Pillbug, Sowbug, roly-poly (Armadillidium vulgare)

Order: Isopoda Family: Armadillidiidae Genus: Armadillidium Species: vulgare (vul-GAIR-ee) (Info) Profile: 8 positives 9 neutrals 12 negatives Regional... This bug has been reportedly found in the following regions: , (2 reports) Birmingham, Alabama Phoenix, Arizona Tucson, Arizona (2 reports) Conway, Arkansas Deer, Arkansas North Little Rock, Arkansas Auberry, California Elk Grove, California Grass Valley, California Lemoore, California Los Angeles, California Marina, California Oceanside, California Reseda, California Salinas, California San Diego, California West Covina, California Clifton, Colorado Denver, Colorado Deltona, Florida Jacksonville, Florida Lake Butler, Florida Orange Park, Florida Panama City, Florida Pensacola, Florida Tallahassee, Florida Winter Park, Florida Duluth, Georgia Westchester, Illinois Indianapolis, Indiana Linton, Indiana Peru, Indiana Valparaiso, Indiana Delhi, Iowa Lansing, Kansas Ewing, Kentucky Hebron, Kentucky Melbourne, Kentucky Salvisa, Kentucky Plain Dealing, Louisiana Baltimore, Maryland Crofton, Maryland Algonac, Michigan Southfield, Michigan Westland, Michigan Bridgeton, Missouri Maplewood, New Jersey Roswell, New Mexico Buffalo, New York Himrod, New York Yonkers, New York Matthews, North Carolina Raleigh, North Carolina Swansboro, North Carolina Cincinnati, Ohio Corning, Ohio Dayton, Ohio Williamsburg, Ohio Owasso, Oklahoma Astoria, Oregon Eugene, Oregon Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania West Columbia, South Carolina Bristol, Tennessee Charlotte, Tennessee Germantown, Tennessee Jonesborough, Tennessee Murfreesboro, Tennessee Old Hickory, Tennessee Sevierville, Tennessee Westmoreland, Tennessee Arlington, Texas Austin, Texas Boerne, Texas Frisco, Texas Houston, Texas (2 reports) Lufkin, Texas Mcallen, Texas Red Oak, Texas Salineno, Texas Kanab, Utah Madison Heights, Virginia Manassas, Virginia Kalama, Washington Marysville, Washington Pullman, Washington Spanaway, Washington Sultan, Washington Harpers Ferry, West Virginia Rawlins, Wyoming Member Notes: Rating Author Comment Neutral Magpye On Jul 26, 2006, Magpye from NW Qtr, AR (Zone 6a) wrote: 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. Impact on the Ecosystem ... Positive In their immediate vicinity, isopods do minimal soil improvement. Isopods are also a food source for other animals. Negative In greenhouses and southern states, large populations can eat and damage plants. Negative MitchF On Jul 28, 2006, MitchF from Lindsay, OK (Zone 7a) wrote: 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.. Neutral Veshengo On Jul 29, 2006, Veshengo from Faversham United Kingdom (Zone 8a) wrote: In England we call them Woodlice and they are closely related to the small shrimp that are found in rockpools on the atlantic coast. Positive renatelynne On Sep 6, 2006, renatelynne from Boerne, TX (Zone 8b) wrote: 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. Positive IrisLover79 On Sep 11, 2006, IrisLover79 from Westchester, IL (Zone 5b) wrote: 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 Negative ineedacupoftea On Sep 16, 2006, ineedacupoftea from Grand Junction, CO (Zone 7a) wrote: 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. Negative winging On Sep 17, 2006, winging from Cincinnati, OH (Zone 6a) wrote: 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. Positive renwings On Oct 21, 2006, renwings from Sultan, WA (Zone 8a) wrote: 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. Positive FloridaG8or On Jan 24, 2007, FloridaG8or from Lake Butler, FL (Zone 8b) wrote: 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. Negative divadonna On Mar 16, 2007, divadonna from Spanaway, WA wrote: 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. Neutral TheBip On Mar 24, 2007, TheBip from Indianapolis, IN (Zone 5b) wrote: 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* Negative blmlb On Mar 29, 2007, blmlb from Orange Park, FL wrote: I finally found out what's been eating my strawberries. Gonna get some bug killer. :-) Positive Lenka_ On Apr 13, 2007, Lenka_ from Princeton, TX (Zone 8a) wrote: 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 ... Positive dstreetmom On May 18, 2007, dstreetmom from Fremont, CA wrote: 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. Neutral KyWoods On May 21, 2007, KyWoods from Melbourne, KY (Zone 6a) wrote: 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 Negative NCmagnolia On Jun 4, 2007, NCmagnolia from Swansboro, NC (Zone 8b) wrote: 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?! Neutral madamecp On Jun 27, 2007, madamecp from Denver, CO (Zone 5b) wrote: 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-poly colonies scurrying. For all of their numbers and ranging, I haven't seen one on a garden plant yet. Neutral Malus2006 On Jan 23, 2008, Malus2006 from Coon Rapids, MN (Zone 4a) wrote: 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. Positive phalvorson On May 3, 2008, phalvorson from Panama City, FL (Zone 8b) wrote: 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 Negative bekados On May 26, 2008, bekados from Pensacola, FL wrote: 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. Neutral dee_cee On Jun 3, 2008, dee_cee from Birmingham, AL (Zone 7b) wrote: 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. Negative plutodrive On Jul 1, 2008, plutodrive from Denver, CO (Zone 5b) wrote: 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. Negative WAonion On Jul 11, 2008, WAonion wrote: 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! Negative greenpout On Jul 12, 2008, greenpout from Novato, CA wrote: 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? Negative DaddyNature On Aug 12, 2008, DaddyNature from Atlanta, GA wrote: 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 Neutral snowball1209 On Jun 20, 2009, snowball1209 from Charlotte, TN wrote: How do you get rid of this bug? Help Positive kricee On Jul 4, 2009, kricee from Rawlins, WY wrote: 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:) Negative nahanni On Sep 7, 2009, nahanni from Brampton Canada wrote: 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? Neutral 5teve On Sep 13, 2009, 5teve from Pays Basque France wrote: 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

By ineedacupoftea By tropicalaria By wallaby1 By wallaby1 By wallaby1 By wallaby1 By wallaby1