How to Care for Pillbugs

Pillbugs are small, round bugs that live in many parts of the country. Due to the fact they're easy to handle, many people enjoy keeping pillbugs as pets. You can find pillbugs outdoors, usually under rocks or in other moist areas. If you want to keep pillbugs in your home, make sure you know how to create and maintain the proper environment and feed the pill bugs the correct diet.

EditSteps

EditCreating an Environment

1. Use a plastic tub or aquarium for housing. As pillbugs require a damp environment to thrive, you should pick a container that's resistant to water. Go with something made of plastic or glass rather than cardboard.
   
   • You can purchase an aquarium at a pet store if you have a lot of pillbugs.^[1]
   • If you don't want to spend the money on an aquarium, you can use a plastic tupperware container from your kitchen to house your pillbugs.^[2]
2. Fill the container with grass and dirt. Once you've secured a container, you can begin creating the proper environment for your pillbugs.
   
   • Fill the bottom of the container with one to one and half inches of moist soil or sand. You can purchase sand or soil from a pet store or greenhouse.^[3]
   • Pillbugs also enjoy wood bark, leaf litter, and other dead vegetation as part of their habitat.^[4]
3. Make sure the container is well ventilated. Pillbugs need to live in a ventilated container. Make sure you're able to place small holes on the top of the container, but not too big that pillbugs can escape. Many aquariums come with ventilated lids and you can easily poke holes in the top of a tupperware lid.^[5]
   

EditFeeding and Caring for Pillbugs

1. Feed pillbugs a healthy diet. Pillbugs eat mostly decomposing vegetables in the wild and should have a similar diet in captivity to keep them healthy.
   
   • Pillbugs can safely be fed fish flakes, which you can purchase at a pet store.^[6]
   • In addition to fish flakes, feed your pillbugs leftover bits of apples, lettuce, potatoes, and carrots. You can also bring leaf litter in from the wild and feed them to your pillbug.^[7]
   • While you can feed pillbugs food that has been sitting out for a few days, do not often them moldy food. This can make them sick.^[8]
2. Keep the container humid. Pillbugs require a humid environment to survive.
   
   • Invest in a humidity thermometer to make sure your pillbugs environment is adequately moist. Pillbugs should not live in an environment of less than 75% humidity. They will not survive without proper humidity.^[9]
   • Mist the container once a day with a spray bottle. Also, make sure to add water to the soil on a daily basis.^[10]
3. Replace soil periodically. Waste gases emitted by pillbugs can be strong enough to cause health problems, so soil should be replaced periodically. Make sure you remove all the pillbugs before changing the soil. If your pillbugs have reproduced, babies may be difficult to differentiate from soil. If this is the case, put a piece of wood in the container as babies are likely to congregate there.^[11]
   
4. Handle pillbugs with care. Most pillbugs can be handled easily, but you should do so with care.
   
   • Gently pick pillbugs up with your thumb and forefingers when you want to handle them. You can also scoop them up with a spoon.^[12]
   • Make sure not to drop your pillbugs while handling them, as this can cause them pain. They walk fairly fast and can sometimes fall by mistake.^[13]
   • Never handle pillbugs while they're shedding.^[14]

EditMonitoring the Pillbugs

1. Do not mix different species. Pillbugs might not be well being mixed with different species. Make sure any bugs you add to your tank are also pillbugs.
   
   • Pillbugs have flattened, round bodies, sharply rounded antennas, and seven pairs of legs. When frightened, they roll into a tiny ball.^[15]
2. Keep mold out of the enclosure. Due to the dampness of a pillbug's environment, you need to make sure their container is mold free. You can do this by periodically switching the soil, as stated, and removing any uneaten food before it becomes moldy.^[16]
   
3. Periodically clean containers. As containers can grow moldy due to soil, periodically switch your pillbugs into a new, temporary container. Clean the container with soap and water and rinse thoroughly. Then, re-add soil, leaves, and water and put the pillbugs back inside.^[17]
   

EditTips

• Pillbugs can reproduce fast, so do not add too many to the container at once.

EditWarnings

• Pillbugs do produce a smell and may attract other bugs to your home.

EditSources and Citations

EditRelated wikiHows

• Make a Bug Terrarium
• Care for an American Toad
• Care for a Gray Tree Frog
• Care for a Skink

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