Our premium 6 blend isopod leaf litter mix contains a fantastic varied mix of dried hard wood leaf litter types! This unique mixture provides a valuable assortment your isopods will absolutely devour! In each bag you will find the following:
- Live Oak
- Magnolia
- Red Oak
- Indian Almond
- Assorted maple types
- Other assorted hardwood leaf types like white oak, sycamore and birch
Please note each bag of leaf litter will contain around 30-50% crushed leaves with the remainder being 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 purposes where whole leaves are more desirable.
Leaf litter is a valuable tool for the isopod enclosure beyond just food. You can spread 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 and "micro climates" where they can feel secure.
Parts of our premium 6 blend leaf litter is ethically sourced locally on private property that is not treated with pesticides. Other components not native to our area are sourced in the same manner from partnered businesses that ship them to us to undergo a treatment processes before they are considered finished and suitable for our valued customers. 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.
Our 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 to a crisp 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.
Please kindly note though we go great lengths to ensure all leaf litters are thoroughly treated and hitchhiker free, mother nature has a way to sometimes surprise all of us. With that said, we highly recommend you visually inspect your leaves before placing them in your isopod enclosure.