Whether you say roly poly, rolly polly, or pill bug, these little animals are easy to get attached to. We raise isopods at Ficarro Farms, and I love how much there is to notice once you give them a good home. This guide is a starting point for a pet colony or a classroom observation. If your project calls for a particular animal, check the scientific name: the pill bug Armadillidium vulgare rolls into a ball, while a sowbug such as Porcellio scaber does not.
First, a word about where your colony comes from
Terrestrial isopods can take up metals from their surroundings, and the conditions in a wild collection site may be unknown. That is a reason to consider where animals and their substrate came from, especially if another animal might eat them. It is not proof that every wild isopod is contaminated, or that a cultured or “organic” isopod is guaranteed free of contaminants. Ask the seller what they can actually tell you about the animals rather than relying on a blanket safety promise.
What are roly polys?
They are crustaceans adapted to life on land, not insects. A. vulgare can tuck into a ball when disturbed. They are often found under leaves, logs, and pots, where cover helps them avoid drying out. That bit of natural history is also the clue to caring for them: think sheltered, ventilated, and damp in places, not hot, exposed, or waterlogged.
How do I set up a roly poly home?
Start with a covered container that has ventilation and enough room for your animals. Add suitable untreated substrate, leaf litter, and hiding places. Keep some substrate moist without leaving standing water. Check it regularly and adjust as it dries; how often you add water depends on the container, the substrate, and the room. There is no reliable one-size-fits-all daily misting schedule.
Keep the habitat out of direct sun and temperature extremes. If food is molding, the enclosure smells bad, or the substrate is soaked, change the conditions and remove spoiled material. Isopods are decomposers, but they do not make an enclosure self-cleaning. For an easy reference to keep beside the habitat, see our care checklist.
What do they eat?
Leaf litter and decaying plant material are a useful foundation. Small portions of suitable vegetables can supplement that, but begin with less than you think you need and see what remains. Remove uneaten food before it spoils. A fixed number of ounces per week cannot fit a small starting group and a large colony equally well. Avoid substrate or food with uncertain chemical treatments.
That is really the fun of keeping them: watch where they hide, what they eat, and how the group responds when you change one condition. If you are planning a lesson, decide who will care for the animals after the observation ends. Our classroom count guide helps work backward from stations and animals per station.
Ready to begin?
Use the first-colony setup and arrival checklist before ordering, then compare current species and counts. Availability can change, so contact us if your class needs a larger count or a particular date. Please do not release purchased isopods outdoors.
General references: Carolina Biological Supply, Care Guide: Terrestrial Isopods; University of California IPM, Pillbugs and Sowbugs; Udovic et al., research using P. scaber to assess metal bioavailability. General research does not establish the condition of any particular shipment.
Hello! I know this is an older post but I noticed a bit of misinformation with the names. In the first paragraph you say that you can call pill bugs sow bugs, but sow bugs are a different isopod that are commonly mistaken for roly polys. Sow bugs can not roll up due to their shell being curved outwards, and are said to be more of pests and even called invasive. While I don�t know if that�s true they are different than pill bugs and have very different properties. Just wanted to let you know
I started a rolly polly vivarium with rolly pollies from my garden with the garden soil as the substrate, dead twigs and leaves, and a few rocks. I add in small carrot peelings and lettuce. I now have a slug and a few snails as well as the rolly pollies. Are the snails and slug bad for the rolly pollies?
Hi Kathy. No, the snails and slug aren’t harmful to your rolly polly vivarium assuming it’s a suitable size to accommodate the population density. Snails, in particular are pretty messy creatures and hopefully the rollies can keep everything clean. It sounds like an ideal home for A. vulgare. Have fun and let me know if you have any more questions.
how do i find them?
I would start early in the morning as they are generally crepuscular. You’ll likely see them scurrying across a sidewalk looking for an optimal spot that has moisture, soft substrate (soil), and decaying plant litter. In the heat of the day, they often congregate near foundations under debris. It’s a lot of fun (and sometimes frustrating) looking for them. Enjoy!
mostly under big rocks in damp spaces
How often does the dirt need to be replaced if at all?
Where is it best to find roly polys in the garden?
Armadillidium vulgare loves decaying plant material, so they are easily found under living plants that have some dead leaves that are touching the ground. They love the safety of the plant towering overhead for shade, protection from predators, and moisture. They also love to congregate under debris, such as a log or a clay pot. It’s really fun trying to find them as they bury themselves under the surface when it’s too dry, or they are tunneling to create a safe place for their babies.
Do roly polys eat bugs that live in dirt?
That’s a good question. The answer is no, they live very peacefully with other organisms. Keep in mind that in an enclosed environment, there are limited available resources. So, when two organisms compete for the same resources, one will thrive and one will struggle.
Do roly polys eat bone scrap?
Do roly polys eat bone leftovers?
I used a jar for 11 and more rolly pollys, is that ok?
A jar will work for a while. Make sure there are some areas that are moist and some areas that are relatively dry so they can adjust accordingly. If you detect any bad odors, change the jar.
My 7 yo grandson wants to know if rolly pollies eat mold.
No. rolly pollies do not eat mold
I have heard rolly polly�s are great for cleaning out reptile cages. Do you have any information?
Yes, they are an excellent clean-up crew for vivariums and reptile cages. Provide lots of places to hide and sufficient moisture, and they will keep your cage nice and clean.
Do isopods eat and damage live vegetable garden plants? I’d never thought about this possibility until this year when I’ve had more than usual numbers of them in my newly planted vegetable garden. I’ve often seen them gathering around the stems of my young green beans, some of which have developed damage at the base, enough to fell the plant even. Is it possible the isopods are doing this? There is a lot of compost in the surface soil, so I would think they have lots of food choices, but I’d really appreciate your opinion on this. Thanks!
The literature typically makes a note of the potential for isopods to damage live plant material, but I have never seen any evidence of this in all the years I’ve worked with them professionally. I have seen situations where disease or damage has occurred and hungry (usually thirsty) isopods quickly move in. But, I’ve only witnessed them eating decaying material. Freshly decaying plant or vegetable material still has quite a lot of water content, and isopods are usually looking for moisture. I hope this helps.
I was thinking about raising dairy cow isopods as pets and for fun but I realized I don�t know what to do if they have to many babies and don�t know where to put the extra ones, I live in an apartment and won�t be able to just get another terrarium for them. Not many people buy them around here and I was wondering what you would reccomend.
We’ll email you, we are planning something on our farm that can help with just that!
I�m wanting to put them in a vivarium with some tropical plants. Is this a bad idea?
Tropical plants will give your isopoda places to hide, leaf litter to eat, and a more natural habitat, and should work great, just be sure to not overwater the isopoda as some species prefer dryer climates. Let me know if you have any other questions!
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How big of a container should I give them?
How many isopoda are you housing? It really depends on the situation, but I can help with more details!
These are so much fun to keep and watch, unlike worms they’re a lot more visible. They like space to hide and love nooks in bark but still are active on the surface. I just think it’s so neat how they’re crustaceans, how they carry their babies, how they shed, and their seemingly endless appetite. I keep mine in a bed of coco coir and give them some big chunks of bark. Give them a good spray of water and they’ll climb up when it’s time to change out the substrate, which I add to my compost pile. I believe they provide copper to the soil with their droppings. If they get too wet they seem to arch their butt up possibly to squeeze excess water out? That’s my sign they’re too wet. They do multiply quick and if they get too crowded they go into feeding frenzy mode sort of like locusts do and can eat A LOT, possibly even each other. Make sure there’s enough bark or space for the colony to get up and hide under, if not the tanks too small or you need more bark. It only smells if you have too much food or leave the bedding too long. These guys are easy to care for, easy to clean, fun, educational, and quiet. Perfect pets lol!
What is the best type of Roly for a a Roly farm?
It depends on what you’re looking for, decomposition – feeders – or just for fun, let us know, and I can give some specifics!
Cen I use normal dirt for rolly pollies to live in
Regular dirt (which I’m assuming you mean from outdoors) is perfect for isopods as long as food is provided since they can’t get many nutrients out of already eaten stuff (which is what dirt is), but be aware that larvaes, insects, and other bugs can harbor in any dirt collected from the outdoors, which can cause issues later, there are a few ways to sanatize outdoor dirt safely, but the easier method to fix this is too start off with organic gardening soil from the store, just make sure it doesn’t contain pesticides, fungacides, or anything other than natural ingredients or straight soil. Mulch can also be used keeping the same ideas in mind. Hopefully that helps! If you have any other questions or concerns, feel free to reply or use the contact us form. Have a great day!
Is there any fruit bad for rolly pollies
They can pretty much eat anything, but I wouldn’t suggest anything too acidic, such as limes, lemons, or oranges, they also have preferences, so some fruit may go bad, but can be pulled out as they rot, the downside to that – is that rotting fruit can attract gnats easily, and gnats although relatively harmless to an Isopod, are extremely annoying inside and hard to exterminate once inside.
Is it prefereable to keep them in company or they pretty much do well alone? Asking for taking care of an Armadillo Officinalis, as they are very common here
We’ve found that every species of isopoda needs some companionship to thrive, Armadillidium vulgare is extremely similar to Armadillio officinalis, and with these type of live isopods we’ve seen them die living in captivity alone, although usually a lone isopod in our experience will just be unhappy and slow moving, but won’t usually die. I would suggest starting with more than one. Hopefully that answers your question but feel free to ask if you have any other concerns, thanks for visiting our small family farm! – Luke Ficarro
Does the container need air holes?
Hi! Most of the time holes actually create more problems then they solve (think lack of moisture) since Isopods breath through modified gills they do fine in closed containers, just be sure to check every other day for food, and moisture levels, opening the container occasionally, gives them a refresh in air, and lets out excess moisture. Thanks for visiting Ficarro Farms! Let us know if you have any other questions!
Yes it does it not it will die
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