What Leaves and Wood Should I Provide to My Isopods?

Leaf litter and decaying wood are important parts of an isopod enclosure. Isopods are detritivores and naturally consume decomposing plant material as part of their diet.

Here are some of the practices that have worked well for us at Holy-Poly Isopods.

 

Choosing Leaves & Wood

We generally prefer leaves and dead wood from hardwood trees, including:

• Oak
• Maple
• Magnolia
• Hickory
• Beech
• Birch

We commonly use oak, maple, and magnolia because they are readily available to us and have worked well in our colonies.

Look for naturally fallen, dead leaves and appropriately decayed wood from areas you know have not been treated with pesticides, herbicides, or other potentially harmful chemicals.

Avoid collecting from roadsides or other locations where materials may have been exposed to vehicle fluids, pollutants, pesticides, or unknown chemical treatments.

What About Softwoods?

Many conifers and other resinous woods contain aromatic oils, resins, and other natural compounds.

As a general precaution, we avoid leaves, needles, bark, or wood that are:

• Strongly aromatic
• Resinous
• Sticky or sappy
• From a plant we cannot confidently identify as appropriate for an isopod enclosure

When we're uncertain about a particular tree or plant, we leave it out.

Black walnut is another material we choose to avoid because of concerns surrounding naturally occurring compounds such as juglone. There are plenty of other suitable materials available, so we see little reason to experiment with it.

To Sterilize or Not to Sterilize?

There are different schools of thought when it comes to treating collected leaf litter and wood before adding it to an isopod enclosure.

Some keepers intentionally use untreated natural materials because they want to preserve the microorganisms, fungi, and other components of a naturally decomposing ecosystem. These organisms can contribute to decomposition and a biologically active enclosure.

That's a perfectly reasonable approach to bioactive keeping.

At Holy-Poly Isopods, we choose to treat collected leaf litter and wood before bringing it into our isopod room.

Why?

We maintain many colonies in the same facility. Our priority is reducing the chance of introducing unwanted hitchhikers—such as pests, mites, insects, predators, or other organisms—that could potentially spread beyond a single enclosure.

There is a tradeoff. Treating natural materials may also reduce some of the beneficial microorganisms and other organisms naturally present on them. We accept that tradeoff as part of our biosecurity practices.

Whether you treat collected materials is ultimately a husbandry decision. Consider where the material came from, how many enclosures you maintain, and your own tolerance for introducing unknown organisms.

Preparing Collected Leaves & Wood

If you choose to treat collected materials, hobbyists use several different methods, including heat treatment, boiling, and freezing.

No household preparation method should be considered a guarantee that collected natural material is completely sterile.

Whatever method you choose, make sure the material is appropriately cooled and/or dried before placing it into an enclosure.

Always use appropriate precautions when working with boiling water, ovens, or heated natural materials. Children should only participate with appropriate adult supervision.

How Much Leaf Litter?

Don't be stingy with the leaves!

Leaf litter isn't simply enclosure decoration. It provides food, hiding areas, moisture-retaining cover, and additional surface area throughout the habitat.

We like to provide a generous layer across the substrate and replenish it as the colony consumes and breaks it down.

Decaying wood can also be incorporated into the enclosure to provide additional organic material, food, and hiding areas.

Don't Have Access to Safe Leaf Litter?

Not everyone has access to a reliable source of appropriate, pesticide-free leaves—and not everyone wants to collect, identify, and prepare their own.

Holy-Poly Isopods Leaf Litter is available as a convenient option for isopod and bioactive enclosures. We process our collected leaf litter as part of the biosecurity practices we use in our own isopod facility.

The Bottom Line

There isn't one universal list—or one universal preparation method—that is right for every isopod enclosure.

Some keepers prefer untreated natural materials for maximum biological diversity. Others, including us, prefer treating collected materials to reduce the risk of unwanted hitchhikers.

Whichever approach you choose:

• Know what you're collecting.
• Know where it came from.
• Avoid materials exposed to pesticides or unknown chemicals.
• Research unfamiliar plant species before using them.
• Consider the benefits and risks of introducing untreated natural materials into your enclosure.

When in doubt, leave it out.

This is not an all-inclusive list. These are general guidelines and practices we use when selecting and preparing leaf litter and wood for our own colonies.