Woodlouse EVERYWHERE!!

[hellraizor]

Do people like these things? Ive got a collection of moss split between 4 terrariums that apparently had woodlouse eggs in it. Ive got, what I was raised calling "pillbugs", crawling all over the place. And what I thought were baby dubias in my tub are actually more woodlouse babies. I thought I saw a for sale ad with someone selling these. I was just wondering if people collect these things, cause Ive got a bunch I can spare. PLEASE!!

 

[OldHag]

I like them. I may or may not have thousands of different kinds of these guys.....that's a maybe.


Pillbugs roll up.
woodlice don't.

 

[Matt K]

I like them. I may or may not have thousands of different kinds of these guys.....that's a maybe.


Pillbugs roll up.
woodlice don't.

Me to. From what I can tell nobody wants pillbugs but many people want "woodlice" aka isopods for thier bug enclosures.

 

[Bugs In Cyberspace]

The term "woodlice" is used in the UK in reference to the terrestrial isopods that both roll up and don't roll up.

In the US, we often call the ones that roll into balls "pill bugs". The ones that don't are often referred to as "sow bugs".

Teachers love to use pill bugs as examples of how some animals protect themselves. Pet bug hobbyists often place them in tanks as "clean up crews".

 

[What]

Me to. From what I can tell nobody wants pillbugs but many people want "woodlice" aka isopods for thier bug enclosures.

I actually like the "pillbug" type of isopod for cage cleaning, harder for the inverts in the cage to eat. But "sowbugs" are very handy for decorative enclosures if you get a strain infected with iridovirus. They are purple/blue and the adults dont live all that long(helps to keep from having too many), without it I have found they do damage to plants and the other inhabitants of the enclosure.

 

[hellraizor]

The ones I have hatching out everywhere are pillbugs then, cause they rollup, obviously. What do they clean? I have found some mite looking things in some of my terrariums (vivariums? whichever). I think they also came from my live moss. I guess I need some new method of steralizing my moss. I toss it in a large trash bag and stuff it in the freezer for a few weeks. I figured that would usually kill anything living in it. And suprising enough the moss is always still green when it thaws. Anyone have any input on the pillbugs, microscopic mite looking things, and live moss?

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

I believe the isopods may eat the mites. That is good. As for moss, all I can say is I am not a fan of botany lol.

 

[xhexdx]

I'm pretty sure they're just decomposers and they outcompete the mites, so the mites die off.

 

[GiantVinegaroon]

I'm pretty sure they're just decomposers and they outcompete the mites, so the mites die off.

Oh I thought I read in the T keeper's uide that they have been speculated to eat mites...gonna have to double check.

But in the mean time just know that Isopods > Mites and therefore, the mites die.