Hi Mick,

As soon as I saw the term "woodlice", I thought "Uh-oh" to myself, and felt like that was your answer right there. Although they are thought of primarily as minor pests that eat mostly dead/decaying material, in my garden they will eat tomato plants, ripe tomatoes (but not green ones!), bean plans (killing oodles of them), squash and cantaloupe plants and fruit, etc. They are always a serious pest for me because they love to live in mulch and I always mulch very heavily to keep the ground cool and moist and to prevent weeds. Of course, that cool, moist soil provides the perfect conditions for woodlice, so for a while I thought I'd have to ditch the mulch to keep the woodlice under control.

One of the problems with attempting to control or eliminate them is that they are crustaceans with a tough exoskeleton so standard insecticides and pesticides have virtually no effect on them. But, don't worry, because the answer is simpler than you think.

There is a 100% natural, organic product you can use to kill these pests pretty quickly and it not only doesn't harm your garden soil, but is good for it. You want to apply an ORGANIC, not chemical, Snail and Slug Killer, which has iron phosphate as its' active ingredient. You DO NOT want to use the chemical snail and slug killer that has metaldahyde as the active ingredient--that one is dangerous, especially to family pets.

The iron-phosphate snail and slug killer is sold under many names. The original product I found and began using several years ago is called Sluggo, but there are many others. One of them is called Escar-Go. Originally, I had to go to a nursery to find Sluggo, but the last few years, some of the Home Depots in our area have begun to carry it or an equivalent product. I can usually find it in Gainesville, Texas, or Sherman, Texas, and I think I may have found it once in Ardmore last year. This year, the package at Home Depot that I bought was in a white and aqua bag and was labeled Snail and Slug killer. I think the brand name on the front was "Garden Safe". It might have said natural or organic on the label. Regardless, the active ingredient was iron phosphate, I used it as directed, and didn't lose a single plant to these little beasties.

Last week, I was at one of my favorite organic supply stores in Fort Worth (Marshall Grain Company) and I came across Slug-Go Plus, which is labeled not only for snails and slugs, but also for pillbugs/sowbugs (common names for woodlice). Why? Because apparently they have long received anecdoctal reports from people like me that their snail and slug product kills woodlice and they have been working to come up with an improved product to do just that in the most effective way possible. They have added Spinosad, a relatively new organic product (I think it is a fermented bacteria, but I don't remember for sure.) that's been on the market 4 to 6 years, to the iron phosphate. Of course, I bought a container, since I use Spinosad for fire ants in the veggie garden and find it to be more effective than most other organic fire ant killers. Although plain old Sluggo has worked for me to control pillbugs/sowbugs/woodlice and I've always been perfectly content with it, I will buy Sluggo Plus now, because I find it works even better (more quickly).

With any iron phosphate-based snail and slug (and woodlice) killer, you just scatter the little iron phosphate pellets on the ground all around the plants. You don't see an instant-kill, but over time you see fewer and fewer woodlice. Whatever bits of the product are left over will break down into iron which is good for your garden soil. Sometimes you will see the little dead white woodlice (or their exoskeletons or whatever remains of them). Apparently they turn white after they die.

In rainy periods, I re-apply Slug-Go every 2 weeks. In drier periods, I reapply it as needed, maybe once every 3 to 4 weeks. Without it, I have a constant problem with woodlice eating everything. With it, that problem greatly diminishes or goes away completely. And, assuming you think I might be wrong and it is not the woodlice, let me say two things. Of course, I might be wrong. It is hard enough to figure out what is going on in my own garden right under my own nose, and diagnosing via photograph is difficult. BUT, did you know that the little crustaceans we know as woodlice, pill bugs and sow bugs are also called potato bugs in some parts of the country? There. I rest my case. (Of course, here in Oklahoma, we are talking about Colorado Potato Beetles when we say potato bug, but apparently in some places, the term potato bug is used to refer to woodlice.)

So, assuming you haven't found anything else that is eating the plants, I think woodlice are the problem and an iron phosphate-based snail and slug killer is the solution. Remember, though, no toxic metaldahyde!!!!

I hope you can find the snail and slug killer quickly. In the meantime, I'd pull back all the mulch from the plants. You also can lay down a board or two near the potato plants. The bugs gather under the boards and you then can lift up the boards and, working quickly with a trowel before they all scatter, scoop up all the bugs you can into a bucket or pail and dispose of them.

Good luck,

Dawn

Here is a link that might be useful: Sluggo Plus

Dawn

As usual you come back with a whole bunch of useful, clearly written information and I thank you indeed.
I'll get some this weekend.

I've always considered woodlice as harmless, now I know different.

Regards

Mick.

Mick,

You are welcome and I hope the information helps you achieve a satisfactory solution and save your potato crop.

After gardening my entire life with my parents and grandparents, I STILL believed the darn things were harmless, even after we moved here in 1999. Well, since then I have learned better! I kept seeing them on tomato plants and on tomatoes (even eating the tomatoes!) but I thought they were moving in and eating after something else had done the primary damage. Finally, I wised up and realized THEY were doing the primary damage. Then, the search was on for a solution....because I easily had tens of thousands of them in my heavily mulched beds. It remained an ongoing problem for years before I found Sluggo.

Last year was the first year they started demolishing bean plants (I guess because I was only putting Sluggo around the tomato plants). So, this year I put Sluggo around everything and haven't had much plant damage at all....and none that I am sure I can blame on them.

This year it is grasshoppers eating holes in everything, and my guineas are starting to go into the garden and eat them, so I hope that problem with cease soon. And I did buy a 1-lb canister of Nolo Bait to put out in the garden just in case the guineas miss a few.

Talk to you later,

Dawn

Dawn

I took a trip to Lowes on the way home last night and I'm glad to say they had a (small) organic section and I was able to pick up a bag of "Worry Free" slug and snail bait by Lilly Miller (active ingredient Iron Phosphate 1%) See link below. I took the time to thank the assistant for stocking such items, as you advised.

I removed all the straw mulch and as many of the woodlice I could, then laid down the bait. A check this afternoon shows an unbelievable drop in activity. I also staked the plants up so the bugs had nowhere to hide and I've been online to Gill Roys and ordered 3lb of Sluggo Plus.

I'm determined not to lose this spud crop!!

Thanks once again

Mick.

Here is a link that might be useful: Slug bait link

Mick,

I am smiling 'cause I'm happy you found some organic snail and slug bait. Happy, happy, happy for you! It is cool to find a solution that actually works and I remember how happy I was when I found the stuff and it worked for me.

It can be so discouraging to plant and then watch the pests destroy your work before you can even harvest the crop.

And, yes, I always think it wise to thank retailers for carrying organic products. How else will they know if anyone really cares? Just in the last 4 or 5 years, I am seeing more and more organics available in local and regional stores, and I am so glad.

Just keep after those stupid woodlice because they reproduce at a high rate. I have to use more Sluggo or Sluggo Plus when there has been a lot of moisture and less in the heat of the summer (from about July on, usually). And, every year I have less and less of them, so I think being persistent pays off.

And, you're welcome! I know that what works for me might not work for someone else with different soil and somewhat different weather, so when something I suggest works for somebody else, I always feel so relieved!

Dawn