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Treatment for pillbugs / rollie pollies #867580

Asked May 08, 2024, 1:17 PM EDT

Last spring, I had hundreds of lettuce plants destroyed by pillbugs. They ate the stem, which restricted water movement and killed the plants. I applied a generous amount of diatomaceous earth to all affected areas (this was inside a large hoophouse). The DE worked well. Had no issues the rest of the season. This spring they are back.l and eating plants again, though not as bad as last year. I applied DE to all areas before planting. I've kept my watering to a minimum. Since it is under a protected structure, I can control the soil moisture well. However, they are still present and causing damage. Have you ever experienced this much damage from pillbugs? To have this happen two springs in a row is discouraging. I'd like to find a reliable treatment option. This area has 8 120' beds about 30" wide. So, a lot of plants. I'm going to try slug and snail bait in the worst areas. Any info or advice you can give would be greatly appreciated!

Muskegon County Michigan

Expert Response

It sounds like you are on the right track by using DE and being careful about moisture management. The DE does lose activity if it gets wet and may need to be reapplied more often than you might think. A more long-term solution would be to identify the source of the pill bugs. They need moisture and organic matter to reproduce and I'm thinking they must be entering the hoop house from somewhere else. Identifying shelters and/or locations nearby where they are reproducing and altering the conditions there might help keep the numbers down in the hoophouse. 
An Ask Extension Expert Replied May 10, 2024, 1:38 PM EDT

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