At 09:25 PM 5/16/99 -0700, Edna M Weigel wrote:
>Ronald Nigh wrote:
>> I remember that there was a discussion about roly-poly bugs a few
>> months ago, though I can't seem to find the references.
>
> I assume you are talking about those creatures that resemble
>miniature armadillos maybe 1/2 inch long (with, I think, 10 legs). I
>grew up in Kansas calling them "sow bugs." They supposedly eat only dead
>plant material and cause no economic harm, but CAN be serious pests--I've
>had them eat the fruit of strawberries and the entire plant of small
>seedlings. I'm not sure how much this will help, but I recall the thread
>of discussion you refer to. You might find the discussion by searching
>for "sow bug" or "pill bug." As I recall, someone asked for help with a
>plague then later complained about lack of response. That complaint
>brought protests that the scientific name wasn't used and one comment to
>the effect that they are supposed to eat only dead plants but sometimes
>don't wait for the plant to die. I don't recall any controls being
>suggested.
> I would expect more than usual humidity would contribute to their
>numbers. About control, while I was living and gardening in Phoenix, I
>gave up using mulch entirely because they were especially hard on mulched
>plants. Now that I am out of the city (outside Sierra Vista in southeast
>Arizona) I find I can successfully mulch, but I still have large numbers
>of sow bugs. They seem to fill the niche usually thought of for
>earthworms, which are nonexistent where I am now. My chickens love them
>and I see large numbers only in my compost and only if I manage to keep
>it reasonably moist. I'm even building compost pits in the chicken yard
>to encourage those creatures because my chickens need winter-time
>protein.
> Would it be possible to use poultry in the orchid greenhouse? A
>friend told me that guinea hens like sow bugs even better than chickens
>do, and guineas supposedly are kinder to gardens than chickens. I
>suggest this with reservations, however, because a friend gave me 4 adult
>guineas and I had such a miserable time with them that I gave them to
>another friend within 2 weeks.
> Also, how about diatomatous earth (DE)? I've not tried it, but
>my intuition says it might work. There is a difference of opinion about
>the specifications for DE; some say that you must buy insecticide grade
>while others insist that the DE used in swimming pool filters works
>nearly as well. I think DE is also a component of many scouring powders
>like AJAX.
> These are the only ideas I can come up with at the moment. Good
>luck.
> -- Edna Weigel
>
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