Pet ownership keeps rising in the U.S.; as of 2022, an estimated 70%, or 90.5 million U.S. households, had a pet. That's an increase from the 67% rate in 2019. And of the 2022 count, 5.7 million owned a reptile.
If you have a pet reptile yourself or thinking of getting one, consider Dubia roaches as their feed. Also known as Blaptica Dubia, they're some of the best reptile food, superior to worms or crickets.
So, what exactly makes these feeder insects great for pet reptiles?
This guide on the Dubia roach diet advantage lists these insects' top benefits, so read on.
Almost all reptiles eat Dubia roaches, including pets like geckos and bearded dragons.
Nymphs and smaller roaches are ideal feed for smaller reptiles. Mid-sized roaches are better for medium pets.
Some pet amphibians, like axolotls and salamanders, also eat Dubia roaches. Fish like cichlids and Oscars do too, and so do scorpions, spiders, and tarantulas.
One of the top Dubia roaches' benefits is their high protein content.
Blaptica Dubia contains more protein than other feeder insects like crickets. Based on dry weight and life cycle, they contain anywhere from 47.50% to 54.32% crude protein. They also have a low chitin content, which is ideal as too much chitin may lead to impaction in reptiles.
Blaptica Dubia is meatier than other feeder species, such as crickets. This means a single roach provides more food than another insect.
So when you shop for roach nymph, your order for one or two cups can still last longer than another type of feed.
Dubia roaches reproduce sexually, with males depositing sperm packets into females. That's one of the reasons they're easy to rear, as they only need a house, enough heat (80º to 90º F), water, and nutritious food.
But why breed Blaptica Dubia at home? Because doing so gives you a steady supply of food to feed your pet reptile.
Dubia roaches don't need a special diet; they prefer fruits and grains. Thus, you can give them whole-grain bread, oats, cereal grains, sweet potato, and squash, to name a few. In short, you can feed them the same stuff you eat and organic leftovers.
Another reason to switch from crickets to the Dubia roach reptile diet is to minimize foul odors.
Live crickets don't have a foul smell; the dead ones do. The problem is that crickets have a short lifespan of 90 days max. However, it's more common for them to live for only a few weeks.
Like crickets, Dubia roaches don't stink. Even better, they last longer under ideal conditions. If you rear them right, females can live up to 24 months, while males can thrive up to 18 months.
As you can see, Dubia roaches are ideal reptile feed, as they're meatier and are rich in protein. They're also easy to breed, letting you rear your pet's food supply at home. And because they're hardy creatures, they don't die quickly, so you have less mess and odors to worry about.
All that should be good enough reasons to feed your pet reptile the Dubia roach diet.
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