Detailed information on Pillbug, Sowbug, roly-poly (Armadillidium vulgare)

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hamptons

Watermill, NY | February 2019 | Negative

Pill bugs & sow bugs are not the same bugs.

Pill bugs are roly polys; sow bugs are not.

Pill bugs are relatively harmless.

Sow bugs are very destructive in gardens.

The internet disgusts me sometimes with misinformation that just gets blindly repeated as fact. For example, when lone star ticks first showed up where I lived, the entire internet said they didn't cause disease. They do. I'm proof. Numerous garden sites & blogs claim that sow bugs only eat dead plant material.

Wrong.

Sow bugs invaded my garden after my landscaper used free mulch provided by my town. They are now everywhere. They live in the ground, in planters, in window boxes and my deck is crawling with them at night. They've destro... read more

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4wolf43

Princess Anne, MD | February 2019 | Positive

I have never had a negative relation with the pill bug. I am 75 years of age and have always seen them on the Delmarva Peninsula.

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arries

Stockton, CA (Zone 9a) | February 2019 | Neutral

I used to go out at night to collect snails. I’ve never observed those pillbugs climbing up the plants and making holes in the leaves. I’ve only found them under things that have lots of organic material, vegetables on ground. I have observed lots of pincher bugs climbing up plants and making holes in plant leaves, in day time pincher bugs can huddle and hide between cabbage leaves. Finding a pillbug in a hole of tomatoes doesn’t mean it made the hole, it could have just found that hole and took advantage. If your tomatoes are on the ground they may get at it, but pincher bugs could to.

http:
//ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/GARDEN/FRUIT/PESTS/sowbugs.html

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dowbright

Sunrise Beach, MO | June 2014 | Negative

We recently moved from St. Louis, Missouri to Lake of the Ozarks, Missouri. I don't know if being near the lake makes it different, or if it's the changes in the weather, or if the soil is so different! Too many variables at this point to count. And there are many more, as with any big change.

BUT. For 35 years I have followed Ruth Stout's constant mulch methods, and my results have been all that I could wish.

I continued with the same style here, and nightmares have unfolded! Pillbugs? Sowbugs? Roly polies? The ones that roll up. They are eating everything I plant.

I think i mulched too early, but also, we've had a ton of ongoing rain, for weeks. But then the sun shown brightly to get things really growing, so I put my serious, heavy duty mul... read more

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HeidiKHandmade

Vancouver, WA | March 2013 | Neutral

Used to play with these as a child, found them entertaining and harmless. Yes, they can be controlled by the woodlouse spider (dysdera crocata), which lives mainly in leaf litter and underground--I have dug it up; look for a white abdomen and brilliant orange thorax, head, and legs. I have not personally observed pillbugs eating anything vital in my garden, but I don't observe my garden at night.

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SoooSirius

Municipality of Murrysville, PA | July 2012 | Neutral

Dysdera crocata or the Woodlouse Spider is a specialized predator of sowbugs. Also the common American Centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata, eats them. Toads eat them, too.

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dunnydame

Denver, CO | June 2012 | Neutral

In Australia we called these insects slaters, and in additional to playing with them like all kids seem to have done, I used them as additional feed for my long-neck terrapin (kind of turtle). He'd have to chase the slaters under water to get his meal.
Now in the US, I'm happy that my kids have also loved to play with them. However, I would never have thought of harming them - until I read people's comments here. Maybe I have an answer to some mysterious night-time damage to certain young plants? Roly-polies beware ! You are under serious observation!

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hutchygirl

Stow, OH (Zone 5b) | June 2012 | Negative

I also used to play with these bugs when I was a kid. Now, however, having worked as hard as I have on my gardens, they are making me insane!! EVERY YEAR these garden hazards destroy my hostas, inhibit the growth of my delphinium, partner with the aphids and leaf worms and spider mites to destroy my morning glories and a number of other detrimental activities in my gardens and containers!! Just the other day I found one in a container over three get tall as I questioned how the heck it got there!! They travel great distances and climb great heights and yes, they wreak a whole bunch of havoc!! They are anything BUT the fun little "potato bugs" / "roly polys" we played with as kids!!

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Clary

Lewisburg, PA (Zone 6b) | June 2012 | Negative

My property is absolutely overrun by this horrible pest. They hide out of sight under gravel, groundcovers, and stepping stones. The damage they do in my garden is primarily to the roots of plants, stripping small new plants to the taproot and diminishing growth on established plants. Some plants they eat more than others. I recently planted a new vine and filled the planting hole with good rich potting soil... When it failed to thrive I dug it up and it had practically no roots left. My dianthus fail to spread because the bugs live under the plant and devour the new roots.

I removed the stone edging of my garden to reduce their numbers (slugs also) but they are still numerous and seem to be absolutely everywhere. In the past I had used compost and top dressing on my garden ... read more

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aquilusdomini

Jackson, MI | July 2010 | Positive

I just love these little guys. I can't say anything negative as they've never bothered our plants before. If you keep an eye out, sometimes you can find an oddly patterned one. Today i found one that was two tone grey. Its back half was dark and its front half was 3 shades lighter.
If they get into your plants i suggest removing most rocks from the area as they really love to live under rocks. Perhaps providing real good drainage for the soil could also deter them.

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enyeholt

| April 2010 | Negative

These sow bugs are BAD BOYS.

Here in the Pacific NW of Canada rainforest they thrive and eat and eat. THey demolish strawberries and Tomatoes along with seedlings.
Place some dry instant mashed potatoes or cornmeal on a saucer and place it where it will stay dry for as long as possible. Pretty hard here in the wet. They eat the dried food and then it swells up and kills them off. The earwigs will eat some of this too, so thats ok. I have to put it out nightly in the greenhouse for about a week to control the little creatures. Good luck!

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5teve

| September 2009 | Neutral

Hi from the Pays Basque
Woodlice as I know them certainly enjoy Tomatoes I don't think your soil will injure any insects although the lack of organic material will discourage them

Steve

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nahanni

| September 2009 | Negative

Hi from Toronto, Canada

I wondered what was eating holes in my tomatoes. I caught a roly-poly inside a tomato today. There have been lots of holes in the leaves of my ornamental plants too - thought it was earwigs. Nearly decimated my lamium ( a tough plant).

I put in a new perennial garden this year - with lots of mulch. It has been a wet, cool summer.

I have been using silicon dioxide (diatomaceous earth) to control the bugs. Fewer holes in leaves but still attacking tomatoes.

I do not wish to kill helpful bugs. Does anyone know how silicon dioxide impacts bugs good & bad?

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kricee

Rawlins, WY | July 2009 | Positive

As a child I found these cute little roly-poly bugs from El Paso, TX to Tacoma, WA to Phoenix, AZ to Rawlins, Wy. Never known them to be destructive, but will watch their habitat areas carefully, having read some other comments...Can't get rid of them, though, the grandkids and I have too much fun with the little guys:)

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snowball1209

Charlotte, TN | June 2009 | Neutral

How do you get rid of this bug? Help

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DaddyNature

Atlanta, GA | August 2008 | Negative

I'm glad that I looked this up. I wondered if they were bad for plants. Many of my potted plants are crawling with them....and Ii lost a rosemary and giant spinner verberra (? I think) because of them. How should Ii get rid of them??? HELP. ={:-o

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greenpout

Novato, CA | July 2008 | Negative

Caught bug in 'the act' eating my artichoke plant. I never liked then even when I was little because my brother used to throw them at me- now I really don't like them. Do they have any predators that eat them but don't harm graden?

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WAonion

| July 2008 | Negative

The "Roly-Poly's" have been providing entertainment for my children all summer, and I thought they were harmless. Last night I caught one chewing a whole in one of my strawberries - I've been wondering who the culprit is. As a new gardener, any advice on the most natural bug deterrent to save my garden? I've used a citrus spray on ants and box elder bugs in our yard with success, but have been hoping to avoid using anything in the garden.

Thanks for any advice!

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plutodrive

Denver, CO (Zone 5b) | July 2008 | Negative

I never thought they harmed plants. They have destroyed most of my vegetable garden. I thought a larger critter was eating everything but couldn't figure out the culprit. I was covering everything in mesh and replanting. They made me look stupid. I think it is the cedar mulch they like to live in.

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dee_cee

Birmingham, AL (Zone 7b) | June 2008 | Neutral

There seem to be millions of these things in my back yard! I see them all over the place but especially around the brush/compost pile. After a good rain, there will be 100s about a foot up around the base of my oak tree. I haven't noticed them eating my plants, but with so many of them living here, I figured it was time to do a little research on them.

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bekados

Pensacola, FL | May 2008 | Negative

Helter Skelter! My garden is living (or dying) proof that these scavengers will eat any and everything living or dead in a garden! As a non-bug killer, I have been finally pushed over the edge and squish them with impunity. They eat flowers, fruit, vine and root. Nothing is off-limits to these little armored terrors. Yes, I have seen them do it. Perhaps it's just a problem for the humid south, but they are a definite garden pest around our house.

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phalvorson

Panama City, FL (Zone 8b) | May 2008 | Positive

According to a UC Davis study, roly-poly bugs not only eat decomposing matter at ground level, but will also climb up some plants to eat stink-bug eggs. Since stink bugs do eat all sorts of vegetable plants and other live vegetation, maybe they're what's really eating your plants and the poor roly-polies are just taking the blame?

http://www.news.ucdavis.edu/search/news_detail.lasso?id=4399

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Malus2006

Coon Rapids, MN (Zone 4a) | January 2008 | Neutral

Pillbugs and sowbugs seem to rarely mix with each other much - I have seen areas with mostly pillbugs and there's my yard which have nothing but sowbugs but no pillbugs. Pillbugs seem to be more of a southern species, being found in Iowa and Wisconsin at the edge of their northern range in the Midwest. Sowbugs seem to be more of a northern and central US species. To tell the different between the two - pillbugs will roll up when you handle them while sowbug will flee without any attempt to roll up, even if they are put on their back.

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madamecp

Denver, CO (Zone 5b) | June 2007 | Neutral

I was a roly-poly loving kid, like most people, and now I have a roly-poly loving daughter.

There are so many of these little critters in my yard that I need to be careful not to squash them at night (constant patrols of them on the sidewalks). I often dig up huge clusters, and my compost pit is likely half compost and half roly-poly (fine with me, I have too much compost anyway).

The only plant I've seen them particularly flock en masse to is bindweed (though they will hide out under anything over-grown). If I could find evidence that they are eating it, as opposed to living under its shade, I would give them a raving positive. (I can at least daydream about them eating the roots!) All I know for certain is that when I dig up bindweed, I tend to send roly... read more

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NCmagnolia

Swansboro, NC (Zone 8b) | June 2007 | Negative

Last year I noticed that the numbers of pillbugs and sowbugs in my garden had increased. Over the winter I added lots of shredded mulch to my flower beds. The early spring was a damp one and I have pillbugs and sowbugs everywhere! The ground moves with them and they are eating not only dead leaves but live plants. I hate to put poison out because I have birds that I feed . What can I do?!

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KyWoods

Highland Heights, KY (Zone 6a) | May 2007 | Neutral

We used to call 'em "doodle bugs" in New Orleans. Here's a good article on them: http://www.ca.uky.edu/entomology/entfacts/ef439.asp

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dstreetmom

Fremont, CA | May 2007 | Positive

I also was under the impression that they not only do no damage to vegitation but that they are helpful to soil condition. When we harvest our compost, we find zillions of them, which my kids love. Other than in the compost pile and under rocks, I never see them at all.

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Lenka_

Princeton, TX (Zone 8a) | April 2007 | Positive

Never had any problems with roly-pollies - used to and still like them as I think they're cute. One of the bugs I do not disturb as they never bothered my garden. Has anyone actually caught them in the act ? :)
I was under impression they do not feed on plants and feed on rotting leaves and etc.. from the ground - unless they have mutated due to toxic waste LOL ...

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blmlb

Orange Park, FL | March 2007 | Negative

I finally found out what's been eating my strawberries. Gonna get some bug killer. :-)

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TheBip

Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) | March 2007 | Neutral

I used to love playing with these bugs as a kid, but now they gross me out. I was weeding today, and after Id pulled some, I looked at the ground and there were tons of them scurrying around! *shudders*

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divadonna

Spanaway, WA | March 2007 | Negative

I used to like these bugs as a child, but now that I'm a gardener they drive me crazy. They ate halfway through the trunk of my 10 year old butterfly bush, now all that remains is it's beautiful memory.
Donna, from Spanaway WA.

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FloridaG8or

Lake Butler, FL (Zone 8b) | January 2007 | Positive

When I was a kid we use to play with these like crazy! Even made little down hill coarses for them to roll on. Rollie-pollie! I mentioned this bug to my girlfriend just now "I loved rollie-pollies!" I've never had any trouble with these guys invading my gardens, they all hang out under the logs and bushes.

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renwings

Sultan, WA (Zone 8a) | October 2006 | Positive

I've loved these little guys since I was little! For some reason we always called them potato bugs. There was a seemingly endless supply. No matter how many times we turned over a rock, there were always more to be found. We kept them in jars as pets and teased them into rolling up, then holding perfectly still, waiting for them to relax. It was just facinating.

In my garden they can always be found in the compost heap and at times in the vegi garden were they do minimal damage to the carrots.

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winging

Cincinnati, OH (Zone 6a) | September 2006 | Negative

I lost three Campanula "Blue Clips" to these bugs practically overnight. I'm finding very large numbers in areas with shredded hardwood mulch. I'm beginning to wonder if they came with the mulch. In the past I've not viewed these as garden foes, but in large numbers I need to try to control them.

Otherwise, I used to love watching them roll up when I was a kid.

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ineedacupoftea

Denver, CO | September 2006 | Negative

Most of the time, they lounge about under leaf duff to eat detritus at night, but recently they have brought havoc to my shade garden, eating Hellebores, Hostas, Hedera, etc.
Their activity in eating at Iris rhizomes is like nefarious swiss cheese. Most of my life, I had never seen one further than and inch off the ground, but I have seen in the past two years specimens actually climbing up stems to chew leaves.
Yet another colorful perk to being a gardener?

Areas I have seen of greatest density are moist wood mulches covered by unrooting groundcovers like dianthus, where they are so thick, the soil is heaving with them.

I have seen them fall to the pesticide called "Bug-Getta Plus," so it is time to bring out that old bottle again.

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IrisLover79

Westchester, IL (Zone 5b) | September 2006 | Positive

Yeah, roly-polys are cool. I've heard people say that they eat some plants, but I've never found them to be a problem. And, they are fun to play with, lol. One of the few bugs I'm not afraid of.

~Kristy

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renatelynne

Boerne new zone 30, TX (Zone 8b) | September 2006 | Positive

As a child I LOVED this bug nearly as much as a lightning bug. You could play all day with it. Roll it around and it would still live to craw away.

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Veshengo

(Zone 8a) | July 2006 | Neutral

In England we call them Woodlice and they are closely related to the small shrimp that are found in rockpools on the atlantic coast.

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MitchF

Lindsay, OK (Zone 7a) | July 2006 | Negative

These will eat anything in the garden.. great plant one day gone the next - they have even invaded the house bringing their gifts to the house plants to boot... arg..

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Magpye

NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a) | July 2006 | Neutral

Isopods are omnivores or scavengers feeding on dead or decaying plants or animals. Some may eat live plants.

Color varies from dark gray to white with or without pattern.

Isopods breathe with gills, so they are restricted to areas with high humidity, under rocks or logs, in leaf litter or in crevices. Some species are nocturnal.

Some species, roll up into a ball when disturbed. Eggs (up to 100) are held in broad pouch on female. Juveniles look like adults and are soon liberated from pouch. Molting is in two stages. First the back half molts, then two to three days later, the front half molts. Coloration of both halves may be different at this time. Many species are fast walkers, but can be easily observed when held in the palm of the hand. ... read more

Pillbug, Sowbug, roly-poly

Armadillidium vulgare

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