Pillbug
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See
ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/2000/2072.htmlThese pests are crustaceans that live on land and are arthropods not insects. The main difference between Pillbugs and Sowbugs is that the Pillbugs roll into a ball when disturbed and the Sowbugs do not. Another difference is the Sowbugs have 2 tail-like appendages where as the Pillbugs do not. Both require high moisture in their harborage area. They are nocturnal and live under dense landscape, landscape rocks, foundation and side walk edges, crawl spaces, under out buildings, under flower pots, and similar other areas during the day to conserve body moisture. They enter under doorways looking for potential harborage if they over populate the area right outside. Once inside they can dehydrate and die in a very short amount of time, usually within a couple of days. They are a nuisance pest only, causing no other problems. They feed on decaying organic material such as plants.
Control is a multi step process. Try to remove as much excess leaf, wood, or other type debris to minimize harborage sites. Repair any gaps, cracks, or holes on the exterior of the structure to minimize entryways and harborage sites. Replace any worn, loose, or missing weather stripping around doors and windows. Also check for any worn doorway threshold areas and repair or replace as needed. It might be useful to check the exterior lighting and if necessary, change to yellow or sodium vapor bulbs that don’t attract insects as easily.
For quick control of the ones you see use an aerosol product. They come in both contact and residual types. Residual products leave behind material to remain active for a further length of time. Residual products include items such as
Cy- Kick 17.5 oz. can,
Invader HPX 14 oz. can, and
D-Force HPX 14 oz. can. Contact products include items such as
PI 18 oz. can,
PT 565 Plus 20 oz. can,
CB 80 Extra 17oz.can.
Liquid residual concentrates are mixed with water at label rates as needed. This method gets the treated area to a “neutral” condition where no insects or spiders are present. The drawback is that after 2 or 3 sprinkler cycles, a rain, or heavy dew the material is diluted to the point of ineffectiveness and nothing is there to provide continued control. If you use this method to control pillbugs and other insects at the same time, a couple of weeks later you may want to treat with a weather resistant particle bait such as Niban to provide continued control for pests other than pillbugs. Residual concentrate products include
Demand CS 8 oz. or
Demand CS 1 qt.,
Suspend SC 1 pt.,
Tempo SC 240 ml,
Tempo Ultra WP 420 gram btl,
Talstar Pro 1 pt. or
Talstar Pro ¾ gal,
Viper 4 oz.,
Demon WP 4-9.5 gram bags per pk,
Demon WP 1 lb. jar,
Demon EC 1 pt.,
Cy-Kick CS 1 pt. or
Cy-Kick CS 120 oz.. These materials can be applied with a
1 gal. Poly Sprayer or a
2 gal. Poly Sprayer. For foundation perimeter application or yard application use a
Gilmour Hose End Sprayer Model 486 or a
Gilmour Hose End Sprayer Model 362. A lot of these products are labeled for inside use as well.
Viper RTU is a ready to use pre mixed product in a 1 gal. Container with a handy sprayer attached to a 1-foot hose.
Before applying the liquid residual around the foundation perimeter apply insecticide dust in the weep holes and other void areas such as gaps, cracks, holes or other areas along the outside to control running to these areas in escape of the liquid treatments. These products include
Delta Dust 1 lb. btl,
Delta Dust 5 lb. btl,
Borid 1 lb. btl, or
Borid 5lb. btl. The insecticide dust is best applied with a
Crusader Hand Duster. The dust works by applying a light amount in the target area. The pest then walks across it, picks it up on their body and ingests the dust as they groom themselves. The dust is a stomach poison and control is completed in this manner. If you use too much, they will avoid the area.
Copper mesh applied in the weep holes is a good way to minimize insect and spider entryways into this area. Since it is made of copper it won’t leave streaks down the foundation and the mesh is wide enough to allow adequate ventilation behind the bricks. This includes products such as
Stuf-fit Copper Mesh 20 ft. roll,
Stuf-fit Copper Mesh 20 ft. Precut, and
Stuf-fit Copper Mesh 100 ft. Roll.
Use these Niban products for the foundation grass line, landscape areas, and/or yard areas. This is a good material to treat pests other than pillbugs that are in the same area such as ants, roaches, crickets, and earwigs. These sizes are more suited to outside applications
Niban Insect Bait 5 lb. Shaker Bag, or
Niban Insect Bait 40 lb. Bag. These particle baits are best applied with a
14 oz. Centro Bulb Duster. We carry a handy
Bulb Duster Filler Funnel that makes it easier to fill from the larger size containers. The bottom of the funnel is the same size as the top of the bulb duster. Remember the particles are weather resistant through up to 4 inches of water. This bait works well through sprinkler cycles, rain, or heavy dew.
Another control method is insecticide granules. These materials include
Talstar PL 25 lb bag and
Delta Gard 20 lb. bag. These products are applied with a hand spreader such as a
Scotts Handy Green 2 Hand Spreader. These materials work well when applied and even better when watered in. They are applied at the foundation perimeter and yard areas.
Glueboards are a good tool to use because they serve to control the insects and monitor for activity. If any are found observe which direction the pest is captured. This will allow you to backtrack to find possible harborage areas or entryways. We carry
Catchmaster CM MB 72 72 ct box,
Catchmaster CM MB 72 8 ct pk, or
Trapper LTD 72 ct box.
Always read and follow label directions. For additional information call Do It Yourself Pest Control Supply at 972-562-9999, 903-891-8818, or 866-562-8999 for all your do it yourself pest control supplies.
