pill bugs/ roly-polys
Jill
23 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (56)
User
23 years agoEric
23 years agoRelated Discussions
Name This Bug !
Comments (2)Looks like what I'd call a woodlouse. There are hundreds of local names for them - slaters, pea bugs, pill bugs, roly polies, chucky pigs and there are many different species. Whether they do any harm is a moot point. One school of thought maintains they eat only dead and decaying plant material. Others maintain stoutly that they have seen them with their own eyes eating young plants. Here is a link that might be useful: Pill bug threads...See Morehelp! pill bugs harming strawberries!
Comments (61)I'll add my experiences to this substantial list. I garden 15 miles north of Seattle and have been since 2006. I'm all organic and very much a "chop and drop" gardener - so a lot of fresh woody and green organic matter is laying around at all times. My three compost bins are nearly always filled to capacity, and I don't have surplus yard material hauled away, so this is how I deal with excess organic material. I would say that the woodlice have become steadily worse over the 10 year period. I think that all of the organic matter is one contributing factor, but I wonder if something else is going on in the environment that favors these critters, because I'm clearly not the only one struggling with woodlice. It would be interesting to get some perspective from old time gardeners with a lot more experience than I have regarding these critters: have woodlice always been a problem, or is this situation new or different? The worst damage is on seedlings: beans, peas and pepper seedlings were heavily damaged this season. I had to replant several rows of early peas and later had to replant pole beans. Nearly every seedling was killed in some rows. They cluster around the seedling stem right at and slightly below the soil level as they feed, and shelter in the cylinder shaped crevice, eventually girdling the stems. Once the plants are over 8" high or so they don't seem to be bothered. Strawberries are probably the next most affected crop. I find this damage somewhat less heartbreaking than the seedlings because no plants are actually killed--and I don't have to replant anything--its the fruit that is eaten. Yes, they ignore the berries until just before its perfectly ripe, exactly one day before optimum ripeness to be precise. My three compost bins are always teeming with hundreds of thousands of woodlice. I have no way to stir my compost, so its rarely hot and apparently an ideal environment for them. Occasionally the critters crawl up the sides and gather under the lid, perhaps when it does temporarily get too warm for them in the compost. Of course the compost eventually makes its way into the garden beds, along with millions (not hyperbole) of woodlice and their larvae. My veggies are all in raised beds, 24 are wood, one is galvanized steel. I go out after dark almost every night to see whats going on in the garden (slugs, snails, root weevils, raccoons, etc.) and numerous woodlice are always hanging out all over the wooden raised beds, presumably after or before having some fresh garden salad, to round out their diet. I will probably gradually convert all of them to steel. In addition to bean seedlings and strawberries, woodlice apparently eat wood, and they love to shelter in the crevice between the wood and the soil, so any reduction in the amount of wood in the garden will hopefully help. I've been mulching pathways with arborist much--because its free--and I think that will have to be discontinued as well, and I'll have to gradually convert to gravel pathways. Regarding natural predators, we have pretty much - none. There are no frogs or toads at all in my neighborhood. We have a lot of water and many streams (I have one on my property) but I suspect the water is too polluted for amphibians...who knows. There are some songbirds--towhees and such--but I never see them digging in my raised beds, which is what they would have to do to gain access to woodlice during the daylight hours. I've come to the conclusion that chickens may be my best weapon...I'm assuming they enjoy eating woodlice, yes-no? I know that chickens need to be kept in their run most of the time or they will destroy a garden. My plan is to let them out from time to time, supervised by me, and herded to where I know there are abundant woodlice. I would then expose the nocturnal and hiding woodlice so the hens can do their worst. A team effort is required, I think. I can imagine for example, having the flock ready and waiting when I move compost--and millions of woodlice therein--from the bins to the garden beds. Perhaps even turning a liability--inedible and destructive crustaceans--into an asset - fresh, edible eggs. One can dream. But -- as much of a problem woodlice have become in my garden, they positively pale in comparison to the rats. Cheers from Cascadia...See Moreslugs
Comments (8)I ditto what beck_wi said... Dead beer is a wonderful thing when it comes to trapping slugs! I never was a believer til' I tried it this spring. Now I fill tuna cans, and whatever I can salvage that will hold dead beer out of the trash.... Watch out for those roly-poly pill bugs too. They darn near wiped out my future zucchini crop.The zucchini were at the very tender barely two leaves stage as well! I spied them all over the place, and even caught a couple dining on those tender seedlings as well...Or at least I thought so.... Well maybe it was slug damage, and they were coming in for the proverbial kill... However, I did catch one of them feasting on a tender stem at the time.... So now I assume if slugs don't get em' pill bugs will. Although I have read that pill bug.... roly poly bugs are supposed to feed on decomposing waste, and such... I don't have a fish pond yet, however, it is something to think about...almost incentive to put one in if you ask. me... bgrow_gardens...See Morepill bugs/roly poly bugs & big hairy spiders
Comments (1)Like many other insect digesters of organic matter pill bugs and sow bugs like a cool moist environment, such as that created by well mulched gardens and why they are found most often under rocks or other materials that create a cool, moist environment. People often find them in basements for hte same reason, it is cool and moist and there is a food source. Pill bugs ansd sow bugs are part of Ma Natures recycling machine and as a rule are not major pests outside and if nothing is done outside natural predators will appear to keep them under control. If poisons ar sprayed around that kill the predators of these wee critters then the population can grow. The pill bugs and sow bugs, as well as ants and many other critters, do not belong in our houses and the simplest means of control is to change the environment to one the do not like. Find the cool moist places they like and dry them out. Numerous studies indicate that sprying any of those insect poisons in the house does long term damage to us. Spiders are in your house because there is a food source. Very few spiders are harmful to humans and those that are are not the ones you see. Eliminate the food sources and the spiders will leave....See MoreEric
23 years agoWayne
22 years agoMitsy far no CA z9
22 years agoMary Shelby
22 years agocdsphd
22 years agoproto_88
22 years agosgraham
21 years agologart
21 years agodanakola
21 years agoHanako2
21 years agofairk
21 years agoMitsy
21 years agoMercy_Garden
21 years agohunter_tx
21 years agoJennaca25
20 years agopaulyn
20 years agoJonesy
20 years agojwilsondvm
20 years agopwasson
20 years agoMiah
19 years agoAnatole
19 years agokristie73
19 years agofarmerjohn7
19 years agoKimmsr
19 years agochrisbrandow
19 years agoKimmsr
19 years agokamala
16 years agoTwiggy54
15 years agojenred66
15 years agosadistik
15 years agocalifornian
15 years agozephyray
14 years agoKaren Pease
14 years agosusantexoma
14 years agozephyray
14 years agozephyray
14 years agoccj962
13 years agotexassue
13 years agodragonfly_wings
13 years agocalifornian
13 years agoKimmsr
13 years agohoodat
13 years agoKimmsr
13 years agorudbeckia412
10 years agoKimmsr
10 years agochickencoupe
8 years agokimmq
8 years ago
Related Stories
GARDENING AND LANDSCAPINGBid Bad Garden Bugs Goodbye and Usher In the Good
Give ants their marching orders and send mosquitoes moseying, while creating a garden that draws pollinators and helpful eaters
Full StoryFEEL-GOOD HOMESimple Pleasures: The Joy of Fresh Sheets
Make your bed a place of comfort and relaxation with good-quality linens, ample pillows and other pleasing accoutrements
Full StoryMore Discussions
jungletamer