Live oak leaf litter is a staple for bioactive enclosures and a great food source for isopods. Aged live oak leaves are somewhat rigid, and will not break down as quickly as other leaf litter types. Yet they are still soft enough that your isopods can nibble on them and get nourishment without completely stripping the edible parts away quickly.
Please note each bag of leaf litter will contain around 30-50% crushed leaves with the remainder whole or very close. This gives you some that's already partially broken down and easier for the isopods to eat along with some for other purpose where whole leaves are more desirable.
Live oak leaves are also ideal for retaining humidity in your enclosure. Just put 1-2 thin layers directly on top of some sphagnum moss. The leaves will insulate the moisture content thus reducing the frequency you need to add water for a consistent moisture gradient. This also benefits the isopods by creating additional hiding spots where they can feel secure.
Our live oak leaf litter is ethically sourced from northern Florida on private property that is not treated with pesticides. We have a strict in house process to ensure you receive quality leaf litter safe for isopods while also sparing you the time consuming treatment process.
Live Oak Leaf Litter Treatment Process
1. Leaves are rinsed under an RO (reverse osmosis) water faucet to remove dust, dirt, and any other small debris. This also washes away any unwanted hitchhikers like small insects, spiders or other invertebrates.
2. Next the leaves are placed in a sealed container of RO water to soak for 24 hours. This further ensures other possible unwanted pests are eliminated while also allowing any remaining dirt or debris to soften and separate from the leaves.
3. After 24 hours the leaves get a quick secondary rinse to wash away any remaining particulates.
4. We then light bake the leaves in small batches for 15-25 minutes. Enough for them to dry, but not cooked which would rob them of the valuable nutrients your isopods need to thrive.
5. Lastly the leaves are given a good visual inspection as they are packed into their respective quart and gallon bags.
Though we do take extra precaution to ensure the leaves you get are generally clean and pest free, mother nature will sometimes still find a way to surprise you. We always recommend you carefully check the leaves as well before putting them into your isopod enclosure.