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Is there any condensation on the sides of the enclosure? How much does the temperature outside and inside of the bin fluctuate? If there are moisture-producing things in the bin and the temp outside it drops, that could create condensation that runs down the inside and pools. Same idea as a glass of water forming condensation on the outside during a warm day, only opposite. I notice it on some of my vivariums when the room temp drops at night but the temp inside the enclosure remains the same.

Hey everyone, Just wanted to share how I set up my roach tubs. I set them all up the same way, have not had any problems, have never had to use a barrier, and the roaches have all been extremely prolific. My dubia population was exploding, so I gave the colony to a friend with a bearded dragon. I only have Lats right now but just set up a bin for some G. portentosa that I ordered. Lateralis bin on the right, G. portentosa bin on the left I used a Sterilite air tight bin for the hissers. Since it is air tight I do not have to worry about any escapees. I used a 2.5-inch hole saw for the ventilation holes and secured the screen with hot glue both inside the lid and outside. This is the inside of the hisser bin so far. Just have to put the food dish, water dish, and egg crate in. I used an extra-small ZooMed UTH on the back and a medium on the bottom. The heat pads are secured to the bin using foil tape meant for air ducts. I then taped foam board insulation to the bottom, sides, front, and back. This keeps the heat pad in contact with the bin and makes all the heat from the heat pads go into the enclosure. I used duct tape to secure the foam board to the bin. Another view of the inside of the bin. Showing both heat pads and thermometer probe. Each heat pad is attached to a Lutron Credenza plug-in lamp dimmer. This is available at Lowe's or Home Depot. These allow me to adjust the amount of heat given off by each heat pad and control the temperature inside the bin. There are two different kinds of the dimmers, normal and CFL. You want to use the NORMAL ones, NOT the CFL ones. I use a basic digital thermometer with probe to monitor the temperature in the bin. Many companies make these. This one just happens to be made by Zilla. This is the foil tape that I use to secure the heat pads to the bin. There are a few different varieties, but this one has worked the best for me. I have not had any issues with melting plastic or any other issues by setting up my bins this way. The temperatures remain steady and all my roaches have thrived in these conditions. I look forward to reading any comments and will answer any questions as best I can. I hope this helps some of you and gives others ideas for your own enclosures.

Hey everyone, I have been keeping roaches for almost a year now. I started with dubias then Lats. Mine are both pets and feeders for my 22 tarantulas or any other little monster I may be keeping at the time (frogs, toads, jumping spiders, etc.). So far, I have not had any issues with raising the roaches and I hope it stays that way. Just ordered a bunch of G. portentosa and cannot wait to raise a colony.