Buying dubia roaches online comes with some unique challenges in the colder months, especially in our location – the wild and wonderful Upper Peninsula of Michigan. In fact, it’s not unusual for some areas of the U.P. to see 200+ inches of snow in any given winter. So, as we Yoopers (residents of the Upper Peninsula) tend to do, we improvise and adapt!
This blog post explains what we do to make sure our dubia roaches and other feeder insects get from our breeding facility to your doorstep safe and sound.
We’ll discuss:
- The unique challenges of buying dubia roaches in the winter
- Our safety measures to keep your bugs safe
- What to do if you live in a colder part of the country
As the holidays approach, we want to ensure your hungry critters have access to the most nutritious and interactive food possible – and knowing how to safely ship feeder insects in cold weather is a big part of that!
Learn how below…
Buying Dubia Roaches in the Winter: Unique Challenges
Here are the challenges of shipping live feeder insects in the winter:
- Wintery weather. Dubia roaches are naturally found in warm climates. When the temperature drops significantly, their health can be at risk.
- Weather-related mail delays
- Holiday shipping delays
- Low staffing at the post office
Wondering how we overcome these challenges? Read on…
How We Keep Your Dubias Safe and Warm in the Winter

You may be wondering, “is buying dubia roaches in winter a good idea?” The short answer is YES—your pets need dubia nutrition at least as much in winter as the rest of the year! But, there are some extra things we do on our end to help ensure you don’t end up with a bunch of frozen bugs.
Our safe shipping policy:
- Heat packs. Once winter rolls around, we start watching the weather like hawks. If we expect the temperatures to drop below 38 degrees Fahrenheit at night, we include a heat pack to keep your dubia comfortable on their journey.
- Insulation. In addition to heat packs, we insulate our shipping boxes to keep heat in when temperatures begin to dip below freezing – because we all know dubia roaches don’t like the cold.
- Shipping pauses. In exceptionally cold weather, we may need to pause shipping temporarily. We understand this can be frustrating, but it’s the best way to ensure you get healthy (alive) dubias when your order arrives. Luckily, intense temperature swings are common here in Northern Michigan, so we can typically get a paused order out to you sooner than expected.
How does a “shipping pause” work?
If you’ve placed an order and if a shipping pause goes into effect, our team of in-house bug nerds will email you right away. Additionally, we will always do our best to let everyone know ahead of time if extremely cold weather comes up in the forecast so you can plan accordingly.
How to learn about potential shipping pauses:
Sign up for our newsletter to learn about potential shipping pauses, sales, and more!
Are Heat Packs Safe for the Roaches?

Yes, our heat packs are safe for your dubias. Even if you live in a warm area (like Texas, California, or Arizona) the heat will have dissipated by the time your package reaches you. Additionally, we take specific steps when packaging our heat packs to ensure they won’t harm your bugs.
And here’s a BONUS if you live in a warm part of the country: The additional insulation we use in the winter will actually keep your package cool in extreme heat!
The best part? Unlike most other providers, we do not charge extra for heat packing or winter insulation. 😀
Select “Hold for Pickup” to Activate our Live Delivery Guarantee
Whether or not you live in a part of the country that gets below 40 degrees Fahrenheit at night, we ALWAYS recommend selecting the “Hold For Pick Up” option when checking out. This activates our Live Delivery Guarantee and will give your dubias, superworms, and more a warm and cozy place to rest before you bring them home.
- To learn more about our Live Delivery Guarantee, read our blog post, Buy Dubia Roaches? Here’s What Happens in the Mail.
Order Your Dubia Roaches Today!
The weather outside may be frightful, but our dubia selection is absolutely delightful! Treat your bearded dragon or gecko to dubia roaches, superworms, and more today. We’ll do everything we can to ensure they arrive in tip-top condition.
Interested in buying dubia roaches? CLICK HERE to get started
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