Beware the pill bug...

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

I did some exploratory surgery on some of my larger Para Torallyi's yesterday. I found dozens of these pill bugs in the hole that once held a pulled spear. There was also quite a bit of moisture in these voids. I decided to cut everything back that wasn't alive. This would allow me to get sun/air to the new growth, as well as treat the insect infestation. You can see in these pics that 24 hrs later, I'm pushing growth, but Malathion was useless against the pill bugs. Tomorrow they will see the equivalent of a mushroom cloud in buggy world (don't even ask)...

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

If you look closely (in pic above), you can see little buggy poop everywhere. There was mounds of it when I cut them out yesterday. This will no doubt lead to fungal problems if not addressed. Especially with the foggy, damp nights we've been having.

The plant below probably won't make it...

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

Some of the bigger ones had no problems. I'll probably loose about 50% of these that had the surgery. I'm sure I would lose 90% if I did not...

[MattyB]

I don't think the pill bugs will hurt anything.  They just eat stuff that's already mushy and rotting.  Plus, once you expose the area they'll probably just see shelter elsewhere.  Don't hurt the poor little pill bugs Steve.

[MattyB]

ooohhh that's ugly

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

The pill bugs actually ate thru this Dyp Decipiens spear that is pushing after the freeze...

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

Matt...even pre freeze I was having problems with them. They were massing on tortor new growth, and sucking all the life out of them. They can wreck havoc, believe me. They live in all the mulch. One of the downsides of heavy mulch, with small plants. Once they go pinnate, they're not a problem. And like I said, it's the mounds of buggy pooh that will be the problem. And...if they want dead stuff to eat, there's plenty of mulch for them to eat. They want the sweet stuff...

[Tad]

poor rolly pollys, it's off to hide under the big rock in the sky....moohah hahahahahahhahahahahahaha....

shuka shuks shuka shuka shuka spppprrrrrrrrtttzzzzzzz....ahhhhh it's raining lorsban ooooohhhhh noooooo..ahhhhhh martha, run martha run, save the children, aiiiiieeeeee mommy,mommy,mommy, help as ughhhrggrrhhhh ahhhhhh ughhhhslppppttttrrttpppp......*  ahhh the power of better gardening through chemistry.

[Palmy]

Ouch! thats one loss. Geez, thanks for the notice? Anything working thats getting rid of those things?

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

Doink...for Kathy...

[www.dadluvsu.com]

(STEVE IN SO CAL @ Mar. 16 2007,17:37)

QUOTE

Holy Hiroshima !!!  Is all that due to cold weather?!        

[BobbyinNY]

Steve,

we have those bugs here too.. They just look for the darkest place they can find.... I usually see them under pots or bricks... they LOVE moisture.

[BS Man about Palms]

(PiousPalms @ Mar. 20 2007,04:58)

QUOTE

(STEVE IN SO CAL @ Mar. 16 2007,17:37)

QUOTE

Holy Hiroshima !!!  Is all that due to cold weather?!        

Yes William, Thats our January freeze damage... (or at least Steves)  Its a good thing you didn't set your virginal palm eyes to this forum until AFTER most things had been pictured and/or discussed.    It would scar your eyes for life....or at least you would need many days of the before/after Hawaii shots to correct your vision!!

Bill

[rukiddingme]

I hate pill bugs....they ate one of my more expensize cyads to death, chewed the entire caudex down to ground level before I discovered them, and it was a healthy plant in very dry soil.  Also, they ate a hole (lemon size) into the stem of one of my pony tail palms (okay I know it's not a palm), a big hole large enough so that the crown was starting to lean to one side.  I patched it up with cauking, no lie, that solved the problem.   Death to pill bugs

[MattyB]

Gosh, I guess I spoke too soon.  Sorry.  I'm a big fan of heavy mulch and at certain times of the year I see them in the thousands too but I've never had any problem with them eating my stuff.....yet.  I'll keep a closer eye on them though.

[STEVE IN SO CAL]

Matt...I was looking at my burnt plants as they try and recover, and the pill bugs are eating the new growth almost as fast as it grows.

I remember when my horticultural experience was limited to veggie gardening, and they would wipe out a bed of seedlings overnite. We used Sevin, and I may need to try that again.

[BS Man about Palms]

I recently found these to be the cause of a lean in my KENTIOPSIS PIERSONIORUM!!!!! GGGGRRRRR!!!!!!!

I hand picked and crushed all the ones UNDER my palm. I excavated a bit and used a mirror. You could see fresh "eatin holes"

Did anyone find what kills these? After cleaning out, and spritzing with Malathion, I hand packed sand up in there. I hope I got them in time.

[LJG]

These things come in after the fungus, not before. That poor plant got a fungus and while rotting, the pill bugs/sowbugs came to eat the decay. I have NEVER had them in healthy plants. But almost everytime something is rotting from fungus, I will find these.

I think the best thing you can do is dry out the area. They need it wet. So does fungus. Also, rememebr these are not insects so I doubt malathion will do anything.

[Zayin]

I am not sure that these are the problem but usually a symptom of a bigger problem. If they are the same as the wood bugs that we have here - and they look the same, they just eat the rot and won't eat through healthy tissue.

Just sayin'

[BS Man about Palms]

They have came in after/during fungus, whatever, but NOW they are getting greedy! With my mirror looking from below I can see some perfectly round bright, pretty green holes that stand out in the dry/older brown part of the trunk where they are "digging in".

I have just been reading a lot on these guys and while most people say they only eat decaying stuff, a big faction has seen them eat tender/young/tasty? living plants with several saying they mowed them over at ground level.

Looks like I have a daily or weekly ritual for a while, not a lot of consensus as to what takes them out and is safe for plants except a wet rolled up news paper nearby.

Also, this plant must be strong one to have pushed 2 1/2 inches since Gary spotted a "fungus"? Still pushing now, but really weakened.

[Moose]

They thrive on moist piles of dog excrement her in Florida. I have not seen them go after green tissue on a palm. However, if your lot in life is to consume poop and fungus, it makes sense that a nutrious palm spear leaf would be an enticing tasty treat.

[nomolos]

We call them slaters or wood lice, I think they are the only land crustaceans - not actual insects

[Mats]

Looks like I have a daily or weekly ritual for a while, not a lot of consensus as to what takes them out and is safe for plants except a wet rolled up news paper nearby.

Bill, a quick google search indicates Talstar (Bifenthrin) might do the trick.

Pillbugs and Sowbugs

Pill Bug Control

Talstar

[Perito]

Bill,

Walmart Sells a granule called Ant, Flea & Tick Control that I've used since Diazinon was taken off the market. It eliminates little crawly insects like Pill bugs and earwigs and is safe to use around palms (or even in the crown). It contains 'Permethrin' which I think is a variation on Pyrethrins and has been found to be more environmentally friendly than chemicals like Diazinon. Apply and water it in. Perry

[BS Man about Palms]

Looks like I have a daily or weekly ritual for a while, not a lot of consensus as to what takes them out and is safe for plants except a wet rolled up news paper nearby.

Bill, a quick google search indicates Talstar (Bifenthrin) might do the trick.

Pillbugs and Sowbugs

Pill Bug Control

Talstar

I saw the Talstar stuff, but couldn't find anything which said safe for plants.

[phatmiata]

hey rolly pollys!! i have not seen those since i was a kid playing in the dirt!!

[Kris]

Bill,

Walmart Sells a granule called Ant, Flea & Tick Control that I've used since Diazinon was taken off the market. It eliminates little crawly insects like Pill bugs and earwigs and is safe to use around palms (or even in the crown). It contains 'Permethrin' which I think is a variation on Pyrethrins and has been found to be more environmentally friendly than chemicals like Diazinon. Apply and water it in. Perry

It seems your suggestions seem to be the easiest to follow !

[MattyB]

Interesting subject. I'm glad it got bumped. I have tons of these at the new place, but have not found them to be a problem with palms. I see them in biblical proportions like earwigs, but they prefer moist conditions, the later prefering it dry. I have a horrible problem with tiny holes being eaten through soft foliage plants but have never seen any caterpillars. Maybe pill bugs are doing it. I spray out the crowns of my palms every once in a while just to clean out the gunk from the poo but a healthy palm should be able to stand that. I'm sure there's lots of gunk down in the crowns in the rainforest and other various habitats.

On the subject of pesticides: How can you guys use these poisons around your soil? Aren't you worried about killing your worms and beneficial microbes? I use pesticides in the greenhouse all the time but use it very sparingly out in the garden as not to upset the natural order of things. I've seen my Dad's fruit trees suffer because he's always killing off all the lady bugs and predatory wasps that prey on the aphids. The aphids always come back.

[paulgila]

when steve said "pill bugs" he meant "liberals."

[Mark Heath]

hey rolly pollys!! i have not seen those since i was a kid playing in the dirt!!

I was going to say the same thing!!! I see one every now and then but around here there are too many lizards, frogs, toads, and other things that keep them in check! Here in Florida we allways called them rolly pollys!!! Pill bug huh, well i now know the real name!!

[Dan OKeeffe]

Steve and Perito,

I have found pill bugs to be troubling my Howea. Can I use the "Ant, Flea, and tick control" Pesticide you suggested in the crown of my Howea? The little buggers are in the grown bud eating the spear. I poured hydrogen peroxide down the crown and a bunch came out.

Thanks for you help.

Dan

[Matt in OC]

Bumping this. I ran across a ton of pill bugs when I was looking at my little Decipiens the other day. I couldn't understand why, but now this makes sense. I'll be paying close attention from now on.

[DoomsDave]

Yeah, pill bugs are an effect not a cause of disaster. As Len noted, they go in and eat rotten stuff already long dead. I've seen them sometimes in otherwise happy plants that have rotten parts of them. I've seen other insects do the same thing, too. When you see what looks like a bug infestation gone wild, be sure to also check for fungus.

That freeze was a Disaster for Steve, egad, nasty. He took a hard hard hit in 2007; I heard that even his Chamaerops got spear pull from that. I believe he had temps in the mid-teens for like 6 days in a row, all night. Nasty. He likely lost six figures worth of plants. Really a shame.

I'd look at the pill bugs as sort of a canary in the coal mine; when they're gone (of their own volition) that means the rot is under control.

(And, cats love to play with them! )

[Stevetoad]

i think of them more like maggots on a wound. they only eat the rotted stuff. i wonder if they might be helpful by eating away the rot.....just like a maggot.............MAGGOT.

[WestCoastGal]

Oh those old photos, today is first time I'd seen, were horrific. How sad and kind of gross looking too with regard to the pill bugs. So many palms killed too. I remember pill bugs as a kid, would always find them in the ground under fall leaves especially. Aren't they happy in compost piles?

Oh well. Great, just another thing to look out for as first time homeowners new to softscaping (actually appreciative people post about problems like this).

[Moose]

I'm sure I'll still get blamed for this bump ...

[Danilopez89]

On Fri May 01 2009 23:14:56 GMT-0700, paulgila said:

when steve said "pill bugs" he meant "liberals."

Haha lol! Bump.

Rolly pollies are getting out of control in my garden. There must be thousands of them now.

They ate dozens of my papaya plant seedlings. But No biggie. I sprouted about 100 of them.

My question is, do these guys benefit my soil like earthworms do?