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San Diego

rolly polly bugs ever attack plants or roots? I have heard the answer is no, but I have a massive amount in my patch this year, I mean massive. All the decaying leaves really brought them in. They love to hang out under my vines around the leaf nodes. Only reason I ask, is that I had a secondary with a tap root about 2 inches long trying to reach the ground and it has some of them on it, almost looked like the were chompping a few bites out of it, or it's my imagination. Just curious on if they ever attack roots?

6/28/2011 2:23:21 PM

Pataskala,OH

I searched Google and found out they sometimes do eat living plants.

6/28/2011 2:39:23 PM

Pataskala,OH

especially roots

6/28/2011 2:41:01 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Rolly polly bugs? Perhaps you mean billbug grubs. Yes, in the larval stage, these criters love to eat roots!

Dig down... You'll see a bigger, white or slightly translucent version of the bug but without the hard shell. That's the baby of the rolly bug you describe. (I think.) Those that are underground are likely eating your roots.

6/28/2011 4:05:17 PM

Pocatello ([email protected])

Oh wow... I just learned something. I thought rolly polly bugs were billbugs... but it turns out they are known as pill bugs, which is an entirely different thing.

Yes, it appears that they will eat your plants, but perhaps not so much the roots. Good luck!

6/28/2011 4:11:22 PM

They are crustaceans not insects.
The breath through gills.
They do not urinate.
They can drinks through their anus.
They eat their poop.

Strange little critters.

6/28/2011 4:26:04 PM

San Diego

how to kill them? Any organic ways?

6/29/2011 12:42:16 AM

Northern California Foothills

Get rid of any decaying plant matter. They like moist, dark areas. They'll eat seedlings, but I don't they pose a serious threat to mature plants.

6/29/2011 12:57:14 PM

Minnesota

They are crustaceans not insects.
The breath through gills.
They do not urinate.
They can drinks through their anus.
They eat their poop.

Sounds alot like Packer Fans.....

6/29/2011 5:18:06 PM

Minnesota

Sorry, Sorry Sorry... Everything except the Eating their own poop part..... lol

6/29/2011 5:30:34 PM