Care guide
Who raises your Dubia roaches?
Gary Becker has raised Dubia roaches in Amherst, VA for 12 years. One grower, 45 colonies, sorted by width every 30 to 45 days. Here is how the farm works and how to order.
Gary Becker raises the roaches. He has kept Dubia roach colonies in Amherst, Virginia for 12 years. There is one grower here.
Who is Gary Becker?
Gary Becker is the grower. His farm sits in Amherst, VA. He started raising Dubia roaches 12 years ago and has run the farm since.
He keeps 45 colonies. Every one of them started on this farm. The colonies are his, and he manages each one.
Why does one grower matter?
When you send a request, Gary checks what is ready that week. He can do that because he runs all 45 colonies himself.
One grower means the person who answers your request is also the person who knows each colony. Gary can tell you what he sorted last week and which sizes are short. He can look at the farm and give you an honest answer.
Gary can tell you how each colony started, how long it has run, and when it was last sorted. He knows his stock because he raised it.
He has been doing this for 12 years. In that time he has worked out what a colony gives at each stage of its life. The answer he gives you when he confirms your order is based on what is ready in hand that week, not on a forecast.
How are the roaches sorted?
Every 30 to 45 days, whole totes go through the sorters. The sorters work by width. A bug drops through the first hole it fits, and that is what puts it in a size.
Six sizes come out of that cycle. We sell them by length because that is how buyers think about it. The sort is by width because that is what a reptile has to swallow.
The six sizes are extra small, small, medium, large, extra large, and adult. Smaller steps between sizes mean that when an animal outgrows one, the next one up is not much too big.
The size name on your order is the size that came out of the sorter. It is not a visual estimate. A bug that fits the sorter for large is a large.
What sizes and packs does the farm carry?
Six sizes and six pack counts. The six sizes are extra small, small, medium, large, extra large, and adult. The smallest pack is 25. The largest is 10,000. The 10,000 count comes only in extra small and small.
Steps, not to scale
- We start at 25. That is the smallest pack we send.
- Packs of 10,000 come in extra small and small.
Adult roaches are breeding stock, so Gary sells them in small numbers and usually alongside other sizes. Extra large goes out the same way.
Not sure which size fits your animal? Ask a vet or a keeper who works with your species.
How do I order from Gary?
You send a request. Gary checks what is ready that week and then confirms.
- 1You send a requestTell us your reptile, the size you want, and how many.
- 2We check the coloniesWe look at what is sorted and ready to go this week.
- 3We come back to youWe confirm your order, your ship date, and your price.
Before he confirms, he also checks your state. Rules on live insects change from state to state, so he looks at yours first. The confirmation comes with your price and ship date.
Prices are not listed on the site because Gary sets them after he knows what is ready and what size is going where. Send a request, and the price comes with the answer.
If you are ordering for a pet shop or want to set up a regular schedule, put that in the notes. Gary reads each request and answers it directly.
Common questions
- Who is the grower at Dubia Growers?
- Gary Becker. He raises Dubia roaches in Amherst, VA and has done it for 12 years. There is one grower on the farm, and every colony was started there.
- How many colonies does Dubia Growers have?
- 45 colonies. Gary runs all of them.
- How does the farm sort Dubia roaches by size?
- Whole totes go through the sorters every 30 to 45 days. The sorters work by width. A bug drops through the first hole it fits, and that is what puts it in a size.
- What sizes and packs can I order?
- Six sizes: extra small, small, medium, large, extra large, and adult. Six pack counts: 25, 50, 100, 500, 1,000, and 10,000. The 10,000 count comes only in extra small and small.
- Why does ordering require a request instead of a cart?
- Because Gary checks what is ready before he confirms. He goes by what is in hand that week, not a forecast.
Where this came from
- Dubia Growers farm owner interview (intake), 2026
- Dubia Growers farm website, 2026