Pill Bug (Roly Poly) infestation! A solution to share with you!
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- čas přidán 13. 09. 2024
- We do believe that we found a solution to our pill bug/roly poly infestation. Thank you all very much for coming through on your advice and your direction, I knew I could come to you guys and get some solutions.
I had this problem last year and DE only works for the day. The humidity ruins it through the night, and they come right back. I mean you can do it, and be careful of DE about putting it on foods you eat directly like strawberries. I got sick last year because the DE gets absorbed by the berries moisture. There are so many pill bugs and the best thing that started working for me last year was cutting oranges in half and leaving them upside down on the dirt and make sure they can get under it by pressing a small pocket own inthe dirt for them to enter and they come running for it above all other stuff. A few times a day, go pick them up and dump those little boogers in water and let them drown.
Yay!! I hope y'all got em! I can be so disheartening when you nurse your little plant babies along for months, and something comes along within a day or two and start to tear apart all that hard work. Fingers crossed!! Your gardens are looking beautiful!
I am with you on this project. Those nasty little bugs are not helpers. And they go all throughout the soil. They do love moisture. They congregate under my grow bags, too. I finally started picking them off just like you did, but by the time I got my plants up the grasshoppers took over and finished it off. It is just a battle.
I really hope you try Sluggo. It wiped out the roly polies and earwigs in my old garden. And it's just iron phosphate so good for the soil when it breaks down. Edit: hehe I spoke too soon! Very glad it worked for you!!!
Oh man! This video came just in time. I added new compost several weeks ago to my small garden beds out front. Pill bugs are chewing on my spinach & Swiss chard out there. I thought the unusual amount of rain California got this year had something to do with it, but now I think it’s the compost. At least I know how combat them now. Thank you!
Yeah, we've got them too. Pill bugs love spinach (eat the roots) as much as I love it. We can't grow it anymore.
Iron phosphate is the only thing that works on everything. Squash bugs, earwigs, aphids, cockroaches... I was frustrated to the point of giving up about 3 years ago and skeptical of such an "easy" fix from my retired farmer husband. But it works. We buy it in a 5lb bag of little bb's and just scatter it through the beds like chicken feed. Our soil is apparently naturally deficient in iron (Sacramento Valley in California) so the plants are healthier because of the application too.
Here in Greenville Texas. I have a ton of pill bugs right where I planted my carrot seedlings. I hope they don’t get them. I had a blueberry bush planted and it was dead. I dug it out and I just saw a ton of pill bugs. Im wondering if they killed my blueberry bush. It was a very small bush. Also saw my first rat yesterday 🙄 last year it was the grasshoppers and rats for me. Thank you for doing videos on these topics. God bless y’all ❤
Could be so, depending on the species but it’s also possible that they started eating the roots once the roots started decomposing/dying already because they love to feed to decaying matter
I have always had serious problem with pill bugs here in NJ. I understand your frustration with them. It’s so disheartening to have to replant over and over because of them! I think it’s interesting how so many “experts” say that aren’t a pest. Well they really are. They can take down small seedlings in about an hour. I found that Slug and Snail killer (organic product) does the job. But you have to reapply after a rain or when new seedlings are germinating. It’s a real battle. I’ll have to try DE and see if it is as effective. Hope you are successful!
I agree GG, they were very destructive. It looks like the diatomaceous earth slowed them down, but the Sluggo plus knocked them out. Will be keeping a close eye on them this week.
@@ntxgcurious if you had to reapply or if it worked for good. I have an abundance of them in my garage as well which is where my soil and baby propagations are. Now it makes sense…. They wanna eat them! lol
this happened to some of my bean plants last year and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what was eating the roots. Now I know!
Wow wondering if that came in with mulch you bought. Sad
Mine did
Yes! They are under the soil. I have them also. Last yr I had to replant my green beans 3 times. And having over 100 tomatoe plants, there is no way that I can hand pick them off.
I’m with you. Pill bugs are garden destroyers. I hate to spend money on Sluggo. I still have a 50kb bag of DE. One gardener said use a spray made with baking soda, a tsp of liquid soap and a quarter cup vegetable oil. Shake it up and spray regularly to keep pests on the run.
DE didn’t work for us, so let me know how this works
@@ntxg I actually watched a lady gardener run a DE trial. It showed the roly poly trucking io an incline. About 20-30 seconds later, it began to slip, then it finally went toes up. But I think it took a full minute. The DE had been freshly applied. Everyone says it goes bad or does not work after the overnight dampness sets in. That us really tedious to me. I am going with the oil, baking soda, and liquid soap, sprayed on plants. Them it will be Sluggo🙃.
Sluggo plus solution, yay! Praying it works and you have an abundance of tomatoes after this struggle to get those tomatoes growing.
Hey Jill wow that's bad. I wonder if you could let the chickens in for a bit and see if they would eat them. We always put a landscape timber nails or two in the soil by the stem for cut worms. We barley got any rain and still in a drought. Looks like the sluggo plus worked. God bless yawl.
Wonder if you could wet spots in the ground and then lay some leafy greens on top. Let them sit overnight and then pick up the leaves in the morning and you should have a bunch underneath. May help draw them away from your garden plants and make picking them off the ground by hand a little easier. Kind of like a trap of sorts?
Thank you!! I’m gonna carry on your spirit and pick up all these annoying bugs NOW
I've had the same problem and that's what people told me too!! Hope you get them!!!
I like to have some pill bugs in my indoor garden but when they get out of control I use neem and karanja meal and mix it into the top layer and then leave a thin layer across the top then I dust that with basalt rock dust I like to use it over de basically the same things but basalt is more paramagnetic.. both the neem meal and basalt rock dust make them.stay away from the plants.. I surround my baby plants with a small mound of neem and karanja meal and nothing goes near the stalks.. I don't mind if they stay in the soil as long as they stay off my plants.. in small populations they help in my living soil system since they are shredders and I'm a chop and drop kinda guy.. as long as they have a food source they won't mess with the crops. You can also make traps for them with beer or even just some fruits and toss them when they get on it. The beer drowns them and then can be added to compost piles
Oh ! They will devour your crops and have! Be careful with them!
YES! I used to love playing with these critters as a child, now they are a freaking nightmare. I have read lavender spray, orange peels, coffee grinds could work. Good luck to us getting rid of them
Yes lady! ❤️❤️❤️
In the north, we mostly find them along the foundation of houses, underneath boards or hiding places. I never have them in my garden. We do have some free range chickens and I am sure that is not hurting any. We do get slugs everywhere. Tons. They destroy everything. I finally had to buy slug pellets that keeps them manageable. I just started in my greenhouse at the beginning of the month and those darn dirt flies are showing already. This year I decided to go another route. I ordered ladybugs and am letting them live in there with my baby plants. Diatomaceous works really well on insects. It doesn't kill them instantly from my experience. It dehydrates them. We used it in the barn for flies, lice, fleas, ect. Good luck. Pests are such a menace!
Whew....what suspense. Thanks for sharing these 2 products.
Ok ...here goes devils advocate.....do they lay eggs or how do the babies show up? How long does it take for them to hatch?
Keep a hawk eye Jill....I know you are....I thought I saw little flames on the top of your cap...lol My head would be on fire too.
Hang in there. You guys are doing a great job and give those chickens a high five. Jesus bless.
I think they eat mainly rotting wood but also vegetables and animal remains too. Maybe there is rotting wood in the compost - some are made from rotting wood so that would attract them? Different species are more interested in the plants than others but they do eat some live plants
I have holes too from them.. as of now they aren’t eating my plants too bad bc I use leaf and grass clippings as mulch, but i suspect this is just allowing their population to explode and eventually they will go after the live stuff
Yes I would be very frustrated over these and hope we do not get them!! Think I am going to mix in DE with my soil when we plant them in our garden now.
We have an infestation in the Houston area. I used Sluggo to get rid of them.
same problem here in Far northwest IL. They have taken out so many of my green beans, peppers and cucumbers. For some reason, they didn't get to my tomatoes and now they are about 4ft tall and I keep the leaves off the ground. I have been using Diatomaceous earth also but not as heavy as you did. I water with drip tape. We haven't had much rain the last 6 weeks and it hasn't been that humid. I also heard neem oil will protect the plants. Hoping!
Crushed eggshell flakes help too. They can't climb over very well.
You can put the tomato stalks in a cup of water and they will grow new roots. They'll be a little behind, but saved...
Try to make the ground non moist try to collect them an put them in a new habitat where they flourish
Can you use a flavored greek yogurt? I would think any dark berry yogurt (greek) could be beneficial for their flavanoids?!
Such perfect timing!!! I just had 8 of my 11 raised beds munched clean down to the roots… I was blaming the squirrels and puppy. But then I saw the critters from hell… it’s like the soil is boiling with them… I appreciate you sharing, and I am headed to Lowes for some Sluggo!!!
Omgosh!! I am hearing this from so many people! It’s weird!
No it's the compost....larva is in the compost....every time you water your feeding bugs not just your plants....it's the price of having soil amendments....it's all maintenance every year.😊
just found a ton in my annuals... including hundreds of babies! Guessing they are looking for the moisture as I water the plants regularly to keep them alive in this heat. Thankful I had watched this video so I know how to treat them. Hoping it works. Thanks - L
It works!!’❤️❤️❤️
I've had the worst year yet with these pill bugs! I've hand picked, used DE, and last night I went out with my dust buster, after it had poured rain all day, and I vacuumed about a cup full of those things! I'm going to get the sluggo now. I just can't pay the pill bugs to eat every single thing I've planted! Grrr.
Did you get it and did it work?
I ordered it. It doesn't sell in stores around here. When it comes in, I'm going to get rid of those pill bugs! I'll let you know how it worked.
DE didn't touch my pill bug problem. They love to eat my strawberries as soon as they look ripe. I'm going to try making a trap for them with banana peels and see what happens. Good luck!
I'm wondering if, as another bit of insurance, when you plant your tomatoes, you plant them inside a plastic cup or something similar. Cut the bottom out of the cup and plant the tomatoe inside, with the cup half buried. Maybe they can't reach the plant that way, plus use the DE inside and outside the cup.
They are janitors of the wild
Wouldn't you know this came right on time? I'm having this problem and it's driving me crazy! Sluggo Plus is in the Amazon cart right now!
Jill, I’m sorry your garden is being attacked. I hope what you’re trying works and kills those bugs. I was reading an article that does say they will destroy gardens. They did recommend diatomaceous earth powder along with other non chemical things. The article is called 5 ways to keep Pill bugs from destroying your garden on Growing in the garden.
That'd make me mad too-sure hope that works! I read up a bit, and perhaps coffee grounds around edges could help too. A single frog can eat 100 insects a night too. Last year, I had a little frog hiding in my raised bed so I added a little habitat for it so it could keep eating all the bugs it wanted. I never was sure if frogs were good or bad before, but for garden- very beneficial. They might attract snakes if there are a lot of them though, and if it's a toad ( not a frog) it might hurt pet if they try to eat it. I'm keeping my eyes out for pests better this year, bc I really want to grow tomatoes too! If that stuff works, then I'll know what to try. Good luck!
I’ve thought of that too❤️
They have declared war!!!! 😡 I feel your pain. I had a few mice in my greenhouse eating all my sprouts and seeds. They are gone 😈
They are some big,healthy sow bugs!
For years, every time I turned a trowel full of earth, sow bugs and earwigs were running g. DE helped a little,but even dew weakens it. Now,they come out from under my bathtub. DE in a little duster followed by cayenne pepper and they are gone. Inside and out.
Thanks for the tip James!
NEEM oil works and placing orange slices then daily scoop the pests in a cup and relocate or give to your chickens, and yes food grade diatomaceous earth works too even a light dusting
I am in San Antonio Tx and my garden has an infection of pill bugs. Yes!!! Me to I heard all the info how beneficial they are for plants but when they eat more than I can grow something’s wrong. My daddy always had a garden and he used 7dust and picked off tomato worms for the birds. So I’m off to get the last resort fme! I tried the dy dirt and it took 3 weeks of dusting a lg bin half filled with garden soil full of small hole suck. Pill bugs so I covered it with diatomaceous earth put on the lid and waited 2nd week the same 3rd week again the same but the 4th week no holes just dirt. Ok it’s works but the amount I have in my garden is so extreme! I’ll let you know what happens if there’s an organic way that works Fast I’m all for it! ✝️
Hi Patty, I did a follow up video and we are using the Sluggo. Plus it’s organic and it works. Today while planting on the back acre, every hole, a dug had them in it.
They don't eat live plants.. anyway.
Do kiddie pool gardening (grow bags in it). Pillbugs cannot swim! Best setup for strawberries!
I used Dawn dish soap and water in a sprayer. Kills quickly but you must spray the bugs as you see them. Spray only the bugs if possible so as not to harm your plants.
❤️❤️❤️
Amazing I'm going to get some slugo plus as soon as possible
No rain here in Cameron, But just threats off. Can you mix the Diathamatus into the soil as well . I did that last year and did not notice as much. I added it bedore I planted , a week before. Send us some of that rain. The Birds.
I have heard that you can pour beer into a dish and place in the garden..they love beer and drown because they can’t get out..I haven’t tried it yet
Ibwas always told theybare completely harmless bugs. So I'm ashamed to admit it took me about 3 years to realize THESE are why all my mulch disappeared over the winter.
Now they are also eating my whiskey barrel which HAD been treated & sealed before I purchased it.
But NOW we have discovered they have completely destroyed the main support beam for our house as well as the beams & floor in our bathroom.
I tried DE for to at least keep the numbers down but our exterminator says the reason things that usually work for insects don't work on them is they aren't insects, they're land crustaceans that even have gills & very closely related to lobsters. Which is why they were drawn to the wood for the bathroom as well as the mulch & whiskey barrel. Those are the damp places in the yard so they don't have to stay buried down in the clay soil during the hot summer days.
We have to move out while he treats the house because I have a respiratory condition. My service dog & I can be exposed to this chemical.
But we have no choice bevause they have damaged this home so severely that it is kn the verge of being condemable. That's especially heartbreaking because my husband's grandparents lived here & I was the little girl next door. We grew up playing here & its a historic house.
We had no idea these harmless little bugs were more destructive than termites & carpenter ants.
There can be a lot of confusion about this. Certain species love eating live plants while some don’t at all. I’ve never heard of any species eating fresh wood though, they only eat wood once the wood is in the later stages of decomposition
They definitely live down in the soil. My garden got infested from placing a lot of leaves on my garden last fall. Seen a bunch of rollie pollies in there and heard they are good composters.. well planted seeds in spring and they ate all except the big ones. Had to put transplants in and now they eat any fruit close to the ground and are climbing up my stocks now and eating the leaves and the stocks and the vegetables and fruits.. so aggravating. I tried a lot of stuff. Garlic spray kept almost all of them away from the plants until it rained. Diatomaceous earth and sluggo plus haven't been noticable but I have a severe infestation.
I’m so sorry gal. We had luck with Sluggo plus keeping them away until they got big enough to support themselves.
@@ntxg maybe I should have built a ring around each of my plants like you instead of just scattering them
So I too am a victim of these critters from hell. I call them bad words I can’t type here… the Sluggo worked for only a few days, then they started crawling over the pellets. I gave up and did premetherin. Which is breaking my heart. But it was that or no plants. I resorted to buying starts and the morning after I put them in with Sluggo and DE I couldn’t see the leaves on the cucumber plants they were so thick. That’s when I gave up….
Maybe some Bt? I read some of the comments and saw that love cat had used Sluggo. Lots of wisdom and experience in this group.
We are so proud of our group, lots of encouragement and wisdom for sure. It looks like the Sluggo along with the diatomaceous earth did the job for now. Thank you for watching.
I know it seems overwhelming .. but it does seem the DE is helping .. maybe mix some in the soil around the tomatoes and put some on top of the soil .. I am sorry this is happening to you .. you may even need to consider using sevin dust, I know going organic is best... but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do
I have a game of cutterworms that have been terrorizing my garden all summer. I now look forward to getting up at 6am to squeeze them and hear the pop 😂.In memory of all my collards; Kale and spinach seeds wasted...oh yeah, AND my carrots... ugh...
So awful I’m sorry 😢
TIP-----Use a mesh strainer to apply more evenly.
Great tip!
What is the white powder you sprinkled on and where can I buy it? Thank you for help
Slug away Amazon
Nope they are no good for the garden. They hide under anything and everything..the only place they won’t go is under my rabbit cages where I put out pelleted lime..I may try that in my strawberry beds..they devour them every year..I have tried DE with not much luck because they wait for rain or heavy dew here in Mississippi to wash it away🫤
Sluggo plus works with wet ground best
It's a white Christmas for the roly pollys hehe. It looks like there going to make snow men..
Ighhhhh
They really enjoy my strawberries, imagine a strawberry as big as a house! :-)
DE doesn't work if it gets moist. You might need to accept some synthetics & use Sevin pellets or something.
they have no actual dead foliage to eat in your garden making your live plants a prime target
I have this problem right now in SE Houston.
Mound that soil up higher on them tomatoes, Maybe you'll save them from them establishing more roots from the stem.
I thought those bugs ate dead stuff. Dang if it’s not the weather it’s the bugs.
We had those last year so bad. There were so many I felt like I needed a shower. It was the tomatoes they were in. I sounded just like you- irritated beyond measure.
I want to know if the DE works.
We were in the shelter at 5:00 this morning- wise county. So far we have over an inch of rain.
I am suffering from the pill bug infestation as well. It came in with the wood chips for me and I’ve seen them eat my tomatoes that touched the ground and pea seedlings that are still germinating
The sluggo worked brilliantly
When they invade my worm beds its an indication my bed went towards the acidic side. I add a teaspoon of dolemitic lime and within a day they are gone.
Just reading the comments. Take a flashlight long after dark and see what else may be eaing your plants. I saw more slugs eating my sunflower seedlings than roly polys . I'm going to try coffee grounds.
Good morning! We saw the roly-poly’s eating our tomatoes. We have an over abundance of them still when it’s quite odd because I’ve never seen him like this before.
Perhaps keep a compost pile of rotting leaves so they go on there rather eat living plant matter.
Use Sluggo Plus.
Hey Jill. Hope no damage from. Last night's storms. None here, just the tree blossoms!! I got 8 jars for today. Dill relish, hot dog relish, and lemon juice. I have 3 heads of cabbage...more sauerkraut!! Lol. Good thing everyone I know likes. Good luck on the pill bug mess!! Great vidro!! God bless.
What worked? Or was it a combination of both DE and Sluggo plus? I have a problem now with these rollie pollies eating my baby seedlings, I am located in So Cal. I just used DE the past 2 days
Sluggo!
@@ntxg thank you
The diatomaceous earth does not work fast enough for my liking. Plus, once the DE is wet, it is worthless.
It sure is, we’ve had luck with the sluggo plus but I will say I’ve never seen them like they are this year
So, did you use the Slugo stuff or did you stick with diatomaceous earth?
Hi Ann, we used both, and we think that it stopped them. The diatomaceous earth slowed them down, and the Sluggo killed them, or at least deterred them from getting anywhere near our plants.
@@ntxg Good info. I sometimes wonder if greenhouses are like big compost bins that invite bugs to come in and multiply, since keeps out most of their predators.
I had no idea they were such a pest. They ravaged my garden. Ate every single one of my beans and squash, to the ground.
Ugh and yes!
@@ntxg
Im south of Houston and Im afraid my garden is a failure. Im only just now getting my tomatoes to put on their second set of true leaves. I have one strong, health marzano. My pumpkins are doing ok. So, very late tomatoes and pumkins.
I seen a lot in my compost and it's true they stay underneath the dirt
Did the same afew days ago. Slowly, very slowly, gettin em gone 👍
Dimetacious earth gets on the bugs and gets into their respiratory systems once its in there they cant get it out and it just chews up their insides like a meat grinder
So much gardening information is “legacy” maybe not factual. No matter what they say, we gotta figure it out for our selves in our garden
I’m using ollas this year form then first time. Waters deeper and leaves the top dry. But I’ll havta water my tomatoes when i put them in a lot more till they roots start to dig deeper towards the ollas
And everything will get a thick collar of DE
This is what happened to my green beans.
Super ugh!!!!!
I have these little tanks too. Nothing kills them but sqishing. I have a dog. Diatomaceous earth is OUT of the question. Now what? I am already in containers, they are on the hillside behind me, eating my compost. When they run out there, they will come...I see huge slugs in the night, diatomaceous earth be damned, earwigs and these tanks.
They have food grade diatomaceous. It’s safe for all animals and people. If they get in your dogs mouth or yours it’s still safe to use
Looks like way to much work the little jars and beer is so much easier you wont be up able to see the beer in a couple days. Just don't dump them in the garden the beer will draw them away from your jars. A cheap six pack will fill a lot of jars and a lot cheaper than than diatomaceous earth.
So, do you think that the Sluggo did the trick or the diatomaceous earth? My bet is the Sluggo!
I think the DE slowed them down but the sluggo finished the job🎈
Call me crazy but I believe these pests were delivered to my garden last year in the top soil bags I bought at Lowes! You aren't kidding it's malarky! They are legion in my garden right now and I also have been pouring D earth on them and turning it under as well. We will see what happens. All the hardwork and investment to be taken out by a tiny crustacean is a heartbreak. Most destructive pest ever! And yes they will get the roots too
It’s odd isn’t it? We’ve never had a problem with this before and now all of a sudden I’m hearing from lots of other folks it’s devouring the garden.
I’m soooo angry at them right now! They are eating my whole front garden!
Ugh!!! Sluggo plus!
@@ntxg I’m trying it out tonight! Wish me luck!
Friday morning we had 5+ inches of rain.
We are getting some now. Probably close to an inch this week....more by the end of the week. Yall be safe.
I'm battling aphids. Tried about everything I can think of
Neem daily for a couple of days.
What did you put white powder into the soil. You talk for none sense.
It’s slug away.
Send in the chickens
hello from arlington XD
Just kidnap the bugs and keep them as pets 😊
😂 well why didn’t you think about things like this before hand its a stupid plant with nothing good coming from it grow weed and let this happen you would be way more upset
Rotate a couple of Chickens at a time and they will eat them all.
Wow and you think you are a gardener!? A simple google search will show they are decomposers. Great for most gardens. I got an idea, pour hydrochloric acid everywhere! You wont see them anymore!
Awe sleepingtiger why so aggressive? We fully know that roly-poly’s/pill bugs or decomposers but not by the thousands. We do appreciate you taking the time to watch though. God bless you my friend.
@@ntxg lol god bles?. What kind of diabolical god do you worship?i have thousands of pill bugs too. and my plants thrive! Cause i choose the right plants for the right location.
@@sleepingtiger4436 Let it go and move along. Just be glad that what works for you gets results for you. She was trying to be gracious, and you are not.
Thank you for this video. I've had a nightmare with pill bugs here in NY.
There must be something wrong with your growing system. I have millions of the woodlouse, they are a primary decomposers, and thrive in compost and organic matter piles
Normally they are good but not by the thousands. We believe they came in with the compost! Thank you for res
@@ntxg create big woodchip and leaf piles off to the side to attract them, that is their prefered habitat
I'm so with you !!!! We have an infestation in our greenhouse and I can't find a solution! l've tried Diamataious Powder to no avail! I keep looking for more solutions! Little bastards!
Sluggo plus sister