Garden Pests
Managing Pill Bugs: Are They Helping or Hurting Your Plants?
ill bugs, those familiar little roly-polies, are actually crustaceans, not insects, and they play a genuinely useful role in the garden by breaking down decaying organic matter and improving soil health. In moderate numbers, they're worth keeping around. The trouble starts when populations explode and they run out of dead plant material to eat, turning their attention to tender seedlings instead. The good news is there are natural ways to restore balance: SC nematodes work through the soil to parasitize pill bug populations over time, while food-grade diatomaceous earth creates an immediate physical barrier around vulnerable plants. Reducing damp, dark hiding spots — like excess debris near garden beds — also goes a long way toward keeping numbers in check without eliminating them entirely.