Roly-polies are devouring some of my outdoor plants and if that wasn’t enough, they are also coming inside the house. What can I do to get rid of them? LK

Technically, roly-polies are pillbugs and members of the crustacean family meaning they are more closely related to shrimp, crayfish, and lobsters than they are insects. They have several pairs of legs and are about 3/8 of an inch when fully grown. When disturbed they tend to roll into a ball which is how they got the name roly-poly.

To survive, pillbug need to live in dark, damp areas. This is quite often under your garden mulch, next to your house in a shady area. They are most active during mating which is in the spring.

A female pillbug carries her young in a brood pouch underneath her body. These brood pouches can hold between 30 and 80 eggs. The eggs hatch in 3 to 7 weeks and are white when born. The female continues to carry this brood pouch for 6 to 7 more weeks until the young are able to fend for themselves. They may have one or two generations per year but individual pillbug can live up to 3 years. Interestingly, they breathe through gills.

Most years, pillbugs are not a problem as they tend to feed on decaying matter in and on the soil. However, when we have a large amount of rain, they can become a problem for plants in our landscape.

They like to feed on young garden plants or new transplants and can literally eat them to the ground overnight. Pillbugs seem to prefer pansies, hosts, blue lobelia, cardinal flower, English primrose, zinnias, Allyssum, verbena, and blackfoot daisy. They can also be a problem on strawberries or other plants that have fruits located closer to the ground.

During the day they tend to hang out in moist areas under leaves or mulch, even going several inches deep into the soil on hot days.

While they are primarily scavengers, they may come indoors to seek refuge or where they might find a new home in a potted plant.

The best way to control a pillbug problem is to eliminate the preferred habitat. You can do this by raking the mulch or leaves away from your house so it can dry out. You can also elevate planters, flowerpots, doghouse, bricks, or other objects to allow for airflow and drying out.

If they are trying to come indoors, be sure to seal any cracks under doors or around windows. If they do come indoors, they rarely survive for more than a couple of days because of a lack of moisture.

Insecticides containing bifenthrin can be effective against pillbugs. A variety of home insects sprays contain biventhrin. Refer to the label when selecting and using a pesticide. Good luck.

You can get answers to all your gardening questions by calling the Tulsa Master Gardeners Help Line at 918-746-3701, dropping by our Diagnostic Center at 4116 E. 15th Street, or by emailing us at mg@tulsamastergardeners.org. Photo: Tom Ingram