Dubia roaches are one of the best staple foods for leopard geckos. They hold more food than a cricket, have more protein and less fat than mealworms, don't smell, chirp or bite, and live for months in a simple tub. Feed roaches no wider than the space between your gecko's eyes, gut load them, dust them with calcium and offer them in a dish or with tongs. A baby eats about 3 to 5 small roaches a day, a juvenile 4 to 6 every other day and an adult 3 to 5 medium or large roaches two to three times a week.
Below is a dubia roach size chart, how many to feed, how to keep and breed them, how to gut load them, and how dubia compare with crickets. One thing first: dubia roaches are illegal to keep in Florida, so keepers there should use crickets or another feeder.
What size dubia roaches for a leopard gecko?
Use roaches no wider than the gap between your gecko's eyes. Dubia are wider and chunkier than crickets, so go by width, not length. A roach that is too big can be regurgitated or, rarely, cause impaction.
| Gecko | Roach size | How many | How often |
|---|---|---|---|
| Baby, under 4 months | Small, 1/4 to 3/8 inch | 3 to 5 | Every day |
| Juvenile, 4 to 12 months | Small to medium, 3/8 to 1/2 inch | 4 to 6 | Every other day |
| Adult, over 12 months | Medium to large, 1/2 to 1 inch | 3 to 5 | 2 to 3 times a week |
Each dubia is a bigger meal than a cricket of the same length, so the counts are lower. Let your gecko eat what it wants in 10 to 15 minutes. A healthy adult has a tail about as wide as its neck: if the tail thins, feed more, and if it gets wider than the head, cut back. Adult dubia, which reach about 1.5 to 2 inches, are too big for most leopard geckos.
Why dubia roaches make a good staple
- More food per insect. A medium dubia has a lot more meat than a cricket of the same length, so you buy and handle fewer insects.
- Good nutrition. Dubia are high in protein and lower in fat than mealworms and superworms. Like every feeder they are low in calcium, so they still need dusting.
- Easy to keep. They can't climb smooth plastic or fly, don't smell or chirp, and live for months instead of weeks.
- Safe in the tank. Unlike crickets, dubia don't nibble on a sleeping gecko, although you should still remove any your gecko leaves.
The main downsides are price and behaviour. Dubia cost more per insect than crickets, and they like to burrow and hide, so some geckos ignore them at first. Serving them in a smooth, steep-sided dish such as the Exo Terra worm dish stops them escaping into the substrate, and offering them with tongs gets most geckos interested.
Buying dubia roaches
Order dubia by size, and buy enough for two to four weeks if you only feed one gecko. You can buy live dubia roaches on Amazon. Check the seller ships with heat packs in cold weather, and order early in the week so the box doesn't sit in a depot over the weekend.
How to keep dubia roaches
- Use a smooth plastic tub. A 10 to 20 gallon storage tub works. Cut a hole in the lid and cover it with fine mesh for airflow. Dubia can't climb smooth plastic, so they won't escape.
- Add egg crate. Stand cardboard egg flats upright so the roaches have plenty of surface to hide on. Crowded roaches with nowhere to hide do worse.
- Feed a dry food. A roach chow or gut-load food such as Repashy SuperLoad in a shallow dish.
- Give water through food or gel. Slices of orange, carrot or squash, or water crystals such as Fluker's Cricket Quencher. Take uneaten fresh food out after a day or two so it doesn't mould.
- Keep them warm. Room temperature is fine for storing dubia to feed. They stay active and eat well at 75 to 85°F.
Starting a dubia roach colony
If you feed more than one gecko, or want to stop buying feeders, a breeding colony pays for itself within months. A dubia roach starter colony usually comes as adults plus nymphs.
- Ratio: about 1 male to 3 to 5 females. Males have full wings, and females have short wing stubs.
- Heat: breeding needs 85 to 95°F. Put a heat mat on one side of the tub, controlled by a thermostat.
- Time: females give birth to about 20 to 30 live nymphs roughly every month or two. Nymphs take four to six months to grow up, so a new colony takes a few months before you can feed from it freely.
- Cleaning: sift out the dry droppings (frass) every few weeks, and keep the tub dry to stop mites and mould.
Gut loading and dusting dubia
Feed the roaches you plan to use a good gut-load food and fresh vegetables such as collard greens, carrot and squash for at least 24 hours beforehand. Just before feeding, shake them in a cup with a pinch of calcium powder. Dubia have smooth shells, so powder doesn't stick as well as on crickets: dust right before feeding and serve straight away. Our leopard gecko calcium powder guide has the full dusting schedule.
Dubia roaches vs crickets
| Dubia roaches | Crickets | |
|---|---|---|
| Food per insect | High | Lower |
| Smell and noise | None | Smelly and noisy |
| Lifespan once bought | Months | Two to four weeks |
| Escape risk | Can't climb smooth plastic | Climb and jump |
| Bite risk to gecko | None | Can nibble a sleeping gecko |
| Cost | Higher per insect | Cheaper |
| Hunting response | Slow, may need tongs or a dish | Fast, triggers hunting |
| Legal everywhere in the US | No, banned in Florida | Yes |
Most keepers use dubia as the main staple and add crickets for variety and exercise. Our leopard gecko food guide compares every feeder insect.
Leopard gecko dubia roaches FAQ
Can leopard geckos eat dubia roaches?
Yes. Dubia roaches are one of the best staple foods for leopard geckos. They are high in protein, lower in fat than worms, and easy to keep. Gut load and dust them with calcium like any feeder.
How many dubia roaches should I feed my leopard gecko?
About 3 to 5 small roaches a day for a baby, 4 to 6 every other day for a juvenile and 3 to 5 medium or large roaches two to three times a week for an adult. Let it eat what it wants in 10 to 15 minutes.
What size dubia roaches should I feed my leopard gecko?
No wider than the space between its eyes. That is small roaches of 1/4 to 3/8 inch for babies, 3/8 to 1/2 inch for juveniles and 1/2 to 1 inch for adults. Full-grown adult dubia are too big for most geckos.
Are dubia roaches better than crickets for leopard geckos?
For most keepers, yes. Dubia give more food per insect, don't smell, chirp or bite, and live for months. Crickets are cheaper and their movement suits fussy eaters, so a mix of both works well.
Can dubia roaches infest my house?
Very unlikely. Dubia can't climb smooth surfaces or fly, and they need warm temperatures to breed, so escapees don't set up home in a normal house. That is also why they are banned only in Florida, where the climate suits them.
Can I leave dubia roaches in my leopard gecko's tank?
Not for long. Dubia won't bite your gecko, but they hide in the substrate, lose their gut load and calcium dusting, and can end up living in the tank. Feed them in a smooth dish and remove any left after 15 minutes.
Setting up for a new gecko? See our leopard gecko starter kit checklist for everything else you need.