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Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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Posted by gussy z7 Tx. (My Page) on Wed, May 28, 03 at 10:13
| Help can someone tell me how to control these bugs. I know they help with the decaying of stuff, but do they also have to eat everything else. They are everywhere in the shade garden and sometimes I find them out in the veggis. So can someone tell me what to do. I would like to use a home remendy, if that can be done. |
Follow-Up Postings:
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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- Posted by Jonesy z6 midwest (My Page) on
Fri, May 30, 03 at 19:48
| I use poison pellets I buy at the nursery. some say cormeal works, but haven't tried it. They don't bother my plants when they get older and tougher. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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- Posted by Miah z7 TX (My Page) on
Thu, May 6, 04 at 13:06
| We've had problems with Rollie Pollies too. My wife and I implemented what we learned from the Dirt Doctor's book and it is working great! Set out small containers (we used small coffee cups) in the problem areas. Place the cups down in the ground so that the brim is at or barely above ground level. Boil water with two packets of yeast in a medium-sized pot to dissolve the yeast. Pour the yeast solution (FYI - you can use beer also, but the yeast packets are really cheap) into the cups. Put covers over the containers to keep rain water (yard water) and other elements from diluting the solution. We used small cheap water retainers that you put below small pots and put a few rocks on top of the retainers to keep them from blowing away. You'll get rid of pesty snails, rollie pollies and beatles (but not lady bugs). And if you have a lot you need to get rid of quick, Seven dust works great. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| Are they a threat to new plantings? My neighboor gave us about 20 scoops of compost to help us build up some new beds - I noticed that it was full of rollie pollies. Are they gonna eat all my new stuff? |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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Yes, they are going to eat up all the new stuff if they can. I am currently fighting this battle with them and losing. I do not want to use pesticides, but I am almost about to give in. They especially chew up seedlings and small plants with soft stems like squash. Every morning I see about 20 of them on each of my little plants chewing at the stem. I am now using collars around my seedlings to keep them getting eaten.
Every where I have read that these insects do not eat the plants, WILL somebody tell them!
Since you are starting now, you may want to use some means chemical or other to get rid of them first before you plant anything. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| They prefer tender seedlings. They often nestle just under the soil at the base of tender bean sprouts and munch away. After the plants become more mature (assuming they live), they don't appeal to the critters any more. You can start seedlings in pots in a safe place and transplant them to the garden when they are a little more mature. My neighbor also disagrees with me about these being harmful, but I know from experience they make it difficult to grow beans from seed. These things drive me nuts. Sometimes when I water they pop out and walk around, and then I get them by hand. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| I have never known these ugly bugs to do anything but be ugly. I'm amazed to hear of them eating up your garden babies. Perhaps it's a zonal thing? I've never seen them crawling on a plant in my area. Courious.... |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| If there are this many of any single type of bug, something's out of balance. I would try to address the source of the problem, whatever that may be. There are probably many different predators of these in your area. Do a little research on attracting one or more of them to do the work for you. Get a bird bath. Loitering birds will eat these and other bugs. (Shuddering at the thought of putting 'poison pellets' in a veggie garden!) Intrepidgardener, yes, from the comments I've read about these bugs on these forums the past few years, it seems these critters are a much bigger problem in warmer climates than they are for us northerners. They do like to eat my primrose blooms and johnny jump-ups. I've seen them doing it. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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i too have those darn rolly polly's,and now i see alot down in our basement.i cannot stand it,when i lift one of my plant containers up,and they are just THICK.i guess i'll try some cornmeal,for now,any other suggestions,or homemade remedies please e-mail me.
juanitabyers@cox.net
thanks all!! nita |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| The only place I have a serious problem with rollie pollies is under some lights that stay on all night on the north side of my house. I have set pots there before and when I get ready to plant them, they're full of rollie pollies instead of roots. I think the lights have something to do with it because I don't have quite so many in other parts of my yard. I don't think it's a problem where there are only a few. They don't seem to bother the plants at all there. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| Did you know rolly-pollies aren't insects at all? They're actually a type of landbound crustacean! I didn't believe it either, but I read it on the Internet, so it must be true, lol. That's all I wanted to say. Sorry I don't have anything actually useful to contribute. :) |
Here is a link that might be useful: Rolly-pollies are crustaceans!
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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Borrow someone's chickens, or get your own hen (roosters are too noisy anyway). But be careful, because after the chickens finsh the main course of sowbugs/pill bugs they will go after your young vegetables. But man, will they go nuts over those rollie pollies.
I haven't tried ducks, but I imagine they would work as well.
Eric in Japan |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| I had very good luck this year controlling Pill Bugs & Slugs in my shade garden. What I did is remove every scrap of debri around my emerging Hostas etc., just as they were emerging this spring. I left not 1 piece of a leaf or twig from the crowns of the plants. I am amazed at the difference. I have had almost no problem with either of the pests. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| I normally hang out at other forums at GW but was doing some research on shade plants and came to this forum. I was curious about the title of this thread so I read it. I am curious because the other day while transplanting I found very BLUE rollie pollies. Has anyone ever heard of that? I have lived in a number of states and love the outdoors and never have I seen that before. Anyway, it was very interesting and I hope someone else may have had this expereince. Happy gardening! |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| In Ireland we call these fellows "woodlice" (because they like decaying/rotting wood, timber, etc.) or "slaters" (because of their slate colour). They're to be found everywhere there's moist conditions. We are also told over here by the "experts" that they do no harm - only eat dead stuff - but I too have seen them damage other living plants, etc. There is available on the market a sort of derris powder that deals effectively with them. Ever time I see them they remind me of a particular period in my life. Ten years ago I had a cat who presented me with a litter of kittens about two weeks after my first wife died. Sometimes one of these bugs would come into the kitchen and get pounced upon by mother-cat who would scoop it up with her paw, whereupon it would roll up into a tight ball. Then the kittens would join in and play "ping-pong" with the poor critter for a while, batting it back and forth. My, how it used to give me occasion to laugh during that difficult period! |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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i have cantalope plants and everywhere i look rolly pollys are chomping holes in it.but i mostly see them pn the cantalopes
it looks like they are eating it and leaving this yellow slime
behind.does anyone have a remedy???? i'll try the ones i've read :). HELP |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| So I am still wondering has anyone ever seen blue ones. I found another one last week. They are annoying but very pretty. Anyway, sorry I can't help cause they aren't a big problem for me. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| I HATE THESE BUGS!!!! They have destroyed all of my seedlings, I read that a mild soap solution sprayed around the plants will keep these little pests away. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| I agree with Oraganic Texas, I've found these bad guys nestled in down around the very base of bean seedlings, chewing away at the new growth. I know other people say they are harmless, but I don't think they are. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| I had a real problem with roly poly bugs. They were committing suicide in my garden pond by the hundreds each day and I am not kidding. Did some research and found out about diatomacheous earth. Got some at a local nursery and sprinkled it around everywhere I found roly polys and 2 days later the problem was solved. But you will have to reapply when they come back. Complete natural. Here's a website that explains it. http://www.hydromall.com/happy_grower16.html |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| Blue Rollie Pollies: I have them here in Ohio. We call them Potato Bugs! Ours are a little more greyish blue. I too saw the title and came in to check it out. Once I saw the link that TaraRose left I realized who the culprit is. They must be blue up here in the eastern midwest to east coast areas. Haven't had a problem with them as of yet, but since I just put in a new bed with plenty of tender plants I will be mindful of them! Thanks! |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| I have these guys getting into my house by the hundreds and I sweep them up several times a day with the broom. I spray house hold ant and roach spray on them and they just keep on running. How do you kill these guys and keep them out of your house. HELP!!!!!!!! |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| HELP ME!!!! I am not a gardener, I am simply trying to have a nice bug free existence, and these HORRIBLE little creatures are EVERYWHERE I look! I cannot bear the thought of walking onto my ground level patio because they are crawling all over everything! Not only that, but somehow, someway they have found a way to get into my apartment and they are impossible to kill. I've tried Raid as well as a Black Flag sprayed directly on the little buggers and all they do is ball up, then walk away a few moments later! AAAAAAHHHH! I cannot live like this! Please tell me how to kill these awful things before I'm driven completely insane. I need indoor and outdoor options please! Please send information to my email address asap! amyignatowski@charter.net Thank you! |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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- Posted by buzzy 8PugetSound (My Page) on
Tue, Apr 15, 08 at 6:43
| I haven't seen a single rolly-polly for four years - 3 hens on half an acre and they've eaten all the bugs. Also earwigs. And the sweepings from their coop makes an awesome manure tea. Besides, they're cute lawn ornaments. Delicious eggs. They don't bother established plantings at all, but they will kick your mulch around so put up a barrier. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| Roly Polies turn blue when they are molting, which they do quite a bit. They live from 3-5 years and live in family groups. They love anything moist and will start to eat any plant that is thinking of dying. The best way to solve the problem that I have found is to let my kids and neighborhood kids come and play with them. That just about does them in. They are very touch friendly. If you can hold lady bugs, you can hold and play with roly polies. Their favorite food is watermelon rind, so, maybe put some rinds in the proximity of your seedlings and they will be so drawn to them that they will leave your seedlings alone. Let me know if this works! |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| I heard that the blue ones had a disease or infection... not sure if it's true. All I know is that they have no problems eating my emerging hostas every spring... grrr... |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| well I lost a young tree last year and when I took it up it had thousands of rollie pollies around the roots. And just yesterday I went out to clean around my returning plants and again there were hundreds or more all in the dirt under the mulch. we need the mulch to keep down weeds but now I am really worried that this many will kill my good plants. There are even around the bottom of my weeping cherry I planted last year. I have never seen so many in my life. And I need to know how to stop them. I will try some of these suggestions that I read here. Wish me luck. |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| As an avid composter, doing my best to garden organically and avoid pesticides - pesticides suck! They are one of the reasons we are losing our honeybee populations. I see these critters in my shade garden, where it's moist. I'm setting out new seedlings there this year, after removing all decaying matter from last yrs wildflower shade garden. I'm going to try to catch them with the snail and slug bait- handpick the ones i see and throw them out for the birds, and the best: bury a small jelly jar or bowl at the level of soil and fill with STALE beer. They will come to drink, and drown. But try handpicking as many as you see, and dispose of them. Maybe there's a website for the control of them? Or set out trap plants-- ones you don't mind losing-- first--let them munch on them while you learn to remove them. Best of luck to you!!! |
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| You just cannot hand-pick them when they number in the thousands. They ate my marigolds two years in a row - and it was most certainly the "roly polies," not slugs nor any other bug, because I observed them at the main stem of the plant this year and watched carefully. They certainly love moist, dark places and decaying plant matter, but they will eat green, living plants. I am trying something called "Lilly Miller Worry Free Slug and Snail Bait," since none of the home remedies have done anything effective for me (beer traps, damp newspaper, removing all garden debris) and diatomaceous earth only seemed to deter the slugs. The ingredient is 1% Iron Phosphate and unfortunately the other 99% is "Inert Ingredients," undefined. The packaging claims that it's pet safe. You can read the label and the MSDS at the link I've provided. This company makes something that targets sowbugs (another name for roly-polies) but I will not use it because it is carbaryl, an insecticide, known to be harmful to bees. Also I will not use any slug killer that uses metaldehyde (toxic to animals). I'm not certain that this will deter the roly-polies but I have read on these forums that others have had success with the method. Search "What is eating my marigolds" for results on the Oklahoma Gardening Forum here to find that post. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Lilly Miller Worry Free MSDS
RE: Rollie Pollie- Pill Bugs
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| They don't eat plants? Ha! That's a myth! I have a fountain above the pool and the top has a planter. I filled it with potting soil and planted a variety of plants. Days later I noticed that the sweet potato vines looked weird. I climbed up to have a look and there were so many rollie pollies in the soil I was dumbfounded! Yes, hundreds! And, my weird looking sweet potato vine was missing a lot of leaves-all chewed off! I began moving leaves and there were the rollie pollies all nestled among the plants eating to their heart's content! I also noticed that I have a ton of small snails as well but the snails were not found among (on) the plants. I came to the internet to see how to get rid of these demons. Can't believe I need to buy them a drink! Sheesh! Who knew I would need to liquor them up to get rid of them! Well, whatever it takes! Going to the county line in the morning and buy my rollie pollies a bottle of beer! Good luck to everyone else! |
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