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submitted 1 month ago by Jtee@lemmy.world to c/gardening@lemmy.world

Hello!

My wife and I just put in a ton of hardwork getting our gardens renewed, only to find something has immediately started to eat the seedlings we planted.

Can anyone help us identify this plant eater? Looks like a tiny isopod/pillbug to me.

We live in southern Ontario, Canada.

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[-] mihnt@lemmy.ca 13 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)
[-] BubbleMonkey@slrpnk.net 10 points 1 month ago

And I’ve got a new word

roll up into a roughly spherical shape (conglobate)

[-] verity_kindle@lemmy.world 5 points 1 month ago

Today I learned! Cool! Use it in a sentence this week.

[-] essteeyou@lemmy.world 8 points 1 month ago

I dig holes around my plants and sink plastic cups into the holes, leaving the rims at ground level. Woodlice fall into the cups, and then I can give them to my chickens. It doesn't catch them all, but it seems to give my plants a fighting chance.

[-] verity_kindle@lemmy.world 3 points 1 month ago

My chickens won't touch them , but will greedily eat all other garden dwellers, caterpillars, grubs, etc. 1/10, defective hens, should I turn them into tendies?

[-] Jtee@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago)

Here's a close up ( if there's a better community to ask, please let me know!)

[-] Leate_Wonceslace@lemmy.dbzer0.com 8 points 1 month ago

Isopods are many species of crustacean. The terrestrial species are often called rolley pollies or potato bugs.

[-] TammyTobacco@lemmy.ml 8 points 1 month ago

Throw some diatomaceous earth on your plants and it'll kill the roly polys on your plants.

[-] essteeyou@lemmy.world 11 points 1 month ago

DE will also kill ants, spiders, ladybugs, worms, and other bugs that may be beneficial to your plants. I use it very sparingly.

[-] Kuvwert@lemm.ee 7 points 1 month ago

That's a Rollie Pollie Ollie! Dunno what anyone else calls it though. My mom used to put Diatomaceous Power at the base of the plant to keep them safe from these guys, squash bugs, and other hungry little pests

[-] Jtee@lemmy.world 1 points 1 month ago

I've heard them called that before! I'll be purchasing some Diatomaceous earth today.

[-] evasive_chimpanzee@lemmy.world 6 points 1 month ago

Definitely a pillbug/isopod of some sort. Usually, they eat dead plants, at least in my experience. Is it for sure eating, or is it just crawling on there? The way a whole chunk of the leaf is missing is similar to the damage you see from slugs.

[-] Jtee@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

We thought it was slugs at first but made some beers traps and got nothing.

Came out at night and I watched this guy chomp down for ~3 mins before I scooped him up and sent him on his way.

I'll be purchasing some Diatomaceous earth today.

[-] PokiLoki@toad.social 3 points 1 month ago

@Jtee @evasive_chimpanzee organic Sluggo Plus works well on pill bugs too. I use it to protect my beans when the emerge. Rain really dissipates the diatomaceous earth.

[-] EvolvedTurtle@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

He friend shaped

this post was submitted on 23 May 2024
45 points (97.9% liked)

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