Do you have Dubia roach questions? We have answers. The following are either topics we haven’t covered elsewhere on our site (i.e. in guides, posts, or product pages), or a quick answer and a link to more information for questions we’ve already addressed. If you don’t find what you’re looking for, please let us know in the comments below!
Is there anything I shouldn’t feed Dubia roaches?
As breeders, no. As feeders, don’t feed them anything you don’t want your animals to consume. Citrus fruits, for example, can cause temporary gastric distress in some reptiles. Excess calcium may not be good for tarantulas. As with any feeder insect, the end consumer should be your focus.
Do Dubia roaches require fresh fruits and vegetables?
No. Dubia roaches can survive on a well-formulated dry food alone. However, you might consider adding fresh fruits and vegetables to their diet for the following reasons: Roaches like them, they contain nutrients dry foods don’t, and they appear to boost productivity.
What is the best food for Dubia roaches?
The answer is more complicated than the question suggests. There is no one food that Dubia roaches do better on than others. Give them a healthy diet with plenty of the nutrients they need at different growth stages. The trick is knowing what nutrients they need at which time. Without going into the details, their general nutritional needs can be met by providing a variety of grains, fruits, and vegetables. For feeders, try to include foods that contain the nutrients you want your animals to consume.
What do Dubia roaches eat in the wild?
Their natural foods include dead leaves and decaying plant material, lots of secondary bacteria, fungi, fruits, roots, and dead insects or mammals they may come across. Occasionally, they even eat each other.
What are Dubia roach’s favorite foods?
Some of their favorite foods include include apples, bananas, beets, carrots, oats, oranges, squash, and sweet potato.
How can I increase Dubia roach reproduction?
Temperature is number one, followed by promoting health via proper nutrition and environment. We cover this topic in our in-depth Dubia roach breeding guide.
Should I give Dubia roaches vitamin and mineral supplements?
We wouldn’t recommend it unless you are gut loading them for your animals. This is a tricky topic. For example, beta-carotene is just one of 600 identified carotenoids in plants, and science does not know how they all interact with respect to nutrition and health. Supplements may make sense in some areas but not others, and for some animals more than others. Different classes of animals have different nutritional needs and concerns so there is no one-size-fits-all answer.
How much roach chow do I need?
Very roughly: 5,000 breeding adult Dubia will eat about one cup of roach chow per day if offered no other food. That means 1,000 roaches can eat about six cups of chow a month and 100 roaches can eat one cup every two months. Of course, this all depends on their environmental conditions. In particular, temperature and access to other foods.
How long do Dubia roaches live?
Females live around two years and males around 18 months under ideal conditions. In captivity, Dubia roach longevity seems related to temperature and food availability. Maximum lifespan appears to occur when they are kept around 80ºF and not provided access to constant food.
What happens if Dubia roaches escape in my house?
It depends where you live. In most places, they will die in a number of days or weeks. Dubia roaches are nothing like German or American cockroaches. They require a tropical climate to grow and reproduce. Even if they were to colonize, they are not destructive, but they cannot colonize in most places in the U.S. The possible exceptions are southern Florida and Hawaii, but these states restrict the importation of Dubia roaches.
Do I ever have to separate adults from nymphs?
Yes, but only to alleviate overcrowding. Dubia are social roaches that naturally live together in large numbers. The only time you may need to separate nymphs from adults is if growing nymphs begin to crowd out the adults.
Can you tell male and female Dubia roaches apart before they’re adults?
Yes, you can tell them apart by turning them upside down and counting the abdominal segments, starting at the hind legs. Female nymphs have five while males have six – the last of which is typically narrow and pointy compared to the female.
What if I buy Dubia roaches and they breed out of control?
They actually reproduce rather slowly, but if you’re concerned we will probably be willing to take them off your hands. If your colony is out of control and you want help, contact us.
Will Dubia roaches hurt or bother my animal if I let them loose in its cage?
Probably not. Dubia roaches don’t bite and are generally mild-mannered, though adult males tend to be somewhat hyperactive. Dubia mostly wander reptile and other cages in search of dark, warm places to hide. If you are concerned, you can contain them in a feeding dish.
Will Dubia roaches eat the plants in my animal’s cage?
It’s unlikely. While they eat a lot of things, house plants aren’t usually among them. We can’t say they will never gnaw at plants, but we haven’t seen it happen.
Can I feed my animals only Dubia roaches?
While Dubia roaches are healthy feeders, insectivores do best on a diet containing at least some variation. Try to mix it up every once in a while if you can.
Why are Dubia roaches different colors?
Color variation is probably caused by some combination of genetic variation, age, diet, and environment. Individual Dubia roaches can vary substantially even within the same colony.
Why are some Dubia roaches flat while others are more round?
Dubia roaches that haven’t eaten in a while will appear relatively flat. Ones that are “rounder” have food in their guts. Flat ones will regain a fuller appearance when they eat or drink.
Can Dubia roaches live without their heads?
Yes, if you call a headless existence living. Because roaches don’t breathe through their mouths, and because they have an open circulatory system, they can survive for a few days without their heads. However, they are unable to eat, and they soon die.
Could I be allergic to Dubia roaches?
Yes, it’s possible. Roach dust like grass, pollen, and mold, can trigger an allergic reaction in some people. Cockroach allergies (external link) are not common but they do occur.
Are Dubia roaches legal in Florida?
Yes, with a permit. The Florida Department of Agriculture considers Dubia roaches a nuisance species, and they require a State-issued permit to import and keep them.
How long does it take for Dubia roaches to mate?
Mature adults often mate immediately upon introduction or shortly after when the environmental conditions are to their satisfaction.
Do Dubia roaches bite?
No. While they may scratch at skin they mistake for food when they’re hungry, we have never known them to attack people or animals.
Is there any way to make Dubia roaches grow faster?
Yes and no. Dubia roaches grow faster in favorable environmental conditions, like when it’s warm and humid, and increasing either will speed their growth to a point and within their natural limitations, of course.
Can Dubia roaches fly?
No. Adult males have wings (females don’t), and when temperatures are high they like to jump from high places and flutter to the ground. However, they are unable to fly.
Why are Dubia roaches so popular?
They are popular mainly because they are nutritious feeders for reptiles and other insectivores, they are easy to keep, and they are widely available. More information is available on this topic in our post about reasons to try Dubia roaches.
Can I feed Dubia roaches “cricket diet” or something similar?
It depends. Manufacturers typically design these products as gut loads. Gut loading enhances the diet of insectivores without regard for the insect. Therefore, gut loads may have a negative impact on Dubia roaches generally and Dubia roach breeding specifically, depending on what ingredients they contain.
What’s the best temperature to keep Dubia roaches at?
It depends what you intend to do with them. Dubia roaches grow and breed best between 85ºF and 95ºF. Dubia roach feeders can be kept at temperatures between 70ºF and 85ºF.
What colors do Dubia roaches come in?
As adults, their color varies greatly. Also known as the Orange Spotted Cockroach, Dubia roaches range from completely black to mostly orange with some black and tan spots, and almost any combination in-between. Nymphs, on the other hand, are always brown or tan.
Are Dubia roaches healthy for humans?
Hmm. Well…probably. People in some cultures eat insects, and Dubia roaches are high in protein and minerals. They’re healthy for reptiles and other animals that eat them, so it would seem to follow that they might also be healthy for humans. Something to think about (and not necessarily do).
Are Dubia roaches legal in Canada?
It’s unclear at this time. Canada requires an import permit for some cockroach species but not others. Dubia roaches are not currently among the cockroach species the Canadian government has evaluated for import (external link). They do allow some tropical roach species, so it seems likely that they would ultimately allow the importation of Dubia roaches.
How long does it take to start a Dubia roach colony?
It depends how many roaches you start with, how you keep them, what you feed them, and a variety of other factors. Generally, it can take anywhere from zero days to four months to establish a Dubia roach colony, depending where you start.
Can I keep all of my insect feeders together. For example, Dubia roaches and crickets?
Dubia roaches are mild-mannered and tend to keep to themselves. They will not attack other feeder insects, so as long as the other insects don’t attack them, the answer is yes.
Why are some Dubia roaches white or tan?
The outer skin of the Dubia roach is also known as the exoskeleton, which is a relatively hard and inflexible shell that provides structure to their bodies and protection from injury. The exoskeleton’s ability to expand is limited, so Dubia roaches must shed it and build a new one in order to grow. This process is called molting. It lasts an hour or two, and during this time, the newly-exposed skin that emerges as the old exoskeleton is discarded appears white or cream-colored. This fragile new skin hardens and darkens over the course of a few hours as it is exposed to oxygen and becomes the roach’s new exoskeleton.
Are Dubia roaches legal in Hawaii?
Hawaii is arguably the most restrictive State regarding live animal importation. They limit importation of most animals, including tropical ones, out of concern that non-native species may become established in the wild and harm the existing ecosystem. We do not ship Dubia roaches to Hawaii unless the customer has a state-issued permit.
How big do Dubia roaches get?
Dubia roaches can grow to about 1.5 inches under ideal conditions, measured after a meal. Because their abdomen elongates in the presence of food, a 1.5 inch roach may measure only one inch when allowed to go hungry for a number of days.
How long can Dubia roaches live without food?
Cockroaches are famous for their ability to survive famine. We have seen Dubia roaches alive after two months without food or water, such as when a package is returned to sender unclaimed. Of course, we suggest keeping your Dubia roaches healthy, which includes regular feeding.
Have a Question?
If you have a Dubia roach question, please feel free to ask us in a comment below. Who knows…we may just end up adding it to our FAQ’s.
Nancy Farlow says
Excellent information, thank you! I have one question relating to your answer to “Is there anything I shouldn’t feed Dubia roaches?” I recently read an article by Allen Repashy detailing some research he and others have done on the effect of too much protein in the diet of Dubia roaches, such as when they are fed dog or cat food. His research indicates that a high protein diet can lead to the build up of uric acid in the bodies of roaches, which in turn can lead to gout in reptiles they are fed to. What is your opinion on this? Here’s a link to Repashy’s article:
https://www.store.repashy.com/can-feeder-insect-diets-contribute-to-gout-in-reptiles.html
DRD says
Yes, this appears to be the case. Dubia roaches probably can eat too much protein. This can be unhealthy, and it can even go so far as to kill them. Dog food is probably fine but cat food may be pushing the limits. As a rule, cat food is generally high in protein.
You can read more about Dubia roaches and excess dietary protein in the following article:
https://dubiaroachdepot.com/guidance/dubia-roaches-dietary-protein
Tim Sullivan says
Will adult dubia roaches attack and kill the smaller ones? Can I keep big full size roaches and very small roaches together?
DRD says
Adult and juvenile Dubia roaches can be kept together in most circumstances. The one exception is in the case of starvation. As long as the roaches are fed regularly, they will remain social and won’t bother each other. However, if they are not fed and begin to starve, larger roaches will prey on the smaller ones.
Cynthia says
Are dubia roaches legal to own in Washington State?
DRD says
As far as I know Dubia roaches are legal in all states except Hawaii and Florida. Washington state would not be in any danger of infestation due to its climate, so I see no reason why they would be banned. You can always check with the WA state Department of Agriculture for a definitive answer.
Jaime Kendall says
what are some colors they can range from?
DRD says
Excellent question. We added the answer to our FAQ list.
Chris says
Is starting a colony for feeders worth the time, trouble, and money to feed only 1 bearded dragon? Also if the answer is yes and I wanted to to start a colony with only one male and one female should I plan on not feeding from the colony for many many months? I would have a mixture of roaches of various sizes with the two that are ready for breeding.
DRD says
Here are some issues I see. (1) Starting a Dubia colony involves up-front costs and ongoing costs in terms of money, time, and effort. (2) After the colony gets going, at some point it will provide more Dubia feeders than a single bearded dragon can eat.
Whether or not it’s worth it is up to you to decide, but for just 1 animal I tend to lean toward no.
With respect to time, it will indeed take months to get from one male and one female to feeder sustainability.
Clay Crawford says
Can I feed raw potatoes to my Dubia colony?
Also, lemons are citrus. Are there issues with feeding lemons?
Thanks
DRD says
Dubia roaches do very well on sweet potatoes. We haven’t tried feeding them regular white potatoes, but if they eat them then they’re probably OK. Same with lemons. The only issue with lemon is that it could cause stomach upset in animals that eat a roach gutloaded with it.
Sandra says
When I first started breeding Dubai’s I came across someone selling a white powder that was suppose increase productivity.
I believe it did help but I don’t know who I got it from or what it was. Do you know anything about it?
DRD says
I’ve never heard of anything like that. The only white powder I’ve seen is supplemental calcium, but that’s usually used for dusting or gut-loading.
Angelia Kennedy says
Can you tell the age of Dubai roaches with color or how they look? If so, can you elaborate? Have alot of males and was hoping to feed my lizards just the older ones. Thanks in Advance!
DRD says
I think the answer is “sometimes”. It’s not always obvious, and the following is probably not terribly reliable, but it may help you do better than selecting at random.
Both male and female Dubia are smaller when they’re young, growing larger as they age. Males tend to accumulate wing damage over time – either from fighting or wear and tear – though young males can have damaged wings too. With respect to color, the answer is probably no. Dubia roaches tend to be more black or black and off-white or yellow when they’re young, and they may develop more orange or rust-colored accents as they age. However, this this is not universal. I’ve seen plenty of young Dubia with orange accents and black or nearly black adults. Color might only be useful in combination with the other factors above.
So to answer your question; you would probably feed off more older roaches if you chose the larger, slower, more orange males with tattered wings. It’s not perfect, but I think this is better than pulling them out randomly. If it were binary, and assuming random selection gets you 50/50 old/young, this method might get you to 60/40 or maybe 70/30.
Jenelle says
I got an oil diffuser and I also love eucalyptus. Without thinking about it, I’ve had eucalyptus scented stuff going on in my house for weeks, and never thought about the fact that it’s used as an insect repellent. How bad is this for my colony? They obviously can’t go anywhere, but can it make them sick/kill them, or prevent them from breeding?
DRD says
Eucalyptus could possibly have an effect on Dubia roaches, but my guess is that for it to be meaningful, you’d probably have to spray the roaches directly with the extract or oil. It seems unlikely that just the aroma would be enough to slow reproduction or harm them in any way. I imagine they notice the smell, but unless they have some innate aversion to it (which I doubt because eucalyptus doesn’t grow in places Dubia roaches are from), they probably just get used to it or ignore it. And I don’t think eucalyptus is innately poisonous to insects generally. Some live in and around its bark. Maybe keep an eye on it because anything is possible, but don’t worry unless you see signs of trouble in the colony.
Clo says
I just took a look at my colony and the adult male wings seem to have this white crust on them and they seem to look smaller i know this is not good.
Another i seen dead roaches or exos Could it be molted skin? Give me some advice so i better care my colony
DRD says
I’m not sure what that could be. Wings may be deformed due to malnutrition, low humidity, or damage during molting. As far as a white crust – I’m not sure. I could only guess.
Isabel says
I’ve heard that Dubias are illegal in Canada, is there any source directly from the Canadian government on this?
DRD says
UPDATE:
Canada does appear to allow the importation of certain tropical cockroaches both with and without a permit.
There seems to be some positive movement here, and I added your question (and answer) to our FAQ list.
Justin says
Are Dubia roaches legal in Louisiana?
DRD says
As far as I know the only two states that regulate Dubia roach importation are Florida and Hawaii.
Sydney says
How many dubia roaches can you keep in a 20 gallon tank?
DRD says
That totally depends on how you set it up and what size roaches you keep. A very rough estimate would be around 200 to 300 adults, assuming plenty of harborage like egg crates, which creates more surface area and places for them to hide.
BhaktiBellaLuce says
I have a 20 gallon tank and when I upped my colony to 200 from 100, they were too crowded even with hide places and many died off. I stick to ordering 100 young adults/nymphs so I have plenty to feed off and as a bonus I get babies along the way which is growing the colony.
Bryan says
How long are you guys usually out of stock of Dubias for?
DRD says
As short a time as possible. If what you want is currently out of stock, consider signing up for email notification when it’s back in stock. To do this, click “add to cart” on the product page, and if it’s out of stock you’ll see a message asking if you want to notified when it’s back in stock. Enter your email address and you’re good to go.
Christina Berger says
Does it affect nutritional value to freeze the roaches?
DRD says
Interesting question.
Probably, but just a little. Freezing Dubia roaches is likely much like freezing other “food” items. Frozen food does decay and lose nutrients over time, but much slower than at room temperature and slower than refrigeration. Freezing is probably the best option for keeping dead roaches “fresh”…or at least as fresh as possible.
Angie says
I ordered a small starter colony and it is not small! I need to get rid of some of the medium sized ones. I feel weird killing them even though they are food for my gecko. I’ve advertised on Craigslist. Any suggestions?
DRD says
Just a suggestion, but you could hold on to the larger Dubia roaches, let them transform into adults, then use their offspring as food for your geckos.
Morgan says
If I have my house sprayed for cockroaches, will it hurt my dubia colony?
DRD says
Good question. If an exterminator fumigates or fogs your house, your Dubia roaches will probably not survive. If they just spray the exterior, such as around the foundation and doors, your Dubia might be OK. However, this is just a guess. For a definitive answer, ask the exterminator! They will know much more, as the answer may depend on the mode (which chemicals) and method (how they apply those chemicals) used.
cathycritters says
I bought some of your dry roach diet. Can I mix it with water to increase the roaches hydration? I am feeding them off to an adult beardie and my vet said to gut-load with a high calcium cricket food so I thought I would mix the cricket food with the dry roach food and include a few drops of water.
DRD says
Yes, you absolutely can. In fact, we recommend it without reservation in situations like yours, where the roaches are being held short-term as feeders.
Deb says
My granddaughter has a very young bearded dragon. She was told by the pet store that Dragons should not eat dubia roaches until they are at least juveniles. Is this true? If so at what age should they actually begin to eat dubia roaches? Also is it just a size thing because I did see your advice about sizing the insects no wider than the head or space between the eyes, or is there another reason if baby dragons shouldn’t eat the dubias. Thank you!
DRD says
I am not aware of any argument/reason for not feeding Dubia roaches to baby bearded dragons. In my experience, young, growing reptiles do very well on Dubia roaches.