The pill bug diet is about what pill bugs eat and how to get rid of them.
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You can call them roly poly, doodle bugs, or pill bugs.
Children are fascinated by their ability to roll up into a ball.Frogs and lizards like to eat them.They are found in every part of the United States and abroad.
Is pillbugs a problem in the garden?People ask if pill bugs are friends or enemies.
Let's take a deeper look at that!I will teach you how to prevent them from becoming a real problem dweller.We will discuss how they can be beneficial additions to your yard.
The pill bug is a type of woodlice.They are a type of bug that rolls up into a ball.This protects them from harm.
The sow bug, Oniscus asellus, is often confused with the pill bugs.The wood louse family includes sow bugs.Unlike pill bugs, they can't completely roll up.
Both pill bugs and sow bugs are part of the crustacean family.They are not an insect at all.They are related to lobsters, crabs, and shrimp.
These crustaceans are the only ones that live outside of water.They need a lot of water to survive.They prefer sheltered, damp locations to live in.
Both pill bugs and sow bugs are confused.Both share the same basic habitat and food source, and are found all over the world.Both are controlled with the same methods.
A female pill bug will lay eggs.Eggs are hidden on her underside, unlike most insects.The marsupium is a pouch that female pill bugs use to protect their eggs.
She will have her eggs in this brood pouch for four to six weeks.When they hatch, they look the same as their parent.After hatching, baby pill bugs stay in their parent's pouch for a couple months.
As the pill bug grows, it must be shed five to six times.This happens in two stages.The back half of the poly will be removed first.The front half will be removed once that has been reformed.
It takes about a year for pill bugs to mature into adults.At about 4 months old, they will leave their mother's pouch.Up to three generations of eggs can be produced by the parent.
Three years is the average lifespan for these tiny crustaceans.They don't breed as quickly as other garden dwellers, but they can have a lot of young people in that time.
You will often find pill bugs in the dark and sheltered areas of your garden.They prefer locations that are dark and filled with decomposing organic material.They prefer to be out of the way of predatory animals.
They usually take shelter under rotting logs or rocks.Plants build up in moist cracks and crevices are a good place to live.
If needed, pill bugs can burrow through the soil and remain close to it.They may appear in shallow raised beds.It is more common to find them at ground level.
It may become a pill bug habitat if you don't clear the debris in your garden.It is food, shelter and perfect for the pill bug.In compost piles, they are also common.
There may be pill bugs in your house.If you have a damp location, this may indicate other problems with your home.A few roly-poly visitors can be worse than water leaks or rotten wood.
Nature has a garbage disposal system.They are wonderful in a compost pile.
The pill bugs and sow bugs of the world would only touch dead plant parts in a perfect world.Our world is not perfect.Live plants become the next target if no other food is available.
A roly poly can eat strawberries.If there are many around, ground-level fruit may be on the pillbug diet.The tender, young stems of plants may do the same.
In the average garden, pill bugs are not a problem.They are hardly noticed.They usually get an abundance of decaying material.
It can become a major issue when the pillbug population goes up.The fallen plant debris can be consumed quickly if there is a large population.Your plants are next in line.
The pill bug is not a bad garden dweller.Large populations are usually not discovered.They will switch right over if provided alternatives.
The little roly-polies are great for your garden.You will want a bunch of them in your pile if you are a compost fan.They can break down plant parts quickly.The compost process is sped up by this.
Are they bad neighbors?Not on purpose.They need food, but they are hungry.They will eat those if you supply alternative sources.Plants may be at risk if you don't.
There are pill bug habitats in your yard.There are pill bugs in the garden.
You can use a variety of organic control methods.You should only apply around the plants that you want to protect.
One of the simplest options is food grade diatomaceous earth.The pill bugs will be shredded by this fine powder made of the shells of diatoms.It is not harmful to plants or humans.To make a border they won't cross, sprinkle this around the base of the plants.
The oil can be used as a preventative.The pill bugs don't like the taste of the neem and will become sick from it.It is safe for us and mild for the roly polies.
There are more drastic steps to take if there are huge populations around your plants.Spinosad sprays can be used to kill off pill bugs.
snail and slug baits are often used to draw attention away from your plants.Reducing numbers is a good way to do it.
There are other ways to reduce the risk to plants.
The pill bugs can't get to the seedlings if the toilet paper tubes are placed around them.Old plastic cups with the bottom removed will work, but don't break down like the tubes will
You can move pill bugs from one location to another.You can put a pile of waste in your garden for a few days.The pill bugs are drawn to leaves, corn cobs, and even a half of a cantaloupe.Pick up the waste and collect the bugs to move on.
Provide support to keep the fruit off the soil if you have melons or other fruiting plants.Old T-shirt material can be used to make a sling or hammock for melons.There are narrow troughs where strawberries can be planted.
Potted plants can be protected.Placing potted plants on a concrete surface will prevent bugs.This puts a desert in the way of the pillbug as it needs water to survive.
There isn't a way to prevent pill bugs in the garden.They can be discouraged from living in your garden beds.
Clean up plant debris by keeping your beds well maintained.Next to your garden space, don't provide adjoining habitats for pill bugs.
They should be placed in a composting portion of your yard.Compost bugs and pill bugs are very beneficial there.If you have a pile or bin set up, you can lure bugs to it.They will not survive well in compost tumblers.
You can allow them to live in places with minimal harm.You won't notice pill bugs hidden along the edges of your lawn.Another great location is under old trees.
In short, no and no.The pill bugs do not bite, sting, or transmit diseases.Although they may take up residence in rotten, damp wood, they don't attack clothing or food like insects might.
Pet pill bugs are so safe that many kids use them for science fair projects.They are fun to play with because they roll up into the balls.
There is a type of spider called the pill bug killer.They are found close to these crustaceans wherever they occur in nature.