We’re committed to providing the highest quality Dubia roaches and the best service on the Internet. We would love your business. Here are some of the things we do to earn it.
Contents
- About our products
- About our services
- About our guarantees
- Shipping Schedule
- Return instructions – live arrival
- Return instructions – dissatisfied
- Answers to common questions about our products and services
Quality Dubia Roaches
We sell quality Dubia roaches raised on whole, natural, human-grade foods. We’ve had great success with our Dubia roach chow, which we developed with great effort over time. Healthy roaches are productive roaches, so we take great care to maximize the health of our stock.
When it comes to Dubia roach production, we believe nutrition is paramount. And science backs us up. Experts generally recognize that proper nutrition is critical for insect growth and production. Nutrition is not the only thing that matters, but peak production is impossible without it.
For those who buy roaches as feeders, our focus on health increases the nutritional value of our Dubia. We developed our Dubia roach food in part to create the most nutritious feeders possible for our own animals. With over a year of testing, we created a high-quality roach chow that grows healthy, nutritious Dubia roaches.
Because we raise all our Dubia roaches on quality foods, they are suitable for feeding your animals right out of the box. As a general rule, we do recommend gut-loading Dubia roach feeders. However, you don’t ever have to wonder whether or not our roaches are nutritious or have been well cared for. And you don’t need to worry about what’s in their guts. We’re obsessed with boosting Dubia roach growth and production through nutrition. This means we feed our roaches whole, natural foods and not cheap bulk feeds. We aren’t into factory-style production.
In short, healthy Dubia roaches are what we do, and nutrition is how we do it.
Organic Roaches
Besides the standard fare, we also offer organic Dubia roaches because we’re serious about providing superior nutrition to our animals and yours. Pesticides are bad for insects. They’re known to be bad for people too. It follows that they’re probably not good for our animals.
Organic Dubia roaches are definitely “next-level” feeders. We understand that they’re a bit of a luxury and they aren’t necessary or practical in all situations. You can create healthier feeders from standard roaches if you prefer. Offer them organic food for a few days or a week before feeding them off to your animals. Longer is better, but anything you do to clear their system is a step in the right direction.
When feeding organic food isn’t possible, try to avoid the so-called “dirty dozen” foods. These have more pesticides than the average food item. At a minimum, thoroughly wash any produce you offer your Dubia roaches.
The bottom line is that all our roaches get the very best care. We would feed them all organic foods if we could, but unfortunately, that’s not practical.
Our Services
Our services include same-day shipping and free shipping. We are also available to answer any questions you may have.
Same Day Shipping
With us, there’s no waiting around for your order to ship. Orders placed by 2 PM Pacific Time (5 PM Eastern) on regular shipping days usually ship that day. Orders placed after 2 PM may ship that day, but we can’t promise they will. It depends on factors that change by the day, month, and season. If we receive your order after the cut-off and we can get it out that day, we will.
NOTE: USPS Express (Overnight) has an earlier cut-off time than other services. These orders usually ship the same day if we receive them by 1 PM Pacific Time. We do our best to get all overnight orders out the day they’re placed.
Shipping Schedule:
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| Regular Shipping Schedule | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| USPS Priority Mail (Usually 1-3 bus. days) | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day |
| USPS First Class Mail (Usually 1-5 bus. days) | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day |
| USPS Express (overnight) | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day |
| FedEx 2nd Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day |
| Typical Extreme Weather Shipping Schedule | Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday |
| USPS Priority Mail (Usually 1-3 bus. days) | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day* | |
| USPS First Class Mail (Usually 1-5 bus. days) | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day* | ||
| USPS Express (overnight) | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day |
| FedEx 2nd Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Same Day | Ships Monday | |
| *Orange: Orders ship same-day at our discretion. The main issues are temperature and no USPS delivery on Sundays. We may delay shipping if we’re aware of conditions likely to impact the health of the roaches. | |||||
NOTE: We list shipping delays on our Shipping Status and Alerts page. You can visit this page to see what delays (if any) have happened recently, which is often a good indication of what to expect when you place an order.
We structure shipping to avoid having insects sit unattended in extreme weather. Some examples are Sundays, holidays, and flight cancellations due to bad weather. However, we will ship your order on a non-shipping day by request. If you expect severe weather in your area and want us to ship your order anyway, write “Friday shipping OK” (or similar) in the checkout page message box. Please note that requesting shipping on non-shipping days is risky. We don’t guarantee live arrival when we ship on non-shipping days at the customer’s request.
Free Shipping
Orders of Dubia roaches and supplies over $49 are eligible for free shipping. When your order total reaches this threshold, you will see a free shipping option at checkout. You will also see all the regular options, like Priority Mail and FedEx.
Orders of food items like Dubia roach chow and gut load over $95 are also eligible for free shipping. We ship these items separately due to their weight.
If you select free shipping, we will ship your order USPS First Class Package or Priority Mail, depending on package weight.
Our Packaging
We ship all orders discreetly by default. We package orders in either plain boxes, USPS boxes, or similar. The return address is “DR Depot.” There is no mention of insects or roaches on the outside of the package. Nothing we put on the outside of the package gives away its contents.
Recurring Shipments (aka: subscriptions)
We can ship Dubia roaches to you on a schedule of your choosing. Weekly, monthly — whatever you like! Just choose a time interval on the product page, complete checkout, and you’ll begin receiving Dubia roaches regularly.
Managing Recurring Shipments
You can edit or cancel recurring shipments in the MyAccount area by clicking “Recurring Shipments” on the navigation menu. For more information, see our recurring shipment information page, and if you have any questions, please let us know.
Our Guarantees
Our service guarantees include our Live Arrival Guarantee and Complete Satisfaction Guarantee. These come with conditions and limitations, which are detailed below.
Live Arrival Guarantee
We guarantee that the roaches you order from us will arrive alive when all of the Conditions below are met, and subject to the Details and Limitations that follow. Though we do not guarantee live arrival when the following conditions are not met, we encourage anyone with a live arrival issue to contact us and describe the situation. We want all our customers to be happy, and we may be able to work something out, depending on the circumstances.
Conditions:
- Temperature: Your local temperature must be between 40° F and 80° F, as must the temperature en route. We do not guarantee live arrival when the temperature falls below 40° F or rises above 80° F at any time while the package is in transit either (a) in the delivery zip code, or (b) at any location listed in the package tracking history. While heat and cold packs are usually effective at keeping insects alive during shipment in extreme temperatures, they do not eliminate risk and are not a guarantee against loss.
- Delivery: The package must be accepted. Refusing delivery will void our Live Arrival Guarantee.
- Regular Shipping Days: The package must be shipped on a regular shipping day, or on a non-regular shipping day our discretion. Packages shipped on non-regular shipping days at the customer’s request are not covered by our Live Arrival Guarantee.
- Documentation: The condition of the roaches at the time of arrival must be clearly documented with video or digital photographs. These must be emailed to us within four hours of the arrival time indicated by the carrier’s tracking system.
Details and Limitations: If the Conditions above are met, we will issue a credit at our discretion for the value of the dead roaches. Shipping costs are final and non-refundable. They are not guaranteed, credited, or refunded.
Instructions for Live Arrival Claims
Email your video or photographs and a description of the situation along with your name and order details.
We want to be the number one supplier of Dubia roaches online, so we work hard to get and keep your business. We think that comes through in the quality of our roaches and the service we offer our customers. If there is ever a problem with an order, contact us and we’ll see what we can do to fix it.
Complete Satisfaction Guarantee
Each order comes with the following guarantee: If you are unhappy with your purchase for any reason, you may return it to us in original condition for a refund, minus the cost of shipping.
This is our Complete Satisfaction Guarantee, and it extends to Dubia roaches. Within a reasonable time, you may return live roaches that you bought from us for a pro-rated refund. For example, if you buy 50 Dubia roaches and decide you want to return them after feeding 25 to your animals, you may send the remaining 25 back to us and we may refund up to half the cost of the roaches. To return live roaches, please follow the return instructions below.
Return Instructions
To return items you’re unhappy with, including roaches and partial orders, contact us via email. Identify your order by order number or name and date, describe (a) what you want to return and (b) the condition of the item(s) to be returned, and wait for a reply from us. Please don’t ship anything before receiving instructions.
Answers to Common Questions
Below are answers to common questions about our products and services. Please contact us via our online contact page or email if your question isn’t answered here.
My roaches arrived and they aren’t moving. What should I do?
See our live arrival guarantee instructions and contact us right away. Also set the roaches aside in a spot where the temperature is between 70 and 80 degrees F and see what happens. As strange as it sounds, they may come back to life, even if they appear dead.
Do you ship to Florida?
Yes, but only to those with a state-issued permit. Otherwise, shipping Dubia Roaches to Florida is illegal. Please contact us if you have a permit and would like to place an order.
Do you give your Dubia roaches any supplements?
No. We give them a well-balanced diet. All the vitamins and minerals they need are in the grains, fruits, and vegetables they eat. If you want your animals to get extra vitamins like vitamin A or minerals like calcium, you should gutload or dust with a vitamin or mineral powder.
My order isn’t here and tracking says “delivered”. What should I do?
First check to see if the package was left in an unusual place, or if your neighbors may have picked it up by accident. Then contact the carrier. They can often figure out if they made an error – especially if you call them quickly.
Do you overstock orders?
Usually. Although loss in transit is uncommon, we overstock many orders 5-10% just in case.
Why are Dubia roaches so expensive?
It’s a supply and demand issue. They are expensive compared to other feeder insects right now but we are working to change that.
Do you ship to Hawaii?
Unfortunately, no. Hawaii requires a long permitting and quarantine process even for dogs and cats, and it’s unlikely they would allow tropical cockroaches into the state. They ban many non-native species of reptiles and other animals.
My roaches are different colors. Shouldn’t they all be the same?
Dubia roach color varies quite a bit. They are colloquially known as the orange spotted cockroach, and individual colors range from solid black to black with varying amounts of orange or gray. This is simply natural variation, and the roaches you received are all the same.
What is the chance an order will ship on Thursday or Friday?
In summer, Thursdays are usually OK and Fridays are mostly OK. Temperature really becomes an issue for shipping in winter. Dubia roaches can handle some heat, but not freezing cold. Unfortunately, the answer is “it depends”. We don’t check local weather for each package destination, but we do keep an eye on national weather trends and may hold off shipping if we see that some place is affected by unusually harsh weather.
Do you ship to PO boxes?
Yes. We ship via USPS to PO Boxes. Because we are shipping live animals, we suggest finding out what time packages are delivered each day and picking your order up soon after it arrives.
How do I get free shipping?
You will automatically see a free shipping option when the dollar amount in your cart reaches the free shipping threshold. Then all you have to do is select it.
How do I track my order?
We will send you an email when your order ships that contains package tracking information. You can also find tracking information in your customer account area, if you created an account during checkout.
What is a customer account and do I have to create one to order?
An account allows you to log in to see your orders and information, make changes, track packages, and quickly reorder based on a previous order. You do not have to create an account to order from us. Simply leave the “Create Account” box on the checkout page unchecked to check out as a guest.
What do I do if there is a mistake in my order?
If you created an account, you may be able to fix the error yourself. If not, contact us either through our online contact form or by email.
Do you ship to Puerto Rico?
Unfortunately no. Though a US territory, Puerto Rico has its own customs and import regulations that restrict non-native plants and animals.
Do any of the cockroaches you sell bite?
Yes and no. Hungry Dubia roaches may “scratch” at skin they mistake for food, but they usually run away when they realize it’s not. Larger cockroaches like the Flat Horned Hisser may attempt to bite while being handled if they are frightened and cannot escape, but in our experience their mouths are too small to grab hold, and getting them used to handling usually solves this issue.
Do you ship to Canada?
Not at this time, but we’re open to it. The Canadian government has not set rules for Dubia roaches as far as we know. They do allow some tropical roach species into the country with a permit, and some cockroaches are allowed without a permit. If you live in Canada and would like to order Dubia roaches from us, check out the Canadian import regulations (external link), make the necessary inquiries, then contact us when you have an answer.
How long are you usually out of stock of Dubias for?
It depends why they went out of stock. If we ran low on a regular size because of high sales, usually under a week. Specialty items like adult males, females, and starter colonies can take longer. We recommend signing up to receive an in-stock notification on the product page. That way you’ll receive an email as soon as we have the item back in stock.
If I choose recurring delivery, will I avoid Dubia roaches being out of stock?
Yes. We account for recurring orders (aka: subscriptions) when listing our stock. Recurring orders ship even when roaches are “out of stock” on our website.
