When the infestation is still small or when there are a few pill bugs in your property, they can still be considered as beneficial. They contribute to soil improvement even in the smallest way.
Along with millipedes, earthworms, and snails, these crustaceans play an important role in the decomposer fauna. These animals are known to return organic matter to the soil, which enables plants to get vital nutrients.
Though they occasionally feed on the roots of vegetation, the damage is usually minimal. Other animals also regard them as a food source. However, if you start noticing that there are more items than usual, it is about time that addresses pill bug infestation immediately.
How to Look for the Breeding or Hiding Spots of Pill Bugs
If you know that there are pill bugs in your property, there are a couple of spots where you should be looking for them. To look for their breeding or hiding spots, refer to the ones below:
1. Look under damp objects
If you have an infestation, it is most likely that you’ll find them in large numbers under any moist objects. It can be damp leaf litter, logs, paving stones or bricks, and outdoor pet dishes.
2. Search for them through small gaps and spaces
Pill bugs live near rotting or damp exterior doors or near the foundation wall. Make sure that you check for these areas as you search for them outside your home. They can be found in utility entrances and even under doors.
3. Check near decaying organic matter
If you suspect an infestation, check near plants and areas where animals stay in your property. They feed on young living plants occasionally but don’t leave too much damage. You will find them most active at nighttime.
4. Near areas where water collects
Check around composting spots, storm drains, and garden. Though pill bugs enter establishments, they will unlikely stay for long, as they will dry out and die. It is also possible for them to search and move to another place with abundant water supply.
With these areas in mind, you will have an idea where you should start looking for these pests inside your home. Though they also play a role in the decomposition process, the presence of a huge population can harm a plant’s life.
What Makes Them Different From Other Pests?
Though you can mistake them from other scavenger pests, pill bugs have specific characteristics that make them more interesting. They are about a ½ inch in length and are found mostly in damp areas.
Pill bugs roll into a ball when they feel threatened. Their exoskeleton is what they use as protection against predators. They stay in this ball form as long as they feel that predators are around them.
Due to this particular characteristic, many also call these as roly poly or rollie pollies. Though the lack of moisture on breeding areas can be your sole solution to get rid of pill bugs, it is still necessary that you look for various pest control that you can use around your home.
When is An Exterminator Needed?
If the infestation is still outside your home, there are various products that you can use to deal with these pests. Yes, it may be tricky at first, especially when you are not yet familiar. However, things can go out of control when you start finding them inside your home.
Though they do not bite and not carry diseases that may affect the health of humans, their presence may seem uncomfortable.
See to it that you find ways to treat the infestation inside your property. In case you have no idea how to handle them, you can always contact an exterminator to do the job for you.
