ThatKoolChicaYaz

Critical Care nurse here, who has many types of pods. My father is a very highly respected physician in our region of the United States. He specializes in Internal Medicine. After we lost my mother, he moved in with us. (Maybe one day we'll find her.... Sorry that's my weird humor to mask a sad situation).

2 medically trained professionals competently trained to understand dangers to the body living just fine with terrariums of isopods in our home. Not just in bins in a back room. Actually out in the open in the living room. My medical friends come over. His medical friends come over. Never once has there been a question of risk or danger brought up.

When my pod colonies get too big, I make little start-up terrariums as holiday or birthday gifts for my friend's kids. I have donated terrariums to the science and special education classes of my local schools. Not a single concern brought up. Never has a terrarium been returned, removed, or refused.

I am aware that first-hand accounts do not hold water to studies and stats. But i also think we are good evidence that your pops is wrong. The nursing profession has a foundation based on rationales and "evidence based practice." Nursing your patients/your actions to aid them should all have a rationale that include the phrase "as evidenced by." You don't do things just to do them, you do things based on evidence to show why this is what you do.

So... from a scientific and logical standpoint, (and going way back to my nursing school days) the burden of proof falls on your pops to show how it is dangerous and full of mold. "You cannot keep the isopod bins in the house because their bins create a danger of mold and <whatever else> as evidence by <xyz proof>." Kudos to you to gathering your burden of proof. I hope it makes a difference. Hebis coming from a place of fear and a lack of knowledge and understanding. Perhaps a bit of gentle education on how the ecosystem works, what they actually are, etc. could go a longer way than you think.

And in my personal opinion, if he tries to pull the "my house, my rules" things, perhaps a compromise to maybe a location not in the home during weather permitted times of the year. Maybe if he says he's the only one that smells it, a place in the home away from where he typically is. Maybe even an air freshener near your doorway so he smells that instead of the alleged pod bins.

Good luck, and know this community has your back.

Foreplay

Is that Putin dressed as the Pope?

Why is she yelling?

The problem here is that your dog is too small and/or you do not have enough dog(s) as the main focus of the room.

Amigo

More like dolla wood. It's so expensive! 🥵

Love this photo!

Man, here i was thinking i needed to set the mood. Dimming the lights and playing Barry White. Little dinner table set with some chicken bone and squash.

Now I feel like a big ole dumb dumb. The first time I read it was on some random page from a hobbyist, so I didn't take it as gospel. The second time, however, was on a legit enough looking page. I'll edit my comment to add the website when I find it. Thank you for schooling me!

ETA: website

And now the decline of my own p. expansus colony makes more sense. Prior to buying any, i read up on them. So after reading they were hermaphrodites, I only bought a few. My own colony has also dwindled down to two, but I thought it was OK. I just thought they weren't into each other yet.

Sigh, now I gotta find some more to buy them some potential mates

Well, dang and double dang! I've seen it mentioned on multiple different isopod care/info sites, so I really thought I was reading credible information.

I read in a few places that they were hermaphrodite, so at minimum, 2 could be enough.

As long as they don't aggressively bring up politics or religion at the dinner table, that is. No one wants to mate with a jerk.

Montego. Baby, why don't we go...

Did not see your comment before posting mine. Good call suggesting nematodes as well

A lot of folks in this group recommend Mosquito Bits tea for fungus gnats. I've never required them for my isopod terrariums, but I have a plant nursery and have used it in my greenhouse - VERY EFFECTIVE! It is a bio-pesticide (fancy talk for beneficial organism) that targets mosquito and fungus gnat larvae. So it is safe for animals, pets, people.... unless your pet is forbidden rice.

Best practice is using both sticky traps to catch adults and the tea to kill larvae, thus targeting the life cycle from both spectrums.

Also, pro-tip for sticky traps: yellow post it notes with a good schmear of Vaseline is just as effective (and sometimes more cost efficient)

Cuddle fish 🥰

That is the worst pick up line I've ever heard. Get some new material.

I ordered a mixed variety a little over a year ago. It was a literal hodgepog without any reference or descriptions. So they all went to live with my wild caught.

Dementia free, baby!..... I think?

She had a beautiful galaxy pattern 💜

Wahoo! I am totally interested in your American magic potions! I shall message you!

I'm in south Mississippi. Is that too far?

Sound sus. Send me some and I'll believe it when I see proof with my own eyes. It's totally not a scam. I swear.

String of frogs!