Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
lothlin

Pillbugs eating tomatoes

lothlin
10 years ago

Pillbugs are devouring my tomatoes - absolutely sure its them too because I picked a few green ones off of the plants that were full of holes and the little jerks were nestled comfortably inside, just chowing down.

I really need the best way to get rid of them - the plants are in pots, not the ground, if that makes a difference.

Comments (10)

  • jean001a
    10 years ago

    Someone else made the holes. They're just cleaning up.

    Don't know at what stage you pick, but they don't need to be fully ripe.

  • lothlin
    Original Author
    10 years ago

    They're not ripe at all though - through a combination of late planting thanks to burpee's dumb shipping schedule for my climate, and them being slow-to-ripe varieties, and a week of ninety degree weather, I've got like, one single tomato that looks anywhere close to being ripe.

    What else could be causing the damage then? I haven't noticed any other bugs on them.

  • ken_adrian Adrian MI cold Z5
    10 years ago

    perhaps your stress is causing them to spontaneously erupt.. allowing the pillbugs to take advantage ...

    horrible year for tomatoes in MI ... and it had nothing to do with burpee ...

    have you looked at night???

    ken

  • Kimmsr
    10 years ago

    Because many people see the Pill Bugs, Wood Lice, Potato Bugs, or their cousins the Sow Bugs munching on their plants and fruits as you have they assume, wrongly, the culprit is them. These wee buggers will munch on nice lush plants or fresh fruit even though their preferred diet consists of dead and decaying plant tissue, but they are seldom the cause of the problem you see.
    Slugs are most often the initiating culprits, but since they are most active at night, and seldom are around during the day, and people don't see them the Pill Bugs get the blame. Shallow saucers of stale beer are good traps for either of these wee buggers.

    Here is a link that might be useful: About Pill Bugs

  • mulchmama
    10 years ago

    Every time I see someone blaming the poor pill bugs for plant damage, I think it's like seeing the people of New Orleans cleaning up after Katrina and blaming them for the hurricane.

    Ants frequently get a bad rap, too.

  • mulchmama
    10 years ago

    Deleted duplicate.

    This post was edited by MulchMama on Wed, Sep 4, 13 at 8:38

  • danzeb
    10 years ago

    My guess is slugs making the holes at night and then the pill bugs moving in.

  • jean001a
    10 years ago

    Some caterpillars eat green tomatoes as well as red.

    So, as has been suggested, several search-and-destroy missions, both day and night, will likely uncover the culprits.

  • Tiffany, purpleinopp Z8b Opp, AL
    10 years ago

    Squirrels will bite holes in unripe tomatoes, for sure! Assuming this is going on outside, I might put something in the pot for the pill bugs to eat instead, some freshly wilted greenery, kind of a can't beat 'em so trick 'em into working for you kind of thing. Their poo is probably good fertilizer. Coming to the end of the season, seems like the easiest thing to do over trying to evict them, though letting the soil dry, some kind of riser so pots have air flow around the drain holes, could help in that regard.

  • Wendi Long
    2 years ago

    Diatomaceous Earth. Make sure its food grade. It will kill all bugs, but its safe for kids and pets. Do not use non food grade.