Infested Roly poly / pill bugs problem

[Bhkkatemoya]

Hey guys,

My garden and yard is infested with ropy poly/pill bugs.  They eat all of my strawberries, veggies, new seedlings of cherimoya and squash, even rose petals.  What bother me the most is them eating my atemoya barks.

Do you guys have the same problem? How do you get rid of them without killing your other plants?

[shaneatwell]

Have them, but they seem to stay in the mulch.

[forumfool]

They eat living and dead plant material. They used to eat all my strawberries until I put them in a raised bed. I don't see them much now except under mulch as mentioned.

[Bhkkatemoya]

I noticed a lot do then under the mulch as well.  I've been looking the other way when they ate my veggies and strawberries but not anymore since they invaded my precious atemoya.  I thought moving the mulch away from the trunk will help but I come back the next day seeing a new set of roly poly munching on the bark almost reaching the cambium layer. I killed a few dozen to set example but they keep on coming back. Any solution guys?

 TIA

[TheDom]

I think you figured out your problem with them eating the bark: the mulch up against the trunk. Doing so likely led to the bark rotting which is why they're eating it, and pulling the mulch back for just one day wouldn't necessarily stop them from eating bark that's already rotted. Keeping mulch a good foot away from the bark is your medicine going forwards. In the meantime you may consider using some sort of insecticide on the trunk to keep them from eating it more while it dries out and heals.

[Bhkkatemoya]

Thanks Dom. Will try that