What are sow bugs?

sow bug, any of certain small, terrestrial crustaceans of the order Isopoda, especially members of the genus Oniscus. Like the related pill bug, it is sometimes called the wood louse.

What class are sow bugs?

MalacostracansWoodlouse / ClassMalacostraca is the largest of the six classes of crustaceans, containing about 40,000 living species, divided among 16 orders. Wikipedia

Are sow bugs harmful?

While sow bugs in the garden will occasionally feed on tender plant material, they do not bite and are not dangerous to people.

What insecticide kills sow bugs?

Bifen LP is a great granular insecticide that will be used to treat the moist soil directly where Sowbugs live. Bifen LP has a residual effect that can last up to 3 months and can be broadcast over your entire yard to address the Sowbug infestation.

Where are sowbugs found?

Sowbugs and pillbugs live their lives in moist environments. Common places for them to live would be under mulch, compost, stones, flowerpots and other places on damp ground. Some places the creatures may explore would be damp basements and first floor levels and garages.

Are sow bugs and pill bugs the same?

Sowbugs and pillbugs are similar in appearance and their names are sometimes used interchangeably. However, the sowbug has a pair of tail-like appendages which project out from the rear of its body, while the pillbug has no extreme posterior appendages, and can roll up into a tight ball when disturbed.

What animal eats sowbugs?

Sowbugs are preyed upon by many creatures, including spiders, centipedes, ground beetles, and small mammals. Some sowbugs have foul-smelling, foul-tasting defensive chemicals which provide some protection from predators. Pillbugs, of course, are also able to roll themselves into a ball for protection.

What is the difference between pill bugs and sow bugs?

Sowbugs and pillbugs are kissing-cousins that look almost identical. Despite the names, they’re not bugs, they’re crustaceans, more closely related to shrimp and crayfish. The main difference is that pillbugs can roll themselves up into a protective ball when threatened, like an armadillo; sowbugs cannot.

Do sow bugs lay eggs in the ground?

Sowbug Infestation They can also be found in compost heaps, mulch, and the space where the grass meets the foundation or sidewalk. Sowbugs and pillbugs are scavengers. They primarily eat decaying plant matter and fungus. Sowbugs lay an average of 24 eggs per brood and will have one to three broods during the summer.

What eats a sow bug?

Natural predators include frogs, toads, newts, lizards, spiders and small mammals. Sometimes, when they are still soft during molting, they can be eaten by their own kind.

Do sow bugs bite humans?

Sowbugs and pillbugs live in moist environments outdoors but occasionally end up in buildings. Although they sometimes enter in large numbers, they do not bite, sting, or transmit diseases, nor do they infest food, clothing or wood.

Are sow bugs bad for your garden?

Sowbugs and pillbugs general do little or no harm to plants. In large numbers they may feed on plants at ground level or on small roots, but the only real threat they present is that the feeding locations can provide openings for bacteria or fungi which could result in rot setting in.

How do sow bugs eat?

Typically, sowbugs are omnivores and eat a variety of organisms, such as algae, fungus, moss and bark. They are also scavengers, feeding on dead plants and animals that are in the process of decaying. To avoid becoming food themselves, sowbugs are able to roll up into a protective ball.

What do sow bugs do?

Sow bug control begins with cleaning up debris in the garden. Rake up and remove dead plant matter, bricks, wooden planks and anything that gives sow bugs in the garden a protected place to hide. Pay particular attention to debris near or against the foundation, as this is often a spot that holds moisture.

A sow bug or woodlouse is a small land arthropod (jointed-legged animal). They are often confused with centipedes, millipedes or insects, but are actually crustaceans. They have fourteen legs and breathe through gills. Because of the gills, woodlice need water in the air around them.