I actually love invertebrates and I’ve always considered pill bugs very cute. I fully understand how beneficial they are to gardens but O.M.G. they are destroying my plants this year. In 2 months, I’ve lost 5 luffa, 3 hot pepper, and 2 soybean plants to these adorable little fuckers. Thankfully, they are completely ignoring my Roma tomatoes.

I am going to get some diatomaceous earth today to sprinkle at the base of my plants and probably put down some sacrificial plant scraps to lure and feed them away from my vegetables. I don’t want them all to die, but I can’t get my plants to grow when they eat the stems.

Last year, I had an issue with hydrophobic soil, so this year I have put down straw to keep moisture in, which has allowed the pill bugs to run rampant throughout the garden. I do not overwater but I do live in a more arid climate, so things do get dry pretty quick and plants get thirsty. I almost prefer hydrophobic soil at this point.

I’ll be moving the surviving 3 soybeans and 2 pepper plants to a separate raised garden bed that the pill bugs cannot access, but UGH I never thought I’d be so frustrated with these cute guys!

Looking for any additional advice on getting rid of pill bugs/rollie pillow/sow bugs or whatever you want to call them. Such adorable and incredibly frustrating little fuckers!

  • dkppunk@piefed.socialOPEnglish
    1·
    8 days ago

    Yes, it’s definitely pill bugs eating the plants. Every morning I find a few along the bottom of the stem where the outer layer was chewed off or they climb up and start eating the cotyledons and low hanging leaves.

    Yesterday, I put a ring of diatomaceous earth around each plant to help keep them away. I also left some plant cuttings laying around separated from my veggies to give them something to eat. It’s probably a lack of compost, they don’t have that to eat so they go after my plants. I already have wood mulch and lots of bunny poop, do you think that might work as a compost to feed the pill bugs?

    I don’t want to kill them all, I think they are super cute and I know how beneficial they are, I just want them to stop eating my plants so I can enjoy some edamame and cucumbers.