supply of Roaches: One of the biggest advantages of breeding Dubia roaches is having a steady and reliable supply of feeder insects. This reduces the risk of running out of roaches and eliminates the need to make frequent trips to the pet store or place regular online orders.
2. Potential Long-Term Cost Savings: Although breeding roaches requires an initial investment for setup, it can result in significant long-term savings. Especially for pet owners with large-scale feeders like bearded dragons or leopard geckos, breeding your own Dubia roaches can save you hundreds of dollars annually compared to continuously purchasing them.
3. Greater Control Over the Health and Nutrition of the Roaches: By breeding your own colony, you have complete control over the roaches' diet and living conditions. This allows you to provide high-quality nutrition, ensuring that your feeder insects are healthy and free from pesticides or poor living environments, which is sometimes a concern with purchased roaches.

Cons:

1. Initial Setup Costs and Ongoing Maintenance Expenses: Setting up a Dubia roach colony requires purchasing containers, heating elements, food, water gel, and egg crates. Ongoing expenses include feeding the roaches and maintaining the correct environment for optimal breeding. While these costs can be offset over time, the initial investment is unavoidable.
2. Time Commitment and Daily Care Requirements: Breeding Dubia roaches requires a daily time commitment. You’ll need to feed the roaches, ensure they have fresh water, clean the enclosure regularly, and monitor temperature and humidity levels. This routine maintenance can be time-consuming, especially for larger colonies.
3. Challenges in Managing Breeding Cycles and Maintaining Colony Health: Successfully breeding roaches involves managing multiple generations within the same enclosure and preventing overcrowding. Maintaining colony health requires attention to detail, as poor management can lead to disease or a decline in breeding productivity.
4. Allergies: Dubias will create an extremely fine frass.  Many dubia breeders have developed allergies from breeding dubias, and now have to wear full face respirators.  

In conclusion, while breeding Dubia roaches can offer financial savings and a constant supply of feeder insects, it comes with the responsibility of daily care and colony management. Weighing the benefits of cost control against the time commitment will help you decide if breeding roaches is the right option for you.

Pros and Cons of Buying Dubia Roaches

When deciding between breeding and buying Dubia roaches, it’s essential to consider the advantages and disadvantages of purchasing roaches as needed.

Pros:

1. Convenience of Purchasing Dubia Roaches as Needed: One of the primary benefits of buying Dubia roaches is the convenience. You can purchase them whenever necessary, without having to manage the responsibilities of breeding a colony. This is particularly helpful for those with busy schedules or limited time to dedicate to insect care.
2. No Need for Additional Space or Daily Care Routines: Purchasing roaches eliminates the need for extra space in your home for a breeding colony. There’s no need for dedicated containers, heating elements, or constant monitoring. This hands-off approach saves you the daily task of feeding, cleaning, and maintaining a breeding setup.
3. Reliable Access to Roaches Without the Responsibility of Breeding: For many pet owners, buying roaches is the most reliable way to ensure they have feeder insects when they need them. With a reliable supplier, you can have quick and easy access to roaches without worrying about managing a breeding cycle, dealing with colony health issues, or having too few roaches for feeding.

Cons:

1. Higher Long-Term Costs, Especially if Purchased in Small Quantities: While purchasing Dubia roaches is convenient, it can become more expensive in the long run, especially if you buy them in small quantities. For pet owners who need a large supply of roaches, the cumulative costs of frequent purchases can add up over time, making breeding a potentially more cost-effective option.
2. Potential Issues with Availability, Especially During High-Demand Seasons: There’s always the risk that Dubia roaches may be out of stock or delayed, particularly during peak feeding seasons or shipping disruptions. This can create stress if you rely on regular deliveries and experience delays in getting your order.
3. Limited Control Over the Health and Quality of Purchased Roaches: When buying roaches from suppliers, you have limited control over their diet and health. There’s a possibility that the roaches may not be as healthy or nutritious as you’d like, especially if they were raised in suboptimal conditions or fed a poor-quality diet. This can impact the overall nutrition your pets receive.

In summary, buying Dubia roaches offers convenience but comes with higher long-term costs, potential availability issues, and limited control over quality. For some, the ease of purchasing roaches outweighs these downsides, while others may prefer the consistency and savings of breeding their own.

Conclusion and Final Recommendations

In this article, we’ve explored the pros and cons of both breeding and buying Dubia roaches. Breeding your own colony offers the benefits of a constant supply, potential long-term cost savings, and control over the roaches' health, but it also requires daily care, space, and an initial investment. On the other hand, buying roaches provides convenience, saving you the time and effort of breeding, though it can become more expensive over time and offers limited control over the quality of the roaches.

If you have the time, space, and dedication, breeding Dubia roaches can be a rewarding and cost-effective option, especially if you need large quantities. However, if you prefer convenience and are willing to pay the higher long-term costs, purchasing Dubia roaches as needed may be a better fit. Ultimately, the choice depends on your specific needs, time commitment, and preferences in managing your pet’s feeding routine.

Additional Resources

• Video: "How to Set Up a Dubia Roach Colony" - YouTube tutorial by Animal Plastics Link
• Other Resources: Reptile care forums, insect breeders, and online resources for further guidance