# How I culture woodlice (isopods)



## markbudde

This is my guide to a foolproof, thriving dwarf white woodlice culture.

*Background*
This guide is intended for the feeders sold as dwarf white tropical woodlice, which I believe are actually _Trichorhina tomentosa_. I believe I read that _Trichorhina tomentosa_ was first identified in the late 1800's as a hitchhiker in Germany found among some new world orchids. I believe that these guys are either hermaphroditic or parthenogenic... I don't think that mating is required to make more of them. The eggs are kept moist under their body near their gills and hatch after a few weeks. At 28C, I observed that it took a newly hatched woodlouse about 2.5 months before it produced babies, but it wasn't full grown at the time and I don't think I was feeding it the correct food at the time. It takes them about 2 weeks to have a clutch of eggs.

*Methods*
I have tried a number of techniques to grow these guys over the last year and a half and have finally settled on one which I think is the most productive. I tried the method on Alan Cann's website (Woodlice), but it didn't work too well for me. Here we go...

Make sure that your culture size fits the population size (ie make sure you have enough woodlice so that mold cannot overtake the culture). A small culture can be pretty productive. Unlike tropical springtails, as long as these guys have food and shelter they will continue to reproduce and be productive (tropical springtails secrete a substance which inhibits further production, so populations will eventually quit being productive unless you split them). The easiest way to kill a feeder population is to overfeed it and let mold get the upper hand, so it is better for them to be hungry than over fed. 

This technique is easier than setting up a fly culture. It involves growing them on bird bedding and feeding them dogfood. The dogfood will mold over and once it does, they will eat the moldy pellet until there is nothing left. They will also eat the bedding, at which point you know it is ok to split the culture. At the end, all of the bedding has been turned into "dirt".

Here is a culture which has eaten all of the bedding. I fed about half of the population out before I took this picture. The dirt in the bottom usede bedding that took up the whole container before they chewed it all up. It is full of woodlice (they burrow into the dirt).









This is the inside of the old culture. The woodlice are burrowed in the dirt.









And this is what the jar looks like after I took out the dirt. You can see some woodlice remained in the bottom.









Now that the culture is empty, it is time to add some bedding. I used this product, which appears to be similar to shredded cardboard corrugation. It is sold for birds, but I've also seen it used in display cases before. I tried using cardboard as substrate but they were much less productive on the cardboard.

























Now add 1 pellet of food. I usually add about a pellet every two weeks, after the old pellet had been completely consumed. I use this organic dogfood, which cost me $3 and has lasted for over a year. I also toss these pellets into my cages to feed the microfauna and give the frogs a place to pick off springtails and isopods.









And here is the finished culture. Just add bedding, dogfood, some old culture and spray it a few times. It should not be sopping wet. It looks wet in this picture because it hasn't soaked in yet, but there is dry bedding underneath. The fact that it is pretty well sealed up should keep the humidity near 100%.

















You need a few small holes in the lid or the woodlice will die of anoxia. Very small holes should be sufficient. The pellet will mold over after a day or two, then the woodlice will then chew it all up (unlike springtails which will just eat the mold on the outside) and the pellet will turn into dirt after about a two weeks, at which point you should add another. If you ever notice it drying out, just spray it a few times. I spray it about once every 3 months.

*Conclusion*
I have tried a number of other substrates (cardboard, coco coir, peat, orchid bark, plaster) but they seem to grow the fastest in this setup. They are still much less prolific than flies, but require less work. I feed them out when a culture is exhausted by either just putting some of the old culture into the viv, or removing the old substrate and banging the empty jar, which has a bunch stuck to the sides.
Good luck and let me know how it works out for you.
-Mark


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## Devanny

Great info Mark, this should be a sticky!


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## pl259

Done!

Great thread Mark!


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## gary1218

Sooooo..................how much for a starter culture of the woodlice to get things going 

What temps do you keep the culture at?

How many weeks would you say it takes to go from a new starter culture to when you would either feed it out to your frogs or split it to start some new cultures?

Thanks.


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## NickBoudin

Awesome. I've been culturing temperate isopods for the last 2 months. Thanks for these tips!


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## markbudde

gary1218 said:


> Sooooo..................how much for a starter culture of the woodlice to get things going


There are several sponsors here that sell cultures at a reasonable price.



gary1218 said:


> What temps do you keep the culture at?


I keep mine at room temp, which is abot 68F currently. They will grow fastest if kept a little above 80F.



gary1218 said:


> How many weeks would you say it takes to go from a new starter culture to when you would either feed it out to your frogs or split it to start some new cultures?


With any feeder, the time until you split them depends on the number of bugs in the starter culture. This means that if you have a culture with large population, you can feed out fairly regularly. I would guess that the culture I just set up will be done in about 2-3 months. That means that with 3 cultures going I can feed out about once a month. I bet if you wanted to grow a bunch you could feed out much more frequently.They do pretty well in viv conditions though, so they will persist in the viv for a while (and eat back your mold). Like I said, not as productive as flies, but they are an easy thing to keep in the closet and feed out occasionally. I started the culture shown above with 4 adults in July or August.
-Mark


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## markbudde

NickBoudin said:


> Awesome. I've been culturing temperate isopods for the last 2 months. Thanks for these tips!


I'm not sure if this technique will work for temperates, so keep us updated if you try.
-Mark


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## NickBoudin

Well, I already know they dont eat the moldy dog food. I tried that once, didnt work. I have just been harvesting decomposing leaf litter from an old vivarium, and also I add in fish flakes.


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## sNApple

nice to see new methods of culturing woodlice, but IMO separating the cardboard and substrate from the woodlice looks like it would be a nightmare.


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## markbudde

sNApple said:


> nice to see new methods of culturing woodlice, but IMO separating the cardboard and substrate from the woodlice looks like it would be a nightmare.


You don't seperate the cardboard. You wait until they have consumed it all and then pull out whats left (a clump of dirt) and it is full of them. You can either just break it up and put it in dish or brush them off. 
Have you had success with another method?


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## frogparty

Im trying a stacked cardboard method. Too early to see if its working though.
This would be great for producing "seed" for vivs. just dump the clump in and youre done


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## perrocabronus

i dont know if the isopods we have here are good enough since they seem to be have a hard shell, thye are grey like these http://www.lovethegarden.com/problemsolving/images/woodlice.jpg
could i use them to feed the frogs?


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## midget

you feed out the babies usally but they may be able to eat the harder shelled ones. good luck


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## Mitch

Has anyone tried the method the guy uses in this video? I am new to culturing woodlice and would like to hear what the best methods are before I start up my own cultures. Thanks for any input.


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## qiksilver5

Mitch said:


> Has anyone tried the method the guy uses in this video? I am new to culturing woodlice and would like to hear what the best methods are before I start up my own cultures. Thanks for any input.


My method for orange's is similar. Alan knows what he's talking about though, so that's a good site to use for reference.


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## varanoid

As far as the bedding you use (ECO Bird Bedding), could you also use ECO Bedding for Small Pets? It looks to be made by the same company and appears identical as the bird stuff pictured here. I just ask because I havn't been able to find ECO bird bedding.


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## Pumilo

varanoid said:


> As far as the bedding you use (ECO Bird Bedding), could you also use ECO Bedding for Small Pets? It looks to be made by the same company and appears identical as the bird stuff pictured here. I just ask because I havn't been able to find ECO bird bedding.


It looks like exactly the same thing to me. By the way, I set up 13 of these as a test, with 25 subadults and adult white dwarf Isos in each culture. They are doing great so far...crawling with babies!


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## varanoid

I plan to get some going soon myself. Good to hear this method is working for you. I hope that I have the same success though I will definately not be culturing on that big a scale! Maybe one day so time to get my practice in now!


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## gary1218

Mark,

Just wonering if you're still using this method to culture your woodlice? Any changes/tweaks you've made to your process?

I just got a few cultures in and I'm interested in giving your simple method a try.

Thanks.


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## markbudde

Yeah, this method still works well for me. The only problem I have is that the cultures get worms in them, but they aren't much of a problem unless the culture is too wet. I've found that using dogfood as the only food source gives more predictable results than including food scraps.


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## gary1218

Great..............thanks.


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## frogmanchu

can someone help me purchase a woodlice culture if you have them. I'm trying to have every food option possible for my frogs, more food then frogs so to speak.


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## Colleen53

frogmanchu said:


> can someone help me purchase a woodlice culture if you have them. I'm trying to have every food option possible for my frogs, more food then frogs so to speak.


I am also very interested in these little critters/food source for my frogs. Thank you!!!


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## frogmanchu

colleen there are some old thread with a website on there to get springtails, havvent seen woodlice but was told that if you get the rolly polies out your yard and add the to you tank your frogs will eat the young because they cant it the adults. the babies are like the dwarf ones that everyones culturing wen i find them i'll let you know.


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## Colleen53

Thanks, appreciate your doing some research and if I find a place, I'll let you know!! Until then, I'll check my yards!!!!


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## frogmanchu

aaafrogs.net if i'm not mistaken. its in the sponsor section they have spring tails and im still searching for woodlice. feel free to pm me anytime


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## frogmanchu

is this also true for the spanish orange woodlice as far as feeding and up keep


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## frogparty

Yes, the orange isos can be reared the same way. 
To feed out of these cultures, I put a slice of cucumber on top of the culture overnight. When you remove it the next day, there will be dozens of isos feeding on it. Then just tap em into a viv.


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## Ed

frogmanchu said:


> colleen there are some old thread with a website on there to get springtails, havvent seen woodlice but was told that if you get the rolly polies out your yard and add the to you tank your frogs will eat the young because they cant it the adults. the babies are like the dwarf ones that everyones culturing wen i find them i'll let you know.


Just be aware that some of the North American temperate isopods may take as long as 15 months before they are sexually mature.. 

Ed


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## reptij

thats crazy!!


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## frogmanchu

okay thanx guys but who has them thanx to tom i have orange ones but the dwarfs didnt bounce back ne help would be great


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## BugsInCyberspace.com

Just a note to say that I place egg cartons in with my isopods and a layer of leaflitter. They nibble on the latter, but happily accept dried, pet food supplements. I particularly like fish food. Here's a video I made recently of an Oniscus sow bug molting half its skin at a time, as isopods do:






I culture various isopods and springtails.


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## frogparty

cool video. i find the split shed exoskeletons in my cultures all the time.


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## Colleen53

Very nice video. Do you know the name of the song? I thought I was watching animal planet!! Appreciate that song name.


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## BugsInCyberspace.com

You're not the first to ask about the music. It sounds familiar, doesn't it? I simply selected it from YouTube's free music selection after uploading the video. Unfortunately, I have no idea what it is called. I'm surprised it doesn't say somewhere in conjunction with my video playing because I believe the music artists that donate their music should get that advertising. It must be there somewhere, but I can't find it. Sorry!


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## Colleen53

As you get older, you appreciate music that has a nice, relaxing and mellow beat. Very soothing. Thanks for trying. Maybe someone else might know.


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## HiMonster

can you put them in a glass jar with a sealed lid or do they need air? Hahaha probably a dumb question. What you guys keep your cultures in?


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## frogface

HiMonster said:


> can you put them in a glass jar with a sealed lid or do they need air? Hahaha probably a dumb question. What you guys keep your cultures in?


I culture mine in a plastic container. It does not have ventilation but it is not air tight. I do open it up and stir the dirt around, every few days. 

Check this thread out for some more info about cultures:
http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/food-feeding/66991-how-culture-isopods-woodlice-springtails.html


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## HiMonster

thanks man… Can you culture isopods and springtail together?


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## marylanddartfrog

HiMonster said:


> thanks man… Can you culture isopods and springtail together?




Yes but springtails often boom very fast and will be in direct competition for food sources and im affraid the isos will lose that battle in the long run


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## Duff

Great overview of how to culture isopods, thanks everyone! Just got my first culture and am now better prepared!
Also, the music is Real Ale Detectives by Oliver Ledbury if anyone is still curious


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## Ilovebugs

I really want to try isop's. This is a good way to culture them. Looks pretty easy. Thanks for the great info.


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## FrogBoyMike

never tried these before. sounds like a great idea


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## sarasmiles

Glad I found this post. I have isos coming this week, and this is very informative.


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## topart

Most of the chain pet stores get dog food samples that they give away. If you see a TV ad for a new dog food. Call or drop by the local pet shop and ask if they have any free samples of the dog food. Can't hurt to try 

It also makes good food for dubia roaches if you have them to feed your other reptiles or the larger frogs that can handle the nymphs


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## Yuley

Colleen53 said:


> Very nice video. Do you know the name of the song? I thought I was watching animal planet!! Appreciate that song name.


I know this was a long time ago... The song is Real Ale Detective by Oliver Ledbury


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## Dendrobait

does this only work with dwarf whites? Will dwarf grey/striped work here as well?


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## frogparty

Yes it works for all the commonly cultured isopods


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## hillblazer

Thanks for the info. I'm going to give this a try. 

In one pic you can see the lid and the holes in the lid look pretty big. What keeps them from getting out? Do you also add a screen under the lid or do they just so happy they don't try to crawl out?


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## LexisaurusRex

This was great thanks a million.  


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk - now Free


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## LoganR

Definitely worth giving this method a try.


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## Dendrobait

I wish the OP would comment on some things.

I've been using this method or very similar-just in yogurt tubs instead of jars.

Two issues/observations

1. I get fungus gnats like crazy! I am going to put flytape/gluetraps on the lids of these to control them.

2. I use a mix of cardboard and the bird bedding-maybe it is easier to find them on the cardboard but it seems the isopods much prefer it. Weird.

~Joe


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## Jeremy M

Dendrobait said:


> 1. I get fungus gnats like crazy! I am going to put flytape/gluetraps on the lids of these to control them.


I'm pretty sure that the gnats are because of the yogurt tubs you're using, assuming that they got in after you seeded the culture. Yogurt tubs' lids don't form nearly a tight a seal as mason jars would, and I've had large house fly grubs squeeze their way out of yogurt tubs with just a little moisture for lubricant.



Dendrobait said:


> 2. I use a mix of cardboard and the bird bedding-maybe it is easier to find them on the cardboard but it seems the isopods much prefer it. Weird.


My guess for this is that the larger, flat pieces of cardboard gives these guys a greater sense of security is more similar to where they would congregate in the wild- ie, underneath a piece of bark or a rock. My prediction is that as they begin to consume and break down both materials, you'll find plenty burrowed in the newly formed soil.


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## Dendrobait

Jeremy: You are probably right on that. Control tips would be great. They don't seem to affect productivity much but are quite the nuisance. 

I do see them in the soil as well, but they don't seem to be that enthused about the bird bedding. It does all eventually break down in to that incredibly friable dirt compost stuff(might be great fertilizer for epiphytes in our tanks?)


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## Ed

Jeremy M said:


> My guess for this is that the larger, flat pieces of cardboard gives these guys a greater sense of security is more similar to where they would congregate in the wild- ie, underneath a piece of bark or a rock. My prediction is that as they begin to consume and break down both materials, you'll find plenty burrowed in the newly formed soil.


I put it down to the fact that the glue used to make cardboard is based on corn starch which renders it sweet and more palatable. 
How corrugated cardboard is made - material, manufacture, making, used, processing, parts, structure, procedure, steps, product, industry, machine, Raw Materials, Design

Some comments 

Ed


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## Dart girl

NickBoudin said:


> Well, I already know they dont eat the moldy dog food. I tried that once, didnt work. I have just been harvesting decomposing leaf litter from an old vivarium, and also I add in fish flakes.



Mine seem to like potatoe flakes


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## N. Veen

Old thread, but i was wondering how many used the described methode. And waht the results are ?.
I have several isopod cultures, but they arent really producing good numbers.
Right now they only use up space i could use for springtails. So if this methode is a good one wi will try it out.


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## N. Veen

No one ?.


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## fishingguy12345

N. Veen said:


> No one ?.


I use dirt/soil/Coco fibre for my Isopods.


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## N. Veen

Me too, but i was hoping for a beter way, since they do not reproduce that fast. And getting them out of the box i have them in is a real pain.


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