7 remedies to get pill bugs out of your home

Often confused for insects, pill bugs (Armadylidium vulgare), commonly called woodlice or rolly-pollies, are segmented crustaceans. The term “pill bug” comes from its defensive technique of curling up into a ball when threatened.

Pill bugs are annoying inside, although they usually pose little threat to people or animals. Frequent visits of these bugs to your home may be a sign of leaks, high humidity, or inadequate drainage. Infestations of indoor pill bugs can also harm houseplants and other pests such as centipedes. Here’s what you need to know about pill bugs and how to deal with them.

What Are Pill Bugs?

Pill bugs are oval-shaped crustaceans that are 1/4 to 5/8 inch long and consist of fragments of an exoskeleton. They have two antennae and fourteen legs. They can be gray or dark brown, but often have a metallic sheen. These insects curl up into tight balls when they feel threatened. Conglomeration is a protective feature that protects them from predators and helps them retain moisture. Sow bugs and pill bugs miss frequently, though sow bugs cannot roll into balls.

Under mulch, compost, flowerpots, rotting boards, and other moist soil, pill bugs thrive in high-humidity, moist conditions. Through common entry points, including door and foot gaps, holes, fractures and fissures, they enter in search of moisture and shelter. They can also enter your home through windows, crawl spaces, and ventilation systems. Unless they find shelter in a place with high humidity, these bugs usually dry out and die indoors.

Signs of a Pill Bug Infestation

Pill bugs congregate under furniture, in damp, dark areas, near water sources, and behind rotting wooden planks or flowerpots. They are frequently found in laundry rooms, basements and bathrooms – even in tidy, contemporary homes.

Although pill bug infestations can be difficult to manage, you can rid your home of them if you take the right precautions. Dehumidifying, cleaning debris, and caulking insect entry points are three basic methods of ridding your home of pill bugs. Other tactics include hiring an expert and doing your own chemical and natural treatments.

Natural DIY Remedies to Get Rid of Pill Bugs

The first line of defense against these bugs involves DIY solutions that are safe for humans and pets. They include:

Beer and corn meal traps: When you find pill bugs, keep a shallow, disposable container (eg yogurt cup) filled with beer. Bugs are attracted to alcohol and drown. Make cornmeal traps by placing cornmeal in a small, sealable plastic container and punching a small hole in the lid. Traps should be placed near the entrance. After being attracted to cornmeal, insects eat it and perish. Every day, be sure to empty the dead bugs from the traps and add more cornmeal or beer. For maximum effectiveness, vary trap placement according to pill bug activity.
Garlic Solution: Prepare a solution by mixing minced garlic and water in a spray bottle. Treat baseboards, entryways, and any other openings that pill bugs may use. therefore pungent scent will repel pill bugs, keeping your home free of these pests.
Citrus peels: Place lemon, lime or orange peels on areas where pill bugs are present. The citrus scent repels these bugs.
Essential Oils: Pill bugs, like many other insects, hate essential oils. To repel them, mix a few drops of essential oil with water and make a bug-repelling spray. Try tea tree, lavender, rosemary, citronella, cinnamon, oregano, and peppermint oils. Use this mixture on areas where pill bugs like to congregate, such as baseboards, windows and door frames.

Chemical DIY Remedies to Get Rid of Pill Bugs

If the natural DIY remedies don’t get the job done, consider chemical-based remedies:

Diatomaceous earth: Cover exposed areas and potential habitats for pill bugs with food-grade diatomaceous earth. It is composed of the fossilized remains of aquatic animals whose tiny silica particles are sharp enough to pierce the exoskeletons of pill bugs. They become dehydrated and pass away.
Boric Acid: Mix boric acid, sugar and water to make a paste. Apply this paste on the places where bed bugs are present. Boric acid causes gastrointestinal toxicity in bugs when ingested.
Choose an insecticidal spray: such as neem oil, for pest control. Apply it to the affected area as directed on the label.

Call a Pro

If using do-it-yourself remedies doesn’t reduce the amount of pill bugs in your house, you might think about hiring a pest control company. Specialist equipment and treatments are available to pest control professionals to eradicate pill bugs and stop further outbreaks.

Ways to Prevent Pill Bugs in Your Home

Caulk or weatherstripping should be used to seal all cracks in your home to keep pill bugs out. To reduce moisture and water ingress in humid or damp areas, use dehumidifiers, repair leaks and increase ventilation. Vacuum, clean and clear any potential hiding places in your home.

Maintain outdoor gutters to prevent water from pooling near the foundation or roof. Clear the area around your home of decaying materials such as damp leaves or dirty garbage cans. By taking these precautions, you can reduce the vulnerability of your home to bugs. To permanently address a pill bug problem, talk to an exterminator if the problem persists.

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