There's no setting in the game to do this. Maybe some of our modders have figured out a way?

If you want to be rid of them, you can simply mod all races to have all colonization techs from the start. This would unbalance the super abilities though since several of them include colonization techs already (so giving them to everyone else would weaken those races).

It adds a significant new dimention to the game, you should try to take advantage of that.

If your having trouble, don't give up, Just ask for some advice on how to deal with them better?

If you were successful in Dread Lords, I don't see how the new planet types would change your basic strategy. The colony rush is probably the most important phase of the game. What you do then has a huge impact on everything later, and the AI is fairly good at the colony rush. In the beginning, you need to focus all your energy on exploring and getting colony ships out there. Some tips:

1. Use your surveyor explore star systems. You can see star systems in the mini map and once you get stellar cartography you can see how many planets it has. Don't go chasing anomalies until you have more than one surveyor.

2. Your home world should produce colony ships exclusively for many turns. Though not a great explorer, send your second colony ship in a different direction than the surveyor, again toward nearby star systems to find habitable planets. There is no danger of losing it in the early game.

3. Research sensors and engine techs first, although maybe after planetary improvements, and build at least one fast surveyor on the first colony that has a starport. Use a cargo hull and put a survey module, enough life support to cover the area you want to colonize and the rest engines. You want a base movement rate of at least five. Use it to find planets and grab anomalies, with the priority in that order.

4. Your home world should pump out colony ships as long as they are needed. Upgrade your colony ships to faster designs as you get engine techs. If you find a must have planet, consider rush buying a colony ship.

5. As your early colonies mature, they too can produce a few colony ships. Again, consider rush buying them if you find a must have planet, especially if AI colony ships are in the area.

6. In DA, consider choosing or creating a race with the super adapter ability. This will allow you to get a foothold on two of the new environment types. There are five new environmnet types total, so research one if you find high PQ planets of that type you really want.

I've never had colonization research take that long, even without heavily tweaking my sliders so I don't know what's up there but as far as losing the 'colony rush', just make the best with what you have, maybe throw in some slick diplomatic/trade maneuvers, and then build the best military you can and just destroy those xeno-vermin. I like when I get the short end of the colony rush at times because it allows me to actually focus on the galaxy and planet/civ placement and build a strategy of conquest versus madly flying through space gobbling up every piece of real estate. Strange, some of my best games have been started like this.