Rolly pollies, also known as pill bugs, primarily eat decaying or dead plant matter such as leaves, stems, shoots, roots, and tubers. They are detritivores that consume soft, decomposing vegetation like grasses, fallen leaves, and mulch. In addition to plant material, they also feed on decaying animal matter, carrion, animal feces, and shed animal skin. While they mostly prefer dead or dying organic material, rolly pollies can sometimes eat live plants, especially when the weather is wet, including vegetable plants, fruits (particularly spoiled or rotting ones), and even seedlings. This occasional feeding on live plants can cause minor damage in gardens, but it is relatively rare and usually not severe
. As pets, rolly pollies can be fed raw fruits and vegetables such as carrot peels, apple skins, lettuce, zucchini skins, and even crumpled cardboard or egg cartons (without print). They require moisture and benefit from a diet that mimics their natural decomposing food sources
. In summary, their diet includes:
- Decaying plant matter (leaves, stems, shoots, roots, tubers, grass, mulch)
- Decaying animal matter (carrion, shed skin)
- Animal feces
- Occasionally live plants and vegetables (especially in wet conditions)
- Fruits, especially spoiled or rotting
- As pets: fresh fruits and vegetables, oatmeal, cardboard, egg cartons (unprinted)
This diet helps rolly pollies play an important role as decomposers in ecosystems by recycling nutrients back into the soil
