I know that or at least think that pill bugs (rolly poly's) are normally composters. But they have been eating my fruit as well. I have thousands, no millions maybe billions of these these things in my garden, really. They are thick and everywhere. Every cateloupe I pick up I have to brush them off, sometimes they are on my tomatoes if low to the ground. I harvested Sweet potatoes today and there were tons of them in the root mass.
This isn't the first year of this either. I remember them in at least my sweet potatoes last year, some of them even came out brown I though it was from the pill bug damage. But this year my sweets all look good, same stock but even more PB's.
Is there a reason I have so many, a soil problem or something? Is there a way to get rid of them or at least control them? Seriously they are all over the place. I do use grass and hay and veggie matter as a mulch, this is probably to their liking but they are damaging my fruit and that is not to my liking.
Thanks
Dono
- gixxerific
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- applestar
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Quick search reveals that pill bugs are a member of the Crustacea. Hmmm Crustacea, eh? I recommend eating more shrimp, crabs, and crawfish, and putting the remains in the compost pile to boost your garden's chitin-eating bacteria population.
Look into encouraging other natural predators, too.
Also, instead of just brushing them off, have soapy bucket ready and send them swimming, or just put them in a dry bucket and bag them or something until desiccated and dead, THEN put them back in the compost pile.
Oh hey neat! I just found out something new
I've been seeing a lot of these spiders lately, and look what they are called and what they eat!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlouse_spider
Look into encouraging other natural predators, too.
Also, instead of just brushing them off, have soapy bucket ready and send them swimming, or just put them in a dry bucket and bag them or something until desiccated and dead, THEN put them back in the compost pile.
Oh hey neat! I just found out something new
I've been seeing a lot of these spiders lately, and look what they are called and what they eat!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Woodlouse_spider
- rainbowgardener
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As far as what might be encouraging them, they need a really moist environment. So maybe along with having a really rich organic soil as I'm sure you do, maybe you are keeping it a little more moist under the mulch than it needs to be?
A lot of the same control methods that work against slugs, work against pillbugs: diatomaceous earth, beer traps, putting a board flat on the soil and then flipping it up in the daytime (they are likely to be congregated on the under side of it).
Here's a little article about controlling them: https://www.ehow.com/how_7764298_organic-pest-control-pill-bugs.html
A lot of the same control methods that work against slugs, work against pillbugs: diatomaceous earth, beer traps, putting a board flat on the soil and then flipping it up in the daytime (they are likely to be congregated on the under side of it).
Here's a little article about controlling them: https://www.ehow.com/how_7764298_organic-pest-control-pill-bugs.html
- gixxerific
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Thanks you gals Rock. I'm sure I could have found that info but I like to hear peoples experiances.
Apple putting them in a soapy bucket wuld be futile. Like I said there are millions in here everywhere you look. when you find one there is usualy a carpet of them. Put a few of them spiders in a envelope and send 'em my way.
I would love to eat more seafood but my wife doesn't like it and thinks it is too espensive to boot. I will have to talk to her. And speaking of beer traps RBG I had a few cans that fell behind a cage and I couldn't get them. I just got to them and it was full of rainwater when I dumped it out it was full of them as well as it stinking to high heaven.
And yes my rich soil though drains well also stays moist for a long time. Probably not a good thing to keep these under control but a great thing for the veggies. Kind of a catch 22 there, what do you do?
Again thanks you two. I will check out that link RBG, I have some DE here so maybe I will try that and see what happens.
Apple putting them in a soapy bucket wuld be futile. Like I said there are millions in here everywhere you look. when you find one there is usualy a carpet of them. Put a few of them spiders in a envelope and send 'em my way.
I would love to eat more seafood but my wife doesn't like it and thinks it is too espensive to boot. I will have to talk to her. And speaking of beer traps RBG I had a few cans that fell behind a cage and I couldn't get them. I just got to them and it was full of rainwater when I dumped it out it was full of them as well as it stinking to high heaven.
And yes my rich soil though drains well also stays moist for a long time. Probably not a good thing to keep these under control but a great thing for the veggies. Kind of a catch 22 there, what do you do?
Again thanks you two. I will check out that link RBG, I have some DE here so maybe I will try that and see what happens.
- gixxerific
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- gixxerific
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