Pill Bugs

Pill bugs are crustaceans, closely related to lobsters and crabs; in fact, pill bugs are one of only a few terrestrial isopods. Pill bugs thrive in moist climate because they breathe with gills.  

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Often mistaken for sowbugs because they look similar, there are key differences between the two species. They have the same hard armored body and grow to be the same size. Pill bugs are more of a rounded oval shape, while sowbugs tend to be flatter and more of a pointed oval. One easily distinguishable difference is that pill bugs will roll up in a ball as a defensive mechanism (thus earning them the nickname rolly-pollies), while sowbugs cannot roll up and will instead run away when under duress.

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Pill bugs are not harmful or dangerous to humans, pets or homes, but they can cause damage to young roots, seedlings, and low hanging leaves and produce.  They will also invade homes if there are areas inside the building that has excessive moisture.

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To learn even more about pill bugs, check out our blog post