About Isopods
I'm sure that you're asking yourself, "What exactly is an isopod?" At first glance , you would think that they're nothing more than just a bug but that couldn't be further from the truth. Isopods are actually crustaceans that can be found on land or water. Some other common names for them would be pill bugs, rollie pollies, and wood lice. Unlike bugs, they actually have gills to help them breath. They are very important contributors to our ecosystem as they break down decaying matter in turn creating new life. They make amazing little pets and are extremely easy to care for.
What do you need to successfully keep Isopods?
Your shopping list for your new little friends is going to be far smaller than you'd think and all are available right here at NoLi Pods N' Stuff.
Enclosure - These can be as elaborate as an acrylic case for displaying your pride and joys or as simple as a plastic tub. What you're looking to get out of your little friends will dictate which direction you want to go in. If you're just an avid keeper/collector, you would probably want to go the direction of acrylic as it's easy to see through and will provide hours of pleasure watching them scurry around. If your goal is to breed colonies, you'll most likely want to go with plastic tubs. These are a light weight option and stack nicely, however they are not transparent which makes observing your isopods difficult if not impossible. Regardless of which road you decide to go down, it's very important to ensure that you have proper ventilation. Although most isopods need a damp and humid environment, it's imperative that you have good ventilation to prevent mold and mildew. This can be accomplished by simply drilling holes in the enclosure with a drill bit, or by poking holes through it with a hot soldering iron tip. It's recommended to cover these holes with screen to prevent your isopods from escaping and to prevent other animals from finding their way in.
Substrate - You're going to want to purchase or make your own substrate for your enclosure and it's very important that your substrate is able to both hold moisture and also provide nutrients to your isopods. A good mix would be organic soil with no fertilizers and small pieces of rotting wood. Powdered calcium or ground egg shells can also be added to help build strong exoskeletons.
Leaf Litter - Leaf litter not only serves as a great place for your isopods to hide, but also serves as a nutritious addition to their substrate. Make sure that any leaves added to your enclosure are pesticide free and sanitized to prevent unwanted hitch hikers. My live oak leaves are soaked and then baked to eliminate any undesirables and the rotting process can be sped up by keeping them moist.
Cork bark - Cork bark not only makes an excellent hide for your pods but they will also munch on it from time to time. They last a long time without breaking down and do a great job of trapping humidity for them.
Sphagnum moss - Sphagnum moss layed out on 1/4 of the enclosure is very useful in keeping a humid area for your pods. Remember that they breath through gills and need moisture to survive. The moss should be monitored and kept damp my either misting it down lightly or moistened with a hydration squirt bottle.
Supplemental feeding
In addition to their diet of decaying leaves and rotting wood, you can also supplement their diet with fish flakes, carrots, cucumbers, banana, apple, squash and commercial foods such as Repashy morning wood or bug burgers. These are great options for providing additional protein which some species require.
Humidity, heat and lighting
As previously mentioned, isopods need a humid environment but they also need a drier area as well. Keeping one third of the enclosure damp and the rest dry gives them options. Deeper subtrate also makes it easier to keep humidity levels up on the damp side as it tends to dry out slower.
Isopods do not require any additional heat source and will flourish at room temperature. They do not like strong direct light and will do best in a normally lit room. Some people like keeping their bins or enclosures in closets but that's not necessary.
Overall, care and maintenance of isopods is a lot easier than most other pets, making them a great choice for smaller children. As the isopods start to multiply, they can easily be traded among other collectors, be used to start new colonies, or be installed in reptile enclosures as a part of a cleanup crew.
***NEVER RELEASE YOUR ISOPODS INTO THE ENVIRONMENT. Isopods are regulated by the USDA and can cause a negative environmental impact if released. If you can no longer care for them, you must dispose of these live organisms (and all materials exposed to these organisms) by placing them into plastic bags and freezing them for 3 days before disposal in your regular trash.
