How To Get Rid Of Pill Bugs In Garden? Find Out Here

Written By James
Updated May 16, 2021 by James

How To Get Rid Of Pill Bugs In Garden? Find Out Here

Some pests are cute, like ladybugs and bumblebees. Some are dangerous, like snakes and spiders. And then there are pill bugs, or roly-polies.

These garden pests are neither cute nor dangerous, but they have a way of infesting just about every garden they come in contact with. 

They are not insects, but arthropods. Males have a tail and can be distinguished from females; their bodies are a darker color.

Getting rid of pill bugs is simple. The challenge is doing it in a way that is safe for you and your garden, so you can use your garden to grow plants and vegetables without any threat of pill bugs.

Ways To Get Rid Pill Bugs In The garden

These pests come out at night and make holes in your garden, they also eat your plants. Pill bugs are brown and look like a little pill with six legs.

They are easy to get rid of and you can do it yourself. If you know the exact location pill bugs can be found you can get rid of them quickly.

  • Have a Strong Roots and Strong Soil

Having healthy soil and a healthy root structure is the key to organic pest control. We use compost, compost teas, organic matter, good bacteria and efficient watering.

If Pill Bugs have enough organic matter and moisture in your soil, they won't need to use your plants as a food source.

If the cell walls of your plant's roots are strong it makes the plants less vulnerable to pill bugs. Young plants are also more vulnerable to pill bugs.

  • Pill Bugs Control

Pill bug control is best handled by picking up all the egg cases and other debris before they can hatch. For severe infestations, a dust spray can be used.

You can use Insect Killer Granules around foundations, garden, lawns and landscaped areas to eliminate or repel all kinds of troublesome pests.

  • Use Diatomaceous earth to deter Pill Bugs

Diatomaceous earth is an often overlooked natural weapon in any gardener's arsenal. It can be used to control a variety of pests, including slugs, pill bugs, earwigs, cockroaches, and ants.

You can even use a fine grade for flea control. It works by drying out the exoskeletons of insects, and then they dry up and die.

  • Use Mulch to deter Pill Bugs

Mulch is a gardener's best friend. It preserves soil moisture, blocks weeds, and as an added bonus, it can even deter bugs.

While it's true that mulches can keep pill bugs away, there's a catch. If you mulch around a mature plant, it can slow down the plant's growth by not allowing it to soak up enough water.

  • Use beer to deter Pill Bugs

Beer may be delicious, but it's not known for its pest-fighting abilities. But pill bugs or roly-polys may not be able to resist a steady diet of hops, malt, and yeast.

However, certain brands of beer are more toxic to pill bugs than others.  The most effective types of beer to use to kill pill bugs are probably full-bodied, high-alcohol ales like stout or porter.

  • Make Garden Less Attractive

To start, these critters only like to eat dead or decaying plant matter, meaning they will only be interested in your plants if there is nothing else around.

As a result, the easiest way to prevent pill bugs from invading your garden is to remove any other plants around your garden that aren't dead or dying.

Pill bugs will quickly realize that your garden is a dead zone, and they will move on.

What Is Pill Bugs?

Pill bugs are one of those creatures that gardeners love to hate, as they can come in and ruin a perfectly good garden.

Pill bugs are crustaceans, they have eyes on stalks, six legs and are usually brown.

They are similar to woodlice, but woodlice move on their backs and pill bugs move on their bellies.

However, pill bugs are also known as roly polys and they are actually helpful to have around the garden.

Pill bugs are easy pests to spot. They tend to be 3/4 inch in length with a gray to brown exoskeleton, and are sometimes known as “sow bugs” or “rolly-pollies.”

They are not insects, but arthropods. Pill bugs can be found in gardens, lawns, wetlands, and moist indoor environments.

They are scavengers that eat decaying matter and can cause problems in gardens by chewing on garden plants, which can cause small wounds to the leaves and stems.

To control pill bugs, you can attract beneficial predators, such as frogs, to your garden, and poison or trap the pill bugs.

Are Pill Bugs Bad In The Garden?

Garden pill bugs are the scourge of many a gardener’s existence. They seem to gravitate toward greenhouses, where they can burrow into the soil and befoul it.

In addition to being a nuisance, these creatures can destroy plants and flowers by chewing on their roots when they can’t find any other food.

They like to eat decomposing plants, among other things, which means they’re a benefit to gardeners who grow organic food.

However, it can be hard to separate the good from the bad when it comes to the pill bugs.

Small brown insects with unseemingly armored bodies, and if you live in a garden, you probably know they're an unwelcome visitor which has been known to mess up your plants. 

What Do Pill Bugs Eat?

Pill bugs are part of nature's garbage disposal system. Consuming mostly decaying plant matter, they're wonderful in a compost pile.

Pill bugs eat dead plants, dead animals, fungi, and the roots of live plants. If no other food is available, live plants become their next target.

They are seldom found in healthy plant material because they are slow-moving and have poor eyesight, which makes hunting for food difficult.

Pill bugs are part of nature's garbage disposal system. Consuming mostly decaying plant matter, they're wonderful in a compost pile. 

The pill bug is a type of crustacean that loves a nice garden that has a lot of decaying leaves.

They are found under rocks, leaves, and in dead plant material. Pill bugs thrive in moist soil and can be found in mulch and under stones.  

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James

My father, and his father before him, and his father; for the past 3 generations, my family have always been into gardening. The green fingers is a gift passed down to me and I thoroughly enjoy it! I also have worked in the manufacturing department for Bosch and DeWalt so I like to think I know a thing or two about tools and such!
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