Isopad failure

[BocaJan]

I got some really great instructions for finding isopods and have been working on it for a week now, but you think I can find one? Nope! I really need some in my brev terrarium but can't seem to get any. They are so expensive to buy when I should be able to just go outside and get some. Grrrrrr

Anyone got any suggestions?

 

[sandrachameleon]

Where have you been looking? Needs to be a damp shaded area with lots of debris - dead leaves, young plants, wood...

 

[CNorton]

We have them underneath stepping stones, bricks, boards, flower pots, on the groud of heavily planted areas, and generally just under stuff where high humidity and shade/darkness can be found.

 

[Lizardlover]

We have them underneath stepping stones, bricks, boards, flower pots, on the groud of heavily planted areas, and generally just under stuff where high humidity and shade/darkness can be found.

Yep, thats what I had suggested, put out a few flower pots, I guess they haven't caught on to it yet .

 

[tkilgour]

Take a wet towel and place it on the concrete for a week. If you live in Florida, it rains nearly every day so that will keep the towel damp. After a week or so come back and lift the gross wet towel and there will be 100s crawling under it. That is how I collect them for my tarantula enclosures.

 

[ColorCham427]

Hey, I'll look outside tonight with a flash light and get some out to you OK? That sucks that you can't find any, these are every where, all hanging on the wooden fence of my pool area. Oh, I'm just doing this free favor for Naomi so please don't ask me to do it for you.

 

[BocaJan]

Cool! I only need 5-10 though. Seems silly to pay shipping for that few. Tell you what, I will try the towel idea (tried the upside down flower pot in a dry spot with damp earth. If I am not successful maybe Danny can catch some for me. :-D

Hey, I'll look outside tonight with a flash light and get some out to you OK? That sucks that you can't find any, these are every where, all hanging on the wooden fence of my pool area. Oh, I'm just doing this free favor for Naomi so please don't ask me to do it for you.

 

[Lizardlover]

Cool! I only need 5-10 though. Seems silly to pay shipping for that few. Tell you what, I will try the towel idea (tried the upside down flower pot in a dry spot with damp earth. If I am not successful maybe Danny can catch some for me. :-D

I have tons .

 

[tkilgour]

Okay, here are some photos of how to do it. It is really, really simple.

The first photo is the nasty, wet towel after a week. It poured earlier today and now it is 96 deg. F outside, but the towel is still pretty wet. I just place the towel on the concrete steps outside my walk out basement.

The second photo is just to show how many isopods are there. I dont know if you can tell but there are tons of them. The picture just shows a little corner peeled back from the steps and there are at least a dozen just in that little space and probably 50 or more in the dark shadowed area.

 

[BocaJan]

EWWWW. I will try a wet rag on the corner of my patio and see what happens. I just noticed in the title of this thread I said Isopad! ACK Sorry folks for those of you who are spelling nuts, you know what I meant. My fingers don't always do what I want them to do.

 

[BocaJan]

Would you believe I am unable to get any isopods? I have several wet rags laying around and not one bug of any kind.

DANNY!!!! Help

EWWWW. I will try a wet rag on the corner of my patio and see what happens. I just noticed in the title of this thread I said Isopad! ACK Sorry folks for those of you who are spelling nuts, you know what I meant. My fingers don't always do what I want them to do.

 

[Lizardlover]

I'll have to set some aside for you.

 

[BocaJan]

You are sooooooo sweet Lizardlover. I guess I can pick up and wash my dirty rags. Nothing there but dirt.

 

[Clifford]

Come visit my back yard and take as many as you want. They are eating all the new flower shoots, the strawberries and the lettuce.

 

[lisa h]

I think I have those in my basement! I have brevs, crested geckos, gargs and mantellas (frogs). Can I put them in those enclosures? What do they eat, are they eaten? Anyone? I'd send you some but you know how it is with cross border insect shipping

 

[sandrachameleon]

I think I have those in my basement! I have brevs, crested geckos, gargs and mantellas (frogs). Can I put them in those enclosures? What do they eat, are they eaten? Anyone? I'd send you some but you know how it is with cross border insect shipping

You could collect some and start a little breeding colony, then feed off the captive ones. You dont really want to use wild ones (parasites, possible heavy metal contamination).
My painted mantella will eat a few of the small/young ones. They breed freely in the mantella terrarium and help keep it clean. My adult chameleons and larger frogs enjoy very much the adult isopods (which are still fairly small).

Info on how to breed them:
https://www.chameleonforums.com/blo...-isopods-pillbugs-wood-sow-rollie-pollie.html

 

[lisa h]

Thank you! I'm going to start looking for them!!

 

[tkilgour]

I'm sorry the wet rag trick didn't work for you. I must have collected 1,000 of them already from the dirty rag. The isopods must have already had spring break in your area.