rollie pollies on the attack! backed up by ants

[kylee21]

what can i do about these rollie pollies??? they are everywhere. the ants are driving me crazy too! i can't even garden without running into them.

[boo]

Are you having problems with the sow bugs (rolli pollies) in containers?

Pill bugs living in gardens can definitely be seen as an asset to humans, for they help circulate soil without eating the crop.

Usually they aren't a menace. Here is more info about them.

ADW: Armadillidium vulgare: Information (http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Armadillidium_vulgare.html)

The ants eat a bunch of small eggs and larva of evil little bugs we aren't aware that are there, but I know how much of a bother they can be. I ignore them unless they decide to nest in my plant roots & then I get miffed. :mad: The thing about poisoning any of these bugs is it also will kill all the ground feeding birds that are their natural predators.

[kylee21]

these rollies and sow bugs are no friend. they are eating my plants. i just planted some verbena, begonia, and vincas and with the rain we have had the last couple of days, these plants are severely out numbered. i just in from letting the dog out and while out there i was looking at the plants. they were covered in rollies. adult and babies. what can i do to stop them before all i have left is soil??

[Sneezie]

:p Hey I don`t know if you could say,"count yourself lucky" to what I`m about to tell ya but, when my one grandson was small he used to love to play with rollie-pollies. To him they were "his friends"! Well his mother soon put a stop to his fascination with them!! One Monday doing the wash she went to pull his blue-jeans outta the washer and there stuck on the sides of the washer, in the bottom and all over all the clothes were, yep you guessed it more rollie-pollies then you could ever imagine!!! He was collecting them he said so he could have them forever!! Thing is he forgot about them bein in his jeans pocket. hahahahaha:lol: :lol: :lol:

[Rich]

Never heard them called that before, I had to Google and found what we call wood lice.

[mommie2hayden]

the pill bugs are on the attack in my garden as well, they have ate all my moon flower seedlings...grrr as well as many other plants I have!!!

I have purchased some home and garden pest killer-- however I am usually all organic and hate to use pesticides I had no other option! I wonder if they are just bad this year-- I even had them in the house?!?!?

I am planning on putting down a lot of cedar mulch maybe that will help rid them in my garden!!!

If anyone finds any secrets to get rid of them let me know!

I have heard if you boil rutabaga leaves w/ water put the "potion" in a spray bottle and spay your flowers the pests will leave your plants alone-- I am unsure if the leaves are poisonous or just foul smelling to them. that might help---I haven't tried this-- I don't have any rutabaga leaves to boil

[Ginny42]

I have both these bugs all over the place, but I havent seen them damage anything, yet!:well:
Sow bugs (http://www.hurricanepestcontrol.com/sowbug_pillbug.html): They are dark gray to slate colored and are generally a 1/2 an inch in size. They can be found in moist dark places, under rocks, and in mulches. They eat decaying organic matter. They attack new roots and stems of plants. They will come into the home, but will die if they can't find moisture.
Pill bugs (http://www.hurricanepestcontrol.com/sowbug_pillbug.html): are very similar to Sow bugs and are also known as "rollie pollies". They are dark gray to slate colored. Generally is 1/2 an inch in size and can be found in moist dark places, under rocks, and in mulches. They eat decaying organic matter. They attack new roots and stems of plants. They will come into the home, but will die if they can't find moisture.

[yellow22]

Honestly they are my tell tale sign when I try and repair a pond leak if anything....good for something! Fun to play with as a kid...not sure....really kind of just seem to hand around.

[Bernie]

I've never had the problems with the sow or pill bugs but ants I've had. Millions of them. Couldn't go in the garden without being covered in them. The answer was grits. I don't know how it works but it works 100%. Just sprinkle grits where ever you see them. They carry it to their nest and somehow they never come back. I know a lot of people who have had this work. DS used baby cereal and it worked as well. Try it. It's cheap and nontoxic. If it gets wet it wont work so sprinkle on dry ground and don't water for a day or two. Good luck.
Bernie

[cnith]

you sure it isn't earwigs?? I just had a dahlia seedling go to stem and then dead because of the stupid earwigs! :(

[arum]

You can't get rid of em, but if they are eating your moonvines and other things, just put a pile of potato peelings beside your plants, and the pill bugs will go for them instead. I do this every year to save my moonvine seedlings. Works like a charm! :) Arum