#Rolly polly olly halloween series
Young: Once eggs hatch, the young stay in their mother’s pouch surviving off of nutrients from the marsupial fluid. When they reach 2 mm in length, the little white babies venture off on their own and go through a series of molting and growth.Īdult: Adults grow up to 18 mm long and live for two to five years. Their main host plants are dead and decomposing, however they sometimes eat seedlings or roots of tomatoes, radish, lettuce, mustards, peas, and beans. There are three main stages to the pill bug life cycle:Įggs: The female pill bug carries her eggs in a marsupium (a pouch kind of like a kangaroo). The bundle of eggs is called a brood and may have 100-200 eggs at a time. It takes 3-4 weeks for eggs to hatch and females produce 1-3 broods annually. If you want to understand the role of pests (or any organism) in your garden, you have to look at their life cycle and reproduction. At a closer glance, they have even more fascinating traits than just rolling up in a ball.
#Rolly polly olly halloween how to
Life Cycle Better knowing the life cycle of any insect helps to understand how to manage them in your garden. This rolling is their primary defense mechanism and the source of their most common name “rollie pollie.” They are also called woodlouse because of their common residence in forests. These bugs have a crusty exoskeleton that protects them when they roll up into a ball (when they look like a pill). Perhaps that’s why their Latin name is Armadillidium vulgare. I like to think of them as little armadillos. They are native to Europe and technically invasive to the United States. They have naturalized pretty much everywhere thanks to their generalist diet and resilient protective exoskeleton.
Pill bugs are scientifically classified as isopods or non-insect arthropods. They have an armored exoskeleton, seven pairs of legs, and jointed limbs. Interestingly, they are technically terrestrial crustaceans, which are distant relatives of lobsters, shrimp, and crabs! What Are Pill Bugs? These insects have many names, including pill bugs, rollie pollies, doodle bugs, and more! Read on to learn about this unique soil-dwelling crustacean, their role in the garden, and how to organically control them if they get out of hand. Rollie pollies can be beneficial, harmless, or they can cause a lot of damage. It all depends on the balance of your garden ecosystem. Like most things in nature, the answer is not a clear “yes” or “no.” Garden Friend or Foe? Rollie pollies can be helpful to your garden, but can also cause problems if they run out of food.
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