Dubia Roaches - Nutritious Crested Gecko Food

Crested geckos are one of, if not the most, popular pet lizards, especially for beginners. One of the biggest reasons for this popularity is the simplicity of care.

1. They only grow up to 8 inches, including tail, so they fit comfortably in a small 20 gallon vertical terrarium. These geckos are arboreal, meaning they live in the trees, so the tank should be more tall than wide. You should also offer plenty of plants and branches for hiding and climbing.
2. The perfect humidity is a broad range of 50 to 70 percent, so you will only need to mist the terrarium if you live in a very dry area. However, if you have live plants, you will definitely need to water them.
3. With the use of powdered diets, you do not need to use live insects for crested gecko food. These dry mixes are usually crushed and dried fruit and insect parts blended together for a nutrient packed meal.

In addition to the easy care, they are great for handling. While you should never really handle newly acquired reptiles until they settle into their habitat, after a few weeks, these geckos are very receptive to being held. It is recommended to keep handling sessions short, but the worst that can happen is a quick nip to tell you that they want placed back into their cozy home.

Easy Gecko Feeding

Powdered diets are usually a formula of dry food containing fruits and insects for vitamins and protein. While many different flavors are offered, the ingredients could be whey protein, egg, banana, mango, apricot, crickets, and many others. 

1. The shelf life is generally up to two years, so if you buy a large supply, you have a while to use it.
2. Prepared mix can last for a week in the fridge. If it turns out your gecko is not hungry, quickly remove the meal within a couple hours and refrigerate it to try again tomorrow.
3. Easy-to-use. Just mix one part powder and two parts water, and you have easy lizard food for your gecko.

But where is the killer instinct? The drive of your crested gecko to catch live prey stays unfulfilled. That is one of the reasons why expert keepers suggest periodically feeding your reptile feeder insects to subsidize the dry lizard food mix. They will thoroughly enjoy the catch, and that is where our dubia roaches for sale come into play.

Can Leopard Geckos Eat Dubia Roaches?

Dubia roaches are the best crested gecko food to keep your lizard happy and healthy. These little bugs are packed full of nutrients, among the many other benefits of this little crawlers. Some of the reasons you may consider using dubia roaches for leopard gecko feeding include:

1. Dubia roaches have more nutrients than the commonly used cricket. It has been measured that crickets are only 15% protein, while these feeder roaches are a whopping 23%. Additionally, gut loading dubia roaches is an easy way to provide an even more nutritious lizard food.
2. They are essentially helpless. They cannot crawl up smooth, vertical walls, and even though they have wings, they cannot fly. If your enclosure is properly secured, you will not have to worry about escapees.
3. They also cannot fight back. No biting or scratching your precious reptile friend, unlike crickets.
4. No gross smells or annoying noises. Besides the crunch of a good bite, you will never even notice your dubias.
5. Dubia roaches can live for years, so if you do not want to breed them, you can buy a few dozen and keep them in a dubia roach enclosure to periodically feed to your pet. They can survive at room temperature without misting, so no special care is really necessary.

For these reasons, dubia roaches are the perfect solution to supplement any powered crested gecko food. How many dubia roaches to feed leopard geckos? It depends on the size of your reptile, but a good general rule of thumb is two to four cockroaches no larger than the size of your gecko’s head. These can be offered around once a week for a treat or every two days for a primary diet. If you do decide to use primarily feeder insects, it is highly recommended to dust them in a calcium supplement. Dusting is simply covering the insect in the powder by dipping them into the container and gently shaking. Calcium deficiency is a very common occurrence among reptiles, especially when using live insects for lizard food. Additionally, you can offer some fruits and greens, such as peaches and bananas, for even more vitamins. The highest quality, most vitamin and mineral rich crested gecko foods are the best way to keep your precious pet healthy for a long enriching life.

Breeding Dubia Roaches For Crested Geckos

As mentioned, breeding is not absolutely necessary. If you want to keep the process as simple as possible, this is a basic way to house dubia roaches without worrying about breeding:

1. Find an old shoe box.
2. Cut up one or two egg cartons and place them in the shoe box.
3. Add the roaches!

Yes, it really is that simple! They do not require high temperatures, humidity, or light, so you can just place them on a shelf and take a few out for yummy crested gecko food. Of course, you will need to feed them, so periodically add carrots, romaine lettuce, and oranges to the shoe box, while removing any uneaten food. The dubia roaches will literally last for months with these minimal conditions, so you do not need to constantly order online to feed your pets.

However, if you do decide to start breeding dubia roaches, we have a great guide written on how to start your own roach colony. Honestly, the steps are almost identical to the above, but it is recommended to use a higher quality enclosure with heat, as they require upwards of 90 degrees F to induce breeding. You may need to wait six months or so for the dubia roach eggs to hatch, but the infinite food supply is well worth the wait.