dying female dubia roaches

[ricardo1]

hey just wondering if any one can help me with info as to why i have lost 4 adult female dubia roaches in the last 3 weeks

i am keeping them in a plactic tub under my viv on a heat mat under half the tub. feeding them 2-3 times a week on freash fruit nd veg.

my collany is small

7 adult males
20 adult females
bout 40 med and 100 small

cheers

[madavies65]

You can get die offs early on in a colony as they recover from being shipped or old age, if your temps are ok, and there is no mold, and there is food then i would try not to worry too much

[ricardo1]

thought it mite be old age or stress. aint checked temps but guessing they should be ok as half the tub has heat mat under it so they should be able to thermoregulate ok defo no mold and always plenty of food. hope i dont lose many more numbers are low enough as it is and i cant seam to find any one seling adult wiht out a silly price tag on them

cheers for for your info

[grumpyoldtrout]

Do you feed them on any dry food?

Our Roach mix, dry catfood, dry pond fish food, fish flakes, wheaties, corn flakes, weetabix............... You can see where this is going most dry stuff from the kitchen, in a small dish, replaced often to prevent mould growth. Cat and fish food are the high protein constituents.

[ricardo1]

hey yeah they always have dry food in there im putting the deaths down to old age and stress of being sent... cheers

[grumpyoldtrout]

My colony is about 1YO, getting a few dying as well.

[ricardo1]

how many did you start with ????

what are your numbers now after a year ???


cheers
Richard

[johne.ev]

Whats the humidity in the tub? Do you have a lid on the tub?

[ricardo1]

erm i spray it like once a week just a little bit to give it a bit of humidity its got a very lose fitting lid on it.. ??

[johne.ev]

I've found they do better without a lid, but as others have said could be end of their life span.