Natural Pest Control for the Berry Patch

Reader Contribution by Susan Slape-Hoysagk
1 / 2
2 / 2

Learn how to get rid of sow bugs from a gardener who found them damaging her strawberries and used natural pest control methods to get them away from her fruits.

As a child, I thought the common pill bug, Armadillidium vulgare, was cute, even fun. No teeth. No stinger. No creepy-crawly long legs. Perfect bug for a child, right? They do seem very docile. When disturbed, they either scatter like crazy or roll up in a tiny gray defensive ball. That is, if it is the actual pill bug and not the sow bug.

Pill Bugs vs Sow Bugs

Sow bugs are incapable of rolling into a ball. The child in me prefers the pill bug. The adult in me could care less which kind it is — I no longer find them cute or fun. Adult gardening has a way of changing one’s view of the world.

Sow bugs really are amazing and if the little buggers would leave my strawberries and tender new seedlings alone, I would not give them another thought. Did you know these little bugs are really not insects at all but crustaceans?

Comments (0) Join others in the discussion!
    Online Store Logo
    Need Help? Call 1-800-234-3368