How Do You Keep an Isopod as a Pet?

Bugs of various kinds are common pets for a bunch of reasons. Some insects, such as crickets and roaches make excellent food sources for a variety of animals. Some people keep worms for composting purposes. Isopods, however, make for an excellent master-of-all trades that can be an essential part of many homes.

If you’ve ever researched “isopods for sale”, you have likely seen many pet keepers singing the phrases of these critters as an enriching food source and detritivore that can keep your animal’s enclosure clean and free of pests such as mites.

An additional appeal of these bugs is just how easy they are to care for. With less than an hour’s worth of preparation and minimal maintenance, you will have a thriving colony of isopods available for whatever you need.

Housing

As far as isopod housing is concerned, you are likely to have materials suitable for making their enclosure around the house. Any plastic container with a lid will do, simply make sure you place plenty of small breathing holes around the box. If you are concerned about runaways, place some mesh around the breathing holes. Be sure to provide a thin layer of soil and decaying leaves at the bottom of the enclosure.

Remember, these bugs love dark, damp areas. As long as you keep the humidity at an appropriate level and keep them away from light, these bugs will thrive. To give your isopods more space to move around and proliferate, place a few cardboard egg cartons in the enclosure.

When your isopods arrive at their new home, they will likely come packaged in a small container in between layers of paper towels. Just be aware of this, and be sure to gently shake your isopods into the enclosure. You can even lightly brush any remaining insects from the paper.

Feeding

Now for the fun part of keeping isopods. They eat everything. That means you can throw any leftover food waste into their enclosure and they will be happy campers. As previously mentioned, this is what makes them a great clean-up crew for a variety of animals. They are also excellent for processing wastes for a compost bin.

Handling

These bugs are typically hardy and can tolerate being handled with bare hands. However, you want to take care to wash your hands after handling.

If you no longer want to care for certain organisms, humanely euthanize them by putting them in the freezer for 48 hours and disposing of them with other solid wastes. Do not attempt to release them into the wild without contacting your local department of agriculture.

Last Word About Isopods

If you are looking at isopods for sale, you are joining a large community of gardeners and pet owners who understand just how beneficial these humble organisms can be. You will have a wide variety of morphs, species, and sizes of insects to choose from (with literally tens of thousands of individual isopod species in existence). Before you know it, these insects will make their own, unique place in your home, endearing themselves to you in a way you probably didn’t think was possible.