Pill bug cost.

[Wright78]

I get mine thru New England Herpetoculture. Reasonable cost, and ship more than the amount stated. Great company to deal with.
http://www.neherpetoculture.com/

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Why do Pill bugs cost so much? I've Dee them as much as $1.00 per bug. Is this normal or am I looking in the wrong place for them.

Dan

Nope, that's my experience too. If the soil is mostly sand or mostly clay, you aren't likely to find them. I've been looking.

Other people in their 40s who still live in the Florida Big Bend remember seeing pill bugs frequently when they were little, but most can't remember the last time they've actually seen one. WHERE HAVE ALL THE PILL BUGS GONE?

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Yes, you're looking in the wrong places. Just turn over a rotting log or trash in the yard and you'll find them for free!

If anybody in Florida is actually finding pill bugs, I really want to know. Maybe so I can visit and...um, verify it!

And if anybody is actually finding a substantial, healthy population of pill bugs, I'm thinking we need to start a business venture. Not kidding on that one.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Found a guy in Florida (Dark Tower Reptiles) who is on FB who sells them. Here is the list I just got from him of what he has on hand now.

*Armadillidium nasatum - "Nosy" 10x = $12

*Atlantoscia floridana - "Florida Fast" 10x = $12

*Cylisticus convexus - "Curly" 10x = $12

*Isopoda sp. "Dwarf Purple" 25x = $10

*Isopoda sp. "Tarragona" 15x = $25

*Porcellio sp. "Sevilla" 10x = $45

*Porcellio dilatatus - "Giant Canyon" 10x = $15

*Porcellio laevis - "Smooth" 10x = $12

*Porcellio laevis - "Orange" 10x = $15

*Porcellio laevis - "Dairy Cow" 10x = $35

*Porcellio spinicornis 10x = $15

*Porcellionides pruinosus - "Powder Blue" 10x = $12

*Trichorhina tomentosa - "Dwarf White" 25x = $10

*Venezillo parvus - "Little" 10x = $15

I'm not interested in designer isopods. I just want the plain little roly-poly that rolls into a ball the size of a BB. The kind we used to see when we were little, but can't find anymore.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

I think that's exactly what I would suggest.

@ZEROPILOT Do you have any in your part of Florida?

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Same here, maybe we took this winter their deeper down

I don't think they're deeper down.

I feel like I'm missing a research paper or something that should explain what happened to the pill bugs, or at least WHEN they disappeared.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Ditto. I can't take two steps in my yard without killing 4 of them.

Pictures, please! Of the non-crushed ones.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Where can I sell pill bugs ? Can’t wait to become a millionaire

Can we see pictures of your livestock? Or, um, wildlife?

 

[ZEROPILOT]

@ZEROPILOT Do you have any in your part of Florida?

Yes.
They do seem to like being under wood or cement blocks.

 

[jaizei]

Spraying the ground with water before laying something down should increase the chances of it attracting them.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

They do seem to like being under wood or cement blocks.

That part sounds familiar. Especially in places with morning shade, where the ground would still be slightly damp on summer mornings. Places where the soil was dark, not sandy, not clay. The types of places where mint would grow well, I think, without any supplemental water.

I'm thinking of my grandmother's house, where I spent summers during the daytime when I was little. I seem to recall finding pond snails from time to time there, as well. Unfortunately, the entire structure burned down over a decade ago.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

Spraying the ground with water before laying something down should increase the chances of it attracting them.

I agree, if there are any in the vicinity to be attracted to it. I have no idea what that range would be for luring pill bugs to a particular location, though.

 

[Toddrickfl1]

I live in GA it's 40 degrees outside and I literally just walked outside and picked up a rock on my tortoise pen and If you want to PayPal me the shipping I'll send you a bunch. I'm not interested in making money.

 

[Pastel Tortie]

In case anyone is interested, I found the research article I was looking for (I think).

The Classic Journal | UGA
Are Pill Bugs Being Stressed by Environmental Changes?
by Lauren Dunavant and Treva Hickey
March 23, 2016
http://theclassicjournal.uga.edu/in...bugs-being-stressed-by-environmental-changes/

 

[Bambam1989]

Meet the rubber ducky pillbug!
Designer isopods[emoji23]

 

[CarolM]

Trust me Ive been looking every day, both at work and at home, Nothing, not even a dead one. Its like most things, when you want it, you cant find it and after you buy one you find them everywhere for free.

That is funny and I know the feeling.

 

[ascott]

And here I cannot find any. I lift up lots of wood, in fact I deliberately leave wood, leaves anything that might attract them and nothing.

Hmmm...you are in another country....I wonder if they are a practical insect there? hmmmm....googling now...

 

[CarolM]

Hmmm...you are in another country....I wonder if they are a practical insect there? hmmmm....googling now...

I found one by chance about a month or two ago, but I then cleaned my enclosure and accidentally threw it out or at least I think I did, I did not see it again. However I cannot take a chance and order it from over seas, as I am wary of introducing a species not native to South Africa. I tried googling pill pugs in south Africa but only got references to books etc, no site which sells them unfortunately. I have tried asking one or two exotic reptile pet shops to see if they have them and they don't. But it is summer here now and very hot and very dry, so I will carry on looking in winter time again. I will need much more than one for it to be of any use though. One can only hope and carry on looking in the hopes that one day we will be successful.

Just for interest sake, how many would you need to be able to keep your enclosure nice and clean by using the natural bio-bin concept? (I cannot remember the correct term for this)

 

[CarolM]

If I bought some meal worms and earthworms, would they work well enough to create a bio-active environment until I can get pill bugs as well?
Apologies Dan for hijacking your post, however it reminded me that I wanted to try doing a bio-active enclosure and well the research started again...

 

[jaizei]

If I bought some meal worms and earthworms, would they work well enough to create a bio-active environment until I can get pill bugs as well?
Apologies Dan for hijacking your post, however it reminded me that I wanted to try doing a bio-active enclosure and well the research started again...

the earth worms (composting worms) would help, but not meal worms.