Caring for Roly Polys – Confessions Of An Isopod Farmer

Whether you call them sowbugs, pillbugs, rolly pollys, rolly pollies, roly polys, or rolly polys we love them, and today I am going to show you how to properly care for your roly polys, so you can show your love for them. And hopefully by the end of this article you’ll have your very own properly maintained roly poly farm/colony, whether it’s for educational purposes, for fun, or as feeders. Now let’s get down to the basics of caring for your roly polys.

First off a friendly warning about rolly pollys –

We never recommend feeding animals wild insects, but in this case especially for isopods. Isopods have shown in studies to pick up heavy metals as they eat, and while this is amazing for the environment, and just another great feature that they have to offer, it’s why we suggest only starting a colony off from a reputable dealer. You do not want your animals to feed on a wild isopod as they contain large amounts of heavy metals, and a colony started from wild isopods will always have the starting amount of heavy metals, for generations. Make sure your dealer of roly polys is organic to minimize any risk to you, them, or your animals.

Well, What Are They? –

Roly polys can be called any of the names I stated in the first paragraph, and all are proper, but it’s easy to see where they got their most commonly called name rolly polly because of how they roll into a ball to protect themselves when confronted by danger. But I’m getting off track, roly polys are not actually insects, they are interestingly enough crustaceans, and are more so related to a shrimp than any insect in your garden, Armadillidium vulgare, the common pill bug, also known as the most widely kept species, is friendly, and gets along with any other isopod species. These fun guys roll into a ball when they feel threatened. Another fun fact about roly polys is that they breathe through gills and need moisture to survive – this will be important later and is a main part of their care.

Roly Poly Care –

Roly polys are easy to care for only requiring shelter, moisture, and food. Reaching less than an inch long these little guys don’t require much space, a plastic aquarium, plastic bin, or any container 5-10 gallons big will work, cover the floor of the container with organic soil, organic wood mulch, or organic shredded paper, then add wood, rocks, or cardboard/paper or really anything that will give them places to explore and shelter, now here comes the most important step – mist the air around the cage and the floor substrate you used daily, roly polys need moisture to breathe through their gills, although they can not survive completely underwater so don’t overwater either. Change the bedding periodically (monthly) or if mold appears. As for food, roly polys eat almost anything organic (leaves, decaying greens, most table scraps), give them 1-2 oz of food two or three times a week, and make sure to switch up the food you give them to prevent any vitamin deficiencies. Roly polys obtain their moisture from the food they eat, so they do not need a water bowl. Light is also not a requirement. The last thing to mention is temperature – although roly polys are resilient they prefer room temperature and can overheat or freeze, and should be kept inside if possible with a lid to keep out predators or pets.  With good care – your roly poly friends can live up to 3 years!

What do rolly pollies eat? – Isopods, also known as rolly pollies are beneficial decomposers that tend to stick to rotting materials such as leaf litter, and compost. Isopods can be fed a mixed diet of leaf litter, organic veggies, and the occasional ground down bonemeal treat. Isopods do best with a mixed diet, find out about our specialty isopod food for an easier feeding time.

If you have any questions about roly polys or any critters for that matter, don’t forget to use the contact us page, we have an on-staff biologist 24/7, and are happy to answer any questions you have. Also feel free to contact us to share your experiences, to show our family farm support, or just to say hello, we love hearing from our visitors.

That’s really all it takes to have your very own roly poly pets! Yep, that’s it who knew it would be that easy! So what are you waiting for, go get your colony started today, whether it’s to teach your kids about the decomposition process, for pets, or for a feeder colony, it’s fun and easy, just remember to start off with a reputable organic dealer.

Visit our separate more in-depth article on roly-poly isopod care by clicking here. Follow us and subscribe to our newsletter for more!

If you’re looking for isopods for sale of various species, Ficarro Farms grows, raises, and breeds them, we’re actually adding different species of isopoda often so check back for more! At the moment we offer Armadillidium vulgare, Porcellio scaber isopods, we’ll be adding “powdery blue” isopods and “powdery orange” isopods soon, check out our store for more details.