evicting WOODLICE from the greenhouse?

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evicting WOODLICE from the greenhouse?
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Res

Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 1172
Location: Allotment Shed, Harlow

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 3:53 pm Post subject: evicting WOODLICE from the greenhouse?
How do I get ride of the woodlice that have made a nice little home in my wooden raised beds in the greenhouse, as they made a right mess of my sweet peppers last year. I not only want them out but I want them to stay out. What can I use?

Behemoth

Joined: 01 Dec 2004
Posts: 19023
Location: Leeds

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 3:57 pm Post subject:
Are you sure it was the woodlice - I thought they lived on dead wood.

Res

Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 1172
Location: Allotment Shed, Harlow

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 5:51 pm Post subject:

Behemoth wrote:

Are you sure it was the woodlice - I thought they lived on dead wood.

OH YES, little blighters like the fruiting stems which then distorts or even kills the fruit off if they have managed to eat all the way round

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 6:40 pm Post subject:
Woodlice will eat tomatoes and strawberries, and some seedlings as well. As far as I know, they like dry, warm conditions. I get them in the winter, but find when I start re-using the greenhouse from spring onwards, the wet soil and humidity makes them move elsewhere.

ele

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 814
Location: Derby

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 9:57 pm Post subject:

Sarah D wrote:

As far as I know, they like dry, warm conditions. I get them in the winter, but find when I start re-using the greenhouse from spring onwards, the wet soil and humidity makes them move elsewhere.

Odd

as I understand it woodlice can only survive in humid environments because of the way they breathe through gills.

I do rather love woodlice, splendid little creatures

I can understand why they don't seem so splendid when they eat your stuff though!

Last edited by ele on Thu Jan 19, 06 9:57 pm; edited 1 time in total

Res

Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 1172
Location: Allotment Shed, Harlow

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 9:57 pm Post subject:

Sarah D wrote:

As far as I know, they like dry, warm conditions. I get them in the winter, but find when I start re-using the greenhouse from spring onwards, the wet soil and humidity makes them move elsewhere.

I'm afraid you have it the wrong way round sarah. They are actually decended from shrimps, so need moist damp condition to survive. They are not a problem at the moment but come summer when there is lots of plants in the greenhouse, they are prolific.

I have a photo somewhere of the damage they caused last year, will have to find it and post it.

ele

Joined: 05 Sep 2005
Posts: 814
Location: Derby

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 9:58 pm Post subject:
Hey Res did my onion sets ever get going? sorry off topic!

Res

Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 1172
Location: Allotment Shed, Harlow

Posted: Thu Jan 19, 06 10:06 pm Post subject:

ele wrote:

Hey Res did my onion sets ever get going?

sorry off topic!

YES! They are growing well thankyou. I will have to get a progress photo posted, maybe after this weekend.

Sarah D

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 2584

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 06 9:30 am Post subject:

I always understood that woodlice will live in your compost heap if it is too dry, and this can be an indicator of whether or not you have to add moisture to the heap. I read that in one of my books a long time ago.
As I said, the woodlice only live in my greenhouses over the winter when it is dry; as soon as the watering arrives, most of them ship out, but I do get the odd tomato eaten by them, but not hoardes of them.

Maybe Dorset woodlice are different

mark

Joined: 14 Jul 2005
Posts: 2191
Location: Leeds

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 06 9:48 am Post subject:

Sarah D wrote:

Maybe Dorset woodlice are different

their are lots of different types of woodlice so maybe you are right!

they don't like strong heat and they don't like frost and they wil go hide when these things happen!

the don't hang out where they have to be in the open or have nothing to press their bodies against!

if you really want shut just about any insecticide kills them

frogs toads spiders hedgehogs ae all quite partial to eating thme too!

they make nice pets for little boys!

ken69

Joined: 17 Jul 2005
Posts: 316
Location: Norfolk

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 06 10:00 am Post subject: woodlice
Hi Res...as mentioned you need to introduce a predator.Help to restore the natural balance.

Res

Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 1172
Location: Allotment Shed, Harlow

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 06 10:10 am Post subject:

mark wrote:

frogs toads spiders hedgehogs ae all quite partial to eating thme too!

Ther was a frog in there for most of the summer but didnt seem to kerb the woodlice, he/she may have been scared of them!

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 06 10:20 am Post subject:

The humble woodlouse. One of the natures greatest achievements. A pet topic of mine.

Take the isopods out at sea and in rivers (close relatives of the woodlouse, much closer than shrimps). They've got flattened bodies to give them a low centre of gravity, they have brood pouches to carry eggs till they hatch (stops them washing out to sea or down a stream), they have streamlined bodies to provide downforce in a current, and a great sense of smell to allow them to find decomposing plant matter. In short, they've got all the adaptations they need for land. Hardly surprising that they eventually wombled excitedly up the beach and went looking for another way of life inland...

There are about 7 common species in the UK, and another 7 or 8 a little less common, and then some wierd ones.

The common big greyish brown one is normally Porcellio scaber. He flattens himself down when he's scared. The one that will most often roll into a ball when scared is Armadillium vulgaris.

They eat dead plant matter, but if they're really hungry they'll eat anything. Including each other; if there are too many woodlice around then you'll find the ones that have moulted sitting cowering under stones, hiding from all the others. They're also copraphagous (sp?), eating things they can't digest first time round (like decying wood), and then coming and eating the fungus that grows on their feces, the fungus gets onto the wood from their gut and then digests the wood for them.

They like it moist, but not wet. Too dry and they'll struggle; while there are species adapted to arid conditions, the common ones here aren't.

The best way to deal with them is cleanliness; get behind the benches, brush out everything like dead plant matter, block up holes, clear away dead seedlings, etc. Don't give them the chance to build a big population that then eats up your living plants (which they'll turn to when hungry).

A quick fix solution can be obtained by cutting holes throgh some potatoes, letting them go manky, and leaving them out for a few hours or overnight. Take them to the bird table and shake them to get all the little darlings out.

Res

Joined: 07 Apr 2005
Posts: 1172
Location: Allotment Shed, Harlow

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 06 10:36 am Post subject:

cab wrote:

isopods

THATS what I could'nt remember last night, thanks CAB.

I do need to clean out the greenhouse but the raised beds are made from bits of wood with lots of gaps in, so I have created a prefect environment for them. Thanks for your advice though

cab

Joined: 01 Nov 2004
Posts: 32429

Posted: Fri Jan 20, 06 10:42 am Post subject:

Res wrote:

cab wrote:

isopods

THATS what I could'nt remember last night, thanks CAB.

For what its worth, they're isopods, and as such they are crustaceans like shrimp. But shrimp are decapods, a group that also includes crabs, lobsters and suchlike, and they're a somewhat more advanced group than the isopods.

Quote:

I do need to clean out the greenhouse but the raised beds are made from bits of wood with lots of gaps in, so I have created a prefect environment for them. Thanks for your advice though

I'd have the bits of wood up, shake them out, inspect for woodlice, and either replace them or paint them and put them back.

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