how can i keep dubia roaches warm during the winter without a heat pad?

[killbot]

i bought 250 medium sized roaches, this is my first experience with them.

it is now summer time but eventually months will pass and the temperature will drop.

my home won't be freezing but it will be much cooler.

heatpads means electricity bill increase.

**** that.

what are some ingenious ideas for keeping them warm?

i came up with the idea to use a large bin, insulate the sides with a thick layer of expanding foam (including the underside of the lid), and then placing a smaller bin inside of that.

before any comments about venilation, i have successfully kept all kinds of insects in sterelite/rubbermaid type containers with no holes or cutouts/nets over the top. i am no expert but i believe insects like ****roaches and crickets enjoy dark safe crevices away from fresh air.

thoughts:

 

[Aimless]

no ventilation = bad smell and food more likely to mold, not that your roaches will die.

it can get quite cold before the roaches will have problems. they only have to be really warm for breeding. if you want them to breed, you will have to add heat. insulation is great, if there's heat to be insulated, right?

also, bear in mind that heat pads come in variable wattage, like anything else. you can get a very low-watt heat pad, maybe?

also, consider putting on a shelf above your herp cages?

 

[killbot]

so you mean i can leave them at around 55-65 degrees and they'll do okay but not breed?

if this is the case then it sounds pretty good considering i have over 250 of them and only 3 geckos to feed..

 

[Aimless]

wait a minute, your house is at an average of 60 in the winter? how do you keep your herps warm?

 

[killbot]

No

But the ground is usually colder and that's where the dubias go

 

[Redstyx]

so you mean i can leave them at around 55-65 degrees and they'll do okay but not breed?

if this is the case then it sounds pretty good considering i have over 250 of them and only 3 geckos to feed..

I know Im a few weeks late answering this but yes..... they will survive just fine in the cold, but need it much warmer to breed. I have to keep my roaches outside due to a few roach hating people in the house. When it gets real cold I have an outdoor heat pad for them.... but it really isn't necessary I only get nymphs in the summer, but I get hundreds of them just from the few dozen adults I have in the container.

 

[CrestedRick]

That answered a question of mine too! My house is between 55-65 in the winter, and wondered if the roaches would survive but now I know!

 

[Redstyx]

I know Im a few weeks late answering this but yes..... they will survive just fine in the cold, but need it much warmer to breed. I have to keep my roaches outside due to a few roach hating people in the house. When it gets real cold I have an outdoor heat pad for them.... but it really isn't necessary I only get nymphs in the summer, but I get hundreds of them just from the few dozen adults I have in the container.

I should have mentioned..... I live in Southern Cali, it never gets below freezing here... well hardly ever. So if you live in a super cold state, I cannot advise you to leave them outside.

 

[Riverside Reptiles]

Most herp heat mats only use between 5 watts and 20 watts. That's far less than most light bulbs even. This small about of power is not going to reflect significantly on your electric bill.

 

[scotty08724]

I live in New Jersey and the temperature drops to below freezing occasionally from November to February. I have my feeder/breeder 30 gallon tub(dubia roaches, lateralis roaches, crickets and meal worms) out in my shed with a zoomed 25' heat cable below it. The tub has 2 inches of potting soil as the substrate that stay around 85 degrees Fahrenheit. I plan to make a box slightly larger than the tub, out of 2" thick rigid foam insulation and leave a small slit on top for ventilation. Has anyone successfully had their feeders breed with a similar setup? Also has anyone else kept a breeder tub of multiple species like I am?

 

[CrestedRick]

I would avoid substrate as it makes cleaning and sorting complicated. I just received my dubias and theyre in a 10gal tub with egg flats and that's it. Simple and easy. As far as keeping multiple types I would be careful as crickets if bought from a pet store can carry parasites such as pin worms that can harm your animals. Therefore if your crickets are kept with other feeders I'd imagine your other feeders will likely get this parasite.