Topic: Woodlice

[caroline7758]

Not on my allotment, but in my living room! We have a cellar, which tends to be a bit damp. We keep finding large numbers of dead woodlice around the edges of the room above the cellar. They are easy enough to hoover up, but I'd rather they weren't there at all. Can anyone suggest why they are coming up, as I thought they preferred a damp environment, and what we could do about it? We have lived in this house for 22 years, but have only had this problem for the last year or so- global warming again??

[Admin aka Dan]

No idea why they are coming up from the cellar, but to offer some advice on how to deal with them ....

We have an awful lot of woodlice by the rear of the house, and tried everything to reduce the number, nothing worked, until we tried Nippon Woodlice powder - it actually works!

I don't think I'd use it near food though....

[artichoke]

No use for the woodlice that eat my figs, then. I know that woodlice are supposed to be harmless, but they definitely go to extraordinary lengths to crawl up the branches and settle down to munch.

[kt.]

We found a few in the living room, downstairs utlitly though the summer. Have also had an increase in spiders in the house this year. (Much larger than usual.)

Spiders go outside, woodlice get nipped in loo-roll & flushed down the big white telephone ;D ;D

[Rob08]

I think you would hate where I work.  We actively encourage woodlice as they keep the fungal growths and moulds down in our terrariums and also eat any dead insects and some of their eggs so provide natural population control. Every so often the population of woodlice reaches critical mass and there is this mass exodus from the terrariums, which means our offices are overrun with them for a few days until they find better homes...

[calendula]

everything has its place and use but I was wondering what is going on in the cellar because although they like it damp they do tend to want to escape if it is too damp and with the rainfall this year maybe the cellar home for them is now not good and they are moving upwards and onwards  :-\

[caroline7758]

Thanks for the help. I guess I should be glad they are dead- exhausted with the effort of the escape? We've been thinking about getting a dehumidifier for the cellar, maybe that would help? Or maybe it would bring even more of them up!

[Robert_Brenchley]

If it's just this year it could be that all the rain earlier left the environment in the house a little damper than normal?

[davholla]

I think you would hate where I work.  We actively encourage woodlice as they keep the fungal growths and moulds down in our terrariums and also eat any dead insects and some of their eggs so provide natural population control. Every so often the population of woodlice reaches critical mass and there is this mass exodus from the terrariums, which means our offices are overrun with them for a few days until they find better homes...

Where do you work ?

[SueSteve]

My Mums garden is full of them, they eat the strawberries and they are not happy!
They tried Nematodes this year, but don't think it was successful!
With most creatures, they survive where there is a food supply, so maybe (as someone else said) the wood in the cellar is not as palatable as the wood upstairs!!