It all started several years ago when I lovingly prepared my first flower bed at our new home. I will be the first to admit that even now, it's really not that much to look at. It's a pretty big bed and quite frankly, it's pretty expensive filling a bed of this size with all of God's goodness. But, I'm patient and figure that one of these days (Lord willin') I will be old and retired and be able to sit on the front porch and enjoy all the pretty flowers that I have worked so hard grow. Of course, that means we can't move anywhere anytime soon. So as I figure, I have about 20 years to create my wonderland. Why hurry?
Anyway, I don't need some stinking bugs trying to ruin my fun. Maybe it's the soil or our location or something, but it seems like we have an inordinate supply of pill bugs (roly polys, doodle bugs, etc...)whatever you want to call them. When I first made the bed, I decided to put a few hosta plants in various locations. There is quite a bit of shade so I thought hostas would be a good beginning plant. A few days later, I look at the plants and notice that they are covered with pill bugs. Okay, I thought. That's no big deal. A few days more and noticed that the plants were now ground level, eaten completely away. I couldn't believe it! Pill bugs ate my plants! I have to find out about this. My sister told me that I should post a question on Garden Web, an internet site that has all kinds of information about plants and really pretty much anything you want to know. The website is really a good site and there are many people that no a whole lot more about gardening than I do. So I went and posted my question about pill bugs eating plants. Well I must have looked pretty dumb, because there was an overwhelming response stating that no, pill bugs don't eat healthy plants, only decaying plants. No one at all agreed with me. Ladies in gentleman, may I present proof that yes, pill bugs do eat healthy plants. These are pictures of one of my purple heart plants.
Anyway, I don't need some stinking bugs trying to ruin my fun. Maybe it's the soil or our location or something, but it seems like we have an inordinate supply of pill bugs (roly polys, doodle bugs, etc...)whatever you want to call them. When I first made the bed, I decided to put a few hosta plants in various locations. There is quite a bit of shade so I thought hostas would be a good beginning plant. A few days later, I look at the plants and notice that they are covered with pill bugs. Okay, I thought. That's no big deal. A few days more and noticed that the plants were now ground level, eaten completely away. I couldn't believe it! Pill bugs ate my plants! I have to find out about this. My sister told me that I should post a question on Garden Web, an internet site that has all kinds of information about plants and really pretty much anything you want to know. The website is really a good site and there are many people that no a whole lot more about gardening than I do. So I went and posted my question about pill bugs eating plants. Well I must have looked pretty dumb, because there was an overwhelming response stating that no, pill bugs don't eat healthy plants, only decaying plants. No one at all agreed with me. Ladies in gentleman, may I present proof that yes, pill bugs do eat healthy plants. These are pictures of one of my purple heart plants.
You will probably notice some slugs or snails having a meal. At one point, I thought the snails would come and snip the leaf off and then the pill bugs would come and eat the decaying leaf, but then I realized that it's a combined effort. Now, I realize that when a real gardener sees this, they might say that there must be something going on in the soil or the plants are not really healthy, but the bottom line is that pill bugs are eating my plants. I took this picture during the evening. If I did nothing, in just a matter of days, this plant would be nothing but a stub at ground level and would later die. I have since resorted to Sevin Dust. I'm not too thrilled about it, but it keeps the bugs away until the plant grows enough to survive on their own. I have noticed that once the plant gets to be a certain height, the bugs will leave it alone. I guess they just don't taste all that good anymore. 