Please know that moist, organic-y soils will contain some of these isopods. They are an important part of the ecosystem. However, an overpopulation can and will lead to the damage of our plants. Make sure, first of all, that it is the sowbugs doing the damage and not something else.

These critters require very moist conditions in which to thrive, so let's see what you can do to alter their environment, first. Is your mulch layer too heavy? Are you watering or irrigating too frequently? Has it been raining like crazy in your location?

It's one of those situations when you can make some slight physical adjustments to the site, and these little guys might go elsewhere.

As for the questions of moisture and conditions, it is a very rich mulch in a raised bed, and I am in so. cal. so we are by no means overly moist.

Use the DE generously, even mixing it into the soil. DE does not dissolve in water.

MM

That was one of my best celocia. They'll have to climb higher for the giant reds.

"However, it is highly toxic to bees (honey bee LC50 = 11.5 ppm) and is highly toxic to oysters and other marine mollusks. Applications to areas where bees are actively foraging should be avoided." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spinosad

If you really do have a pillbug problem (honestly, if you do I assume they are some invasive Asian pillbug, since this is NOT the behavior of a normal one), I'd start a small compost pile, collect the Rolly-Pollys and put them in it.

Rolly-Polly-Posting!!!

They don't even like the sun! They hide under rocks and under wet leaves.

Why did I see hundreds of them on top of the soil then?
I suspect they sleep and mate under cover!
I remedied the problem by letting the soil dry out some.

Hi Annie, welcome to Gardenweb!

I don't find these critters to be abundant enough to be a problem. Yes, they like to live in leaf litter and mulch, but they must be pretty tasty to birds and anoles which would and apparently do eat them.

Applying any kind of chemicals can create even more of an imbalance in your garden if the chemicals are also harmful to benefical predators, which they usually are. Rushing to chemicals every time a pest is sited eliminates the food source that may have attracted whatever would like to eat it. Having a little patience about that the first few years of starting a garden can pay off heavily in the future, when enough beneficials have been established to thwart infestations of pests.

If we're talking about a scale as small as 3 plants, picking the pill bugs off (or whatever pest is big enough to do so,) and throwing them into the lawn for the birds should help keep their numbers down until birds or other predators realize that food source is there. They could also be smushed, or cut in half with scissors to just kill them.

If one's going to apply stuff like that to food, that eliminates the benefit of growing it at home. I'd prefer to eat food that hasn't had any of that stuff on/near it, but if I do, I'd prefer to just buy it at the store. Any chemicals would have been applied by pros at the correct time in the recommended amounts, costs about the same, so much less effort. I see no reason to duplicate corporate type agriculture in my own yard.

I also live in Socal and I am inland in Temecula.

I have never resorted to chemicals in my organic garden and even the pillbug won't drive me to it.

I have done 4 things to solve my problem and I highly recommend 3 of them. The first I thank Laura from the Temecula Valley Garden Club for. For plants like peas and beans where you are only planting a few of them, once you plant the seed directly, protect it by placing about a 3" to 4" tall tube cut from a plastic bottle around the seed. I don't know why this works like a charm--you would think the little buggers would just attack the plant easily from underneath, but they don't. I only push the tube in far enough so it won't get blown over by the wind--maybe 1/2 inch at most. You can even use a cardboard toilet paper tube if you want. Those get soggy but they work.

For plants like radishes or beets, or anything that you plant more of and closer together, this isn't so practical. So before you are ready to plant, prepare the bed using the beer trick. Pillbugs just love beer! (I thank my husband who said, "Let's try it!"--I hadn't seen it recommended anywhere at the time). You can use an empty can but I bought small tuna-can sized glass storage containers at the dollar store since they are more attractive and I can re-use them forever.

Bury them up to the top in your empty bed, one per square foot, and fill them with beer. make sure you push the soil up next to the rim all around so the little crusty critters can get access. You will collect dozens of pillbugs in each container effortlessly and feel confident about planting your seeds or tender seedlings.

Pillbugs don't seem to travel very far from their home spot which is why the beer needs to be placed right where you're going to plant. If you wait til you plant and put the beer in the square foot beside where the plants are, it won't work. That's why I do it before I plant. Buy the cheapest beer you can find and you don't have to fill the containers. I've even captured the critters in containers where the beer had already evaporated (they can't climb the container side once they're in). They just love the smell. Just refill the containers each time you empty them and you will capture dozens more per container if you are battling an infestation like I am.

Third, I always make sure to dry out the sections of bed after I have harvested my plants. They need water to survive. Thanks to this forum for that trick.

Fourth, I have a pillbug-designated eviction spoon I keep handy to pick up any that I see crawling around while I'm gardening. I thank my own desperation to save my plants for that. I used to throw them in the beer but now I crush the ones I catch because I feel better about making their death quick and painless. I can't help it about the ones that find the beer on their own or die of dehydration. After all, I am growing the produce for us, not them.

This fourth method was my main method of control last spring before I learned of the other methods, but it literally took HOURS of my time each morning for many days in a row because I had SO MANY pillbugs to destroy. It was awful!

Also, if you see a medium-sized spider with a white abdomen and red front section (I don't know spider physiology), count your blessings. I read that they eat pillbugs. I have seen 2 of them.

My gardens are completely enclosed with a wood and hardware cloth construction because of all the wildlife on our property, so the birds can't feast on our pillbugs. Do lizards eat them?

One more thing. I have to tell the non-believer pillbug advocates that once I have my pillbug population under control, I have healthy, producing plants. No other predators are getting them. Pillbugs adore my radishes, CORN (they absolutely love), beets, LETTUCE, spinach, snap peas, BEANS and TURNIPS in particular. In the fall I never even got to see the first sign of even ONE lettuce or turnip seedling. They were DONE before I reached the garden. They're a little slower with the radishes. They eat them for a longer period of growing time.

I wish I didn't have to destroy them. I like them and would love it if they would just stick to cleaning up the soil and composting for me! But they are hungry and they love my good, healthy food! They can't even wait until there is more and enough for both of us!