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Whether you know them as woodlice, roly-polies, potato bugs, slaters, pillbugs, carpenters, tiggy-hogs, parson-pigs, or doodlebugs, these tiny creatures are easy to care for. To make a comfortable habitat for them, put some soil, leaves, and twigs into a container. Then place your woodlice in the habitat and add a bit of fresh produce for them to nibble on. Keep the habitat moist and observe the woodlice for a few days before releasing them back into the wild.
Steps
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Choose a sturdy container to hold the woodlice. Look for a clean jar or empty shoebox to house your woodlice. To keep just a few woodlice, use a small jar. For lots of woodlice, consider purchasing a container, such as a plastic terrarium or glass aquarium from your local pet store. [1] X Research source- Keep in mind that if you pick a shoebox or small cardboard box, you won't be able to keep the woodlice for more than a day. This is because the moist material and environment will make the container break down quickly.
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Put 2 inches (5.1 cm) of soil in the container and add the woodlice. Spread the soil in the container so the bottom is completely covered. Press down a little so the soil is firm enough to support the woodlice and their digging. Add as many woodlice to the container as you like. [2] X Research source- If you're digging into the soil with a sharp shovel, use caution so you don't accidentally injure woodlice that may be in the ground.
Tip: To find woodlice for your container, look under leaf piles, branches, and rocks since they love moist, dark environments.
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Add leaves, sticks, and bark to give the woodlice something to explore. Scatter about 1 inch (2.5 cm) of leaves across the soil in the container. It's fine to place these over the woodlice since they prefer to be under leaves and soil. You can also add small sticks or twigs and scraps of bark. Your woodlice will eat the leaves and climb around the sticks. [3] X Research source- Leave rocks out of the container since they can tumble and crush the woodlice, especially if the container is moved.
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Cover the container and poke air holes across the top. If the container has a lid, close it and ensure that air vents are open. To make your own air vents in a shoe box, put the lid on the box and carefully poke holes in the top. If you're using a jar, cover the jar with waxed paper, plastic wrap, or foil. Then use a sharp skewer to poke holes across the top. [4] X Research source- Use caution or ask for help when poking holes in the lid.
- Ensure that the holes aren't big enough that the woodlice can escape.
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Place the woodlice container in a secure spot in your house. Put it out of direct sunlight so the woodlice don't overheat. Since woodlice prefer a cool environment, you don't need to use any special heat lamps, just keep the container inside your house. [5] X Research source- If you have other pets or small children, put the woodlice container somewhere out of their reach.
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Spray the habitat to keep it moist. Woodlice stay hydrated by absorbing humid air and eating food. To keep the soil and atmosphere in the habitat moist, fill a spray bottle with water. Then spritz the leaves and soil of the habitat until they're moist. Feel the soil every day and spray it whenever it feels dry to the touch. [6] X Research sourceTip: Woodlice can drown in water, so don't put a water dish in its habitat or spray until there are puddles.
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Give the woodlice fresh produce. Although the woodlice can eat the leaves that you put in their habitat, they'll need produce to nibble on. Put slices of raw potatoes, carrots, apples, or pears onto the leaves and leave them for the woodlice to eat. [7] X Research source- Replace the produce every few days so the food doesn't begin to mold.
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Clean the container if you keep the woodlice for more than 1 week. If you're planning on keeping the woodlice for over a week, you'll need to clean out the habitat. Remove leaves that are molding and replace some of the soil with fresh soil.- If you're using a terrarium or aquarium, wipe down the glass if there's dirt or smudges on it.
- While it's safe to keep them for longer, you should release them into their natural habitat so they can mate.
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Hold the woodlice gently when you want to handle them. If you'd like to take a woodlouse out of its container to observe, carefully pick it up with your thumb and forefinger. Leave it in the palm of your hand until it unrolls. You can also set it down on a flat surface so you can count how many legs it has and watch how it moves. [8] X Research source- Use light pressure when you pick up the woodlice since it's easy to accidentally crush them with too much pressure.
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Expert Interview
Thanks for reading our article! If you’d like to learn more about entomology, check out our in-depth interview with Brandon Runyon .
References
- ↑ https://bouncebackparenting.com/keeping-jar-pets/
- ↑ https://animals.mom.me/care-rolypoly-8019.html
- ↑ https://animals.mom.me/care-rolypoly-8019.html
- ↑ https://bouncebackparenting.com/keeping-jar-pets/
- ↑ http://goexplorenature.com/2010/05/fun-friday-build-roly-poly-terrarium.html
- ↑ https://animals.mom.me/care-rolypoly-8019.html
- ↑ https://animals.mom.me/care-rolypoly-8019.html
- ↑ https://assets.bouldercounty.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/nature-detectives-2016b.pdf
Community Q&A
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QuestionWhat is a woodlouse's favorite thing?Community AnswerThey usually have a diet of rotting plant material, such as sticks and leaves.
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QuestionWhat is the average lifespan of a woodlouse?Community AnswerWoodlice have a fairly long life span of about 5 years.
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QuestionDoes the box have to be clear/see-through?Community AnswerNot necessarily. If you want to see the woodlouse though, you might want to get a transparent box. Otherwise, it should be fine. Just make sure to check it every day!
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Tips
- Since woodlice can live up to 5 years, enjoy your pets for a few days and release them back into the wild.Thanks
- Woodlice also like wood chips or mulch. If you want to put it in their container, ensure that you're using non-toxic wood.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- If you really like keeping woodlice, set them free at mating time. Then go back there to get more, and maybe you'll be able to look after one of the babies.
- Don’t steal woodlice from their home. Only take one if they are away from their natural habitat and are in danger of being eaten or squashed.
- I find it is best to use compost in the bottom of the container. This creates a moist environment and is good for the woodlice to dig in!
- Make a Lego maze for your woodlouse. I put my woodlouse in the maze for 5-10 minutes about two times a day to keep him occupied.
- Woodlice love strawberries and leaves. If you have a strawberry plant, feel free to give them some!
- Woodlice love to dig. Make sure you give them lots of digging area.
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Things You'll Need
- Container with a lid
- Soil
- Leaves and sticks
- Spray bottle
About This Article
Article Summary
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If you want to keep a woodlouse as a pet, fill a small, sturdy container with about 2 inches of soil. Add leaves, sticks, and bark to the container, then gently place the woodlouse onto the soil. Cover the container and poke air holes across the top. Give the woodlouse fresh vegetables, like carrots, apples, or potatoes, and replace the food every few days. Once a day, open the container and check the soil. If it feels dry to the touch, spritz the leaves and dirt until they’re moist. Keep reading for tips on how to handle a woodlouse!
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Reader Success Stories
- "It helped me look after my amazing woodlice. I recently released them back and after a couple of weeks, I saw they had babies. It was so cute and I hope next year in the winter where they could easily die of the cold I will get one of the babies." ..." more
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"It helped me look after my amazing woodlice. I recently released them back and after a couple of weeks, I saw they had babies. It was so cute and I hope next year in the winter where they could easily die of the cold I will get one of the babies."
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"Two woodlice kept returning to our Spanish apartment, even though we put them out into a nicer environment. We killed one accidentally and wanted to know if the pair were mates. We learned a lot, including how to tell male from female. Thanks."
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"Trying to create a little woodlouse sanctuary for use in biology at our school. Thank you for the tips, though I'd like to know how large the container should be for the amount of woodlice (eg: 10L tank for 50 etc.)"
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"It was very good; it was really fun and easy to do! My favorite part was when we hunted for the woodlice. At first I didn't know what to do, but when I read this, I learned exactly what to do. Great article. "
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"This helped me very much, as my sister and I like to keep wood lice as pets. We did not know how to take care of them until we saw this article. Now our wood lice are very happy. "
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