If you clean your home and reduce this type of clutter, you can prevent future generations of sow bugs and pill bugs from setting up shop in your home. Sow bugs are actually crustaceans and will appear anywhere that high levels of moisture are present. Like the article? These pests reproduce in the soil, and when the population gets large, the damage to your plants becomes noticeable. Potted Plant Bug Infestation Solutions. Kimberly Johnson is a freelance writer whose articles have appeared in various online publications including eHow, Suite101 and Examiner. Continuous use of a dehumidifier will keep the sow bugs out of the home. By using a combination of tactics, kill the insects found in the dirt and other areas of your houseplants so that they continue to thrive. Reduce moisture or humidity level indoors. This includes patching any leaks from pipes that might be causing damp areas inside your house and caulking windows and doors. Stack firewood on concrete blocks or on a metal firewood rack. The most common places to find them are in gardens and flower beds. The house centipede's bite will not cause any serious harm to pets like dogs and cats. If you can’t seem to get rid of the sow bugs or pill bugs, you will want to call a pest control professional. Sow bugs have flat, pointed ends to their body segments, fourteen legs, small round heads, and jointed antennae. Aphids, mealybugs, scale insects and mites are a … Some bugs that are found in the dirt, such as springtails, can just be irritating, while others insects like mealybugs are known to seriously injure the roots, leaves and overall health of your plant. You can also take a look at information about other pests Landmark’s pest control plans cover by going to www.landmarkhw.com/resources/pest-control. Usually if you’re seeing sow bugs or pill bugs within your home, it means your garden or yard outside is ripe with the perfect food and habitat for these pests and they have just accidentally wandered indoors. Sowbugs are omnivores and feed on both decaying plants and animals. Getting help from a pest control expert that has experience eliminating sow bugs is the most effective way to get rid of an infestation. Instead of chemicals, use a caulking gun to close any cracks or crevices at or near ground level. Reduce moisture or humidity level indoors. If you see sow bugs in your home that usually means that there is a large infestation around the outside of your home. Make sure the foundation of your home isn't covered with decaying rotting plants, and leave a five inch barrier around the foundation of your home where there are no dead leaves, shady bushes, or garden mulch. Sowbugs typically live in damp areas and feed on decaying plant material. Then help control them with pest control services provided through Landmark Home Warranty. The appearance of sow bugs inside the home is an indication that the home has moisture problems. Bugs, like all creatures, have their rightful place on this earth. Potted plants, even those kept indoors, make ideal habitats for insects. Sowbugs, millipedes and centipedes are not actually insects, but are arthropods related to insects. Pillbugs and sowbugs are distinguished from insects and other many-legged creatures by the adults having seven pairs of legs. All woodlice have jointed exoskeletons that look a bit like armor. They are NOT harmful to people, food, clothes, furniture, or other items within homes. It also could mean that there is too much decomposing material close to your home. And when they do, spotting one in … Unfortunately, they can also sometimes invade homes. Since they have gills they need moisture to breathe. The overall appearance of sowbugs is often compared to that of armadillos because they are both dark grey or slate in colour and have an armoured look about them. Place the machine into an area of the home where the humidity is highest, or where you see the most sow bugs appear. Once the source of moisture is gone, the pill bugs will soon follow. Identification. These woodlice have lots of common names, such as armadillo bugs, pill bugs, sow bugs, roly-polys, roll up bugs, chuggy pigs, wood bugs, doodlebugs, potato bugs, slaters, gramer sows, butcher boys, boat builders, carpenter bugs, and cheese logs. Because sow bugs love mulch so much, it is a good idea to move all the mulch away from the plant foundations in flowerbeds. Then vacuum them up and you will not see any more bugs trying to come in as there will not be enough humidity for them to survive. Clear away any ground clutter next to your home, such as piles of brush or firewood, and try to keep plant beds from becoming too damp. On some occasions, pill bugs and sow bugs can also be minor nuisances and annoying pests in the home, but will not actually do any damage to one’s house. Note:Pillbu… How to identify Sowbugs. THE MATERIAL CONTAINED IN THIS ARTICLE IS PROVIDED FOR GENERAL INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY AND DOES NOT CONSTITUTE PROFESSIONAL ADVICE.LANDMARK HOME WARRANTY DOES NOT PURPORT TO BE A SUBJECT MATTER EXPERT WITH REGARD TO THIS MATERIAL, AND YOU SHOULD CONDUCT YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND/OR SEEK THE ADVICE OF APPROPRIATELY QUALIFIED PROFESSIONALS WITH REGARD TO YOUR SPECIFIC CIRCUMSTANCES BEFORE YOU TAKE ACTION. Sow bugs enter homes on the ground level and may enter first floors, basements and crawl spaces; they cannot survive indoors for more than a few days. Controlling Sow Bugs and Pillbugs The presence of sow bugs or pill bugs in the living quarters of a home is an indication high moisture conditions. Click and share using the buttons below: crustacean that has developed the ability to live on land! You can always do preventative maintenance to your home to reduce the chances of pill bugs and sow bugs coming into your home. Green; 10 Bugs That Are Living in Your House—and How to Get Them Out! Sow bugs are often mistaken for pill bugs which they closely resemble. Bifen LP Granules would be an additional treatment around the house to serve as a barrier … Purchase or rent a dehumidifier machine. Turn off the humidifier and use a vacuum to suck up the dead sow bugs that are left inside the home. Both pill bugs and sow bugs have a hard, ridged, and plated exoskeleton, but pill bugs' shells are U-shaped with rounded edges to make it easier for them to roll into their pill shape. Sow bugs can invade homes in large numbers and will invade the hard to reach areas making finding, treating, and eliminating all invaders hard to accomplish. To avoid infecting your houseplants, never plant them in garden soil. They also chew fruit, succulent plant parts, seedlings, and vegetables that touch damp soil. Pay particular attention to debris near or against the foundation, as this is often a … Sowbugs and pillbugs can sometimes enter damp areas of your house in large numbers. Generally you may see hundreds or thousands of them emerge when you attempt to do some gardening and begin to disturb the soil. Mulches, grass clippings, and leaf litter often provide the decaying organic matter that these bugs love to hide in and eat. And there’s a reason for that. If tiny bugs are flying around your houseplants, they're most likely spider mites or fungus gnats. You can usually find them living in things like wet boxes, newspapers, or leaves inside of your basement or garage. Have the basement and foundation areas checked immediately for water seepage. Sowbugs and pillbugs frequent areas with lots of moisture, such as under trash, rocks, boards, decay, or just beneath the soil surface. Finding a pill bug in your home can be an important early warning sign of water damage. Sow bugs and pill bugs do not pinch, bite, or sting. Most other woodlice, sow bugs included, cannot fold themselves up for protection and must rely on their hard exoskeleton to provide a barrier between their soft interior and predators. Input your information and get a free, personalized home warranty quote. All you have to do is call Landmark to open up a service request, pay a small service call fee of $60-$100, and then a pest control specialist will come to your home and help you reduce your sow bug and pill bug infestation. Purchase or rent a dehumidifier machine. Homemade Bug Spray for Houseplants. 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