Pill bugs

[kbroadway2]

So pickle (my hatchlng boxie) is a little over a month old and is doing great. He LOVES pill bugs and I've recently started giving him red wigglers cut into small pieces. He likes those too. My question is, since I have an inside terrarium (a rubbermaid sweater box with a plexiglass lid) can I put pill bugs directly into the tank? Will he be able to find them? It's too cold to find them outside anymore and ordering them online is expensive! I'm going to start cultivating them with the batch I just bought so I won't have to buy more.

I usually soak him in warm water for 20-30 mins before feeding him. I put him in a small plastic bowl after he soaks and then put about 10 pill bugs in there or two red wigglers (the ones I bought at WalMart are HUGE! so I have to cut them into pieces). He typically takes about 30-45 minutes to eat and then I put him back in his terrarium.

So what should I do with the pillbugs? Just put some in his terrarium? Or keep feeding him in the bowl for now? I don't want them to reproduce all in his box. I'm going to put them in a small critter carrier or rubbermaid tub with some coconut coir, fish flakes, leaf litter, and whatever veggie or fruit trash I have from cooking.

 

[Millerlite]

I would add them to the enclosure or make a small enclosure and try and breed them. They are expensive and are great source for box turtles

Kyle

 

[dmmj]

Pill bugs rae pretty easy to breed, need a small container, and some yard waste, that's about it. Your box turtle will love hunting them in his enclosure, you should try to start some red wrigglers in his enclosure.

 

[johnsonnboswell]

I'm not sure why you wouldn't want pill bugs or worms in the habitat. It's good for your little one to hunt, not just get fed. If your substrate is rich enough or there's food for them, the bugs will thrive. They won't escape. The only reason to raise them separately is to protect them from all being eaten.

 

[Eric Phillips]

I concur with my fellow comrades. Pill bugs are great cleaners for your enclosure and nice nutritious treats for your boxie. Keep some leaf litter and anything pill bugs can hide under in your enclosure and before you know it your little one will have plenty of pill bugs to hunt

 

[Torch]

Mine hunt pill bugs in their enclosure as well

 

[kbroadway2]

I'm trying to breed some of the pill bugs. I just don't want to run out too fast. He's eating like 10 per feeding and I only have 100 right now. I'm alternating between pill bugs and red wigglers. So I put 15 pill bugs in a critter keeper and put coconut coir in it and some terrarium moss along with some apple and potato. How long is it before you start to see them multiply?