Pill Bug invasion


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Old 04-05-08, 05:43 PM
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Pill Bug invasion

We have quite a few pill bugs getting into our basement. I don't know where they are coming in. What can I do to stop this. They get in then they die on the carpet. Everything downstairs is finished expect for the baseboards. I think they are coming in around my sliding glass door but cannot varify this. I would rather not use a pesicide. Ideas?
 
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Old 04-07-08, 04:22 AM
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Pillbugs are found in damp places. Outdoors they are under leaves, the wood pile, the compost pile. Turn over a rock, and you will likely see a pill bug or two. They are nocturnal. Go outdoors at night with your flashlight and look around your foundation, and you will likely see pillbugs. Indoors you will find pillbugs in damp basements and around water pipes. They absorb moisture from the air to stay hydrated. The feed on decomposing organic material.

Reduce humidity indoors with dehumidifiers and run fans to improve air circulation in basements and other damp places. Because sowbugs usually dry out quickly indoors, unless they find a nice damp spot, insecticide control is usually not used and can be swept up with broom or vacuumed. Residual insecticide spray can be used around perimeter of room and areas where pill bugs are observed.

A regular perimeter residual insecticide spray along the perimeter of the house, treating foundation and soil three to six feet out tends to keep pill bugs and other bugs at bay. Treat door thresholds and basement windowsills and other possible entries. It is important to eliminate hiding places along foundation. Keep mulch pulled back. Rake up leaves. Seal all gaps in foundation to exclude bugs and other pests that may enter the structure. Run a bead of exterior silicone caulk along the threshold of the sliding glass door on the outdoors to excludes bugs and keep out moisture.
 
 

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