Color: Dark brown to black
Legs: 14
Shape: Oval; round when rolled up
Size: 3/4″
Antennae: True
This pest is the only crustacean to have completely adapted to life on land. Pillbugs have oval bodies and seven pairs of legs. They have a distinctive back, composed of seven hard, individual plates.
Pillbugs eat decaying vegetable material and are most active at night. They are sometimes called rollie-pollies because they roll into a tight ball when threatened, disturbed, or to protect their soft underside and retain water.
They do not spread diseases or invade food products. However, the pillbug is often considered a pest when it gains entry into a home.
These crustaceans live in moist locations, such as under damp objects or vegetable debris.
The key to getting rid of pillbugs is to remove thier food sources, such as vegetable or plant debris. If they enter a structure, they will often dry out and die.
Pillbugs eat dead leaves, rotting wood, mulch, and decomposing vegetation, helping clean up nature's waste. They occasionally eat tender seedlings, soft fruits like strawberries, or young plant roots when their preferred food sources become scarce.
By breaking down organic matter, they return essential nutrients to the soil, naturally improving soil quality and fertility. They can also absorb and neutralize heavy metals like lead, cadmium, and arsenic from contaminated soil, helping to detoxify the environment.
Infestations are caused by excess moisture, such as leaky pipes, overwatered gardens, poor drainage, or damp basements and crawl spaces. They're also attracted to decaying organic matter, such as leaf litter, mulch beds, rotting wood, and compost piles near foundations or entry points.