Roly poly bugs (pillbugs) are small blue-gray creatures known by various names including woodlice, tiggy-hogs and parson-pigs that curl into balls when feeling threatened.
Roly poly bugs may resemble prehistoric creatures, but these crustaceans more closely resemble lobsters or crabs than beetles or butterflies. Roly poly bugs decompose materials in an ecosystem to improve soil quality while eating any eggs laid by crop-destroying stink bugs that lay their eggs on plant leaves.
They are decomposers
Roly poly bugs are decomposers, meaning they break down dead plant material to replenish soil nutrients. Roly poly bugs play an integral part of natural ecosystems as decomposers while serving as organic fertilizer sources in gardens.
Animals also play an integral part in composting by eating plant waste, which speeds up the process and improves soil quality. Fungi and small insects feed off this material before it breaks down further into smaller pieces for easier composting.
One effective strategy for keeping pill bugs away from your garden is reducing their habitat by clearing away mulches and debris that create damp conditions near plants, as this reduces moisture availability to pill bugs allowing fewer of them to find enough moisture for survival in these conditions.
When threatened or alarmed, these creatures often form tight balls to prevent being devoured by predators. This defensive strategy is known as conglobation and may have evolved as an effective means to shield their exoskeletons.
These invertebrates range in size from half an inch to one quarter of an inch and possess segmented bodies equipped with seven pairs of legs and two antennae. Crustaceans are their closest relatives; in fact, only these invertebrates have fully adapted themselves for life on land.
Butterflies can often be found in warm, humid areas like forests and fields. While they can be found around the world, temperate climates tend to host them more commonly.
Their digestive systems allow them to efficiently digest waste such as cat litter, which conditions soil by adding minerals. Furthermore, these animals also eat dead animals and plant matter which benefits both them and the environment.
These insects are generally considered harmless pests, though their damage to tender plants and roots may cause concern in vegetable gardens. If present in large numbers, however, they could pose serious challenges for sustainable production of vegetables.
They are a food source for other animals
Roly poly bugs (also referred to as pill bugs or sowbugs) are crustaceans related more closely to crabs and crayfish than insects such as ants. Measuring approximately 3/4-inches long with seven pairs of legs and two jointed antennae, these insects are commonly found in dark, damp environments around the world.
These small creatures possess an armor-like shell with hard plates that they molt and shed in two stages. The rear half falls off first before their front part reforms a number of times throughout their lives.
Diets consist of decayed plant parts and decomposers like their own feces. This process helps improve soil quality by decreasing heavy metal levels while increasing essential plant nutrients.
They’re also great for composting, as their ability to rapidly break down plant material makes the process faster and simpler – making it easier for you to maintain an attractive compost pile in your garden.
As they need moisture for survival, they thrive best in damp environments like mulch or soil, or by sucking up moisture from tender sprouts of fruits and vegetables.
These pests may even prove beneficial for your garden if present in small numbers; however, their numbers can become problematic if too numerous. When left without any other food sources nearby, these hungry little bugs could end up eating your roots, lower leaves and seedlings quickly if left alone for too long.
If you are concerned with roly poly bug populations in your garden area, one way to decrease their habitat may be keeping the ground beneath dry and providing alternate plant life – this includes clearing away garden debris such as fallen fruit or weeds from your space.
Leaves mulches, weed-free ground and trellises designed to support vines can all help reduce how long roly poly bugs spend hiding in the dirt. Coarse mulches which allow airflow around plant bases can also help. In case of an infestation, be sure to take immediate steps such as taking away uneaten food before it spoils or becomes moldy in their enclosures.
Roly poly bugs generally do not pose a major problem in home gardens. Their feeding does not cause significant plant damage and if introduced via hitchhiking from elsewhere they rarely create major issues.
They are a pest
If you live in an urban or suburban environment with plenty of dead plant material, you may have seen roly poly bugs circling around your garden and home. They’re omnivorous creatures capable of eating most types of decayed matter – not to mention they act as natural decomposers by passing organic matter through their digestive systems before excreting what they don’t require themselves.
Crustaceans called pill bugs or wood lice are unique among crustaceans in that they live entirely on land and can be found throughout the United States. They’re commonly known by other names, including armadillo bugs and wood lice.
Roly polys (Armadillidium vulgare), are small grey creatures easily identified by their oval shape and seven pairs of legs. Although pests, Roly polys are not likely to pose serious threats; their diet consists mainly of decayed organic material like wood chips and flowers; fruits/veggies still alive may also provide food. Although nuisance creatures, Roly polys do not bite/sting and don’t carry disease.
As with other decomposers, worms can be invaluable tools for your garden. Their diet consists of fungi, carrion, decaying vegetation and the waste produced by animals and humans alike – as well as providing food sources for birds and other forms of wildlife.
Roly polys are best seen eating dead plant material that will soon be composted, rather than nibbling on live plant parts such as seedlings or tender roots, fruits and vegetables in direct contact with soil. They don’t damage live plants by doing this and can even save some from being lost forever if enough dead material is readily available for consumption.
However, when the population becomes uncontrollable, they can begin eating live plant parts as well. Roly polys have been known to consume strawberries growing near ground-level locations – similar to how slugs eat strawberries but the damage they cause is far less severe.
If you notice large numbers of roly polys, it’s essential that they be identified properly. They resemble sowbugs but are slightly smaller. Roly polys have two tail-like protrusions from their back end that pill bugs lack; furthermore, roly polys cannot roll up into balls like pill bugs can.
They are harmless
Roly poly bugs are safe for both people and animals to encounter; they do not carry disease, bite or sting without harming the plant they occupy, and rarely damage any surrounding vegetation. Furthermore, these insects play an integral part of nature by breaking down dead plant matter to create rich soil with essential nutrients for plant life to flourish.
Moths can be found worldwide and thrive in gardens, forests, suburban and urban settings alike. Their preferred environment includes moist environments that don’t get too hot or cold and feature low lighting levels; their hard shells protect them against harsh elements while acting as decomposers of dead material.
Pill bugs or roly-polys are so named due to their ability to roll into balls when disturbed, known as conglobation – this natural defense mechanism serves as protection from predators.
Roly polys, as crustaceans who breathe through gills, share more similarities with shrimp and crabs than insects.
Roly polys can be found everywhere around the world; however, they’re most prevalent in northern and central regions where conditions are warm and wet. Roly polys favor damp, dark areas where there’s moisture such as logs, leaf piles, stepping stones, landscape timbers, rocks, trash cans, garden debris flower pots mulch compost or any other spot with moisture sources.
Roly polys are known to snack on young fruit and vegetables from time to time, rarely to the extent of causing significant damage. Instead, they prefer feeding on decaying plant material so are actually beneficial additions to any garden instead of pests.
When they do feed, their primary form of nutrition consists of nibbling on tender sprouts of new fruits and vegetables that lie close to the ground where they patrol. They only eat mature foliage or roots when it becomes too wet for their natural defenses to withstand them; otherwise they’d just stay away.
Bugs in your garden can be an annoying pest, but they can be managed by controlling moisture sources that they crave. Cutting back on rainfall and clearing gutters regularly will help control their population. If a problem exists, contact your local pest control service provider immediately for further advice and a free quote on treatment options.
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