Has anyone else noticed there are more woodlice around than usual? Normally they wouldn't bother me but they have completely put me off strawberries because I've found so many inside the fruit. I think maybe slugs make a little hole and the woodlice dive in. Someone has just told me that they go inside tomatoes too.
Can anything be done to get rid of them?
Now that you have mentioned..yes..I did notice I had loads in GH.
It must be favourable year for them for some reason. I must look into their life cycle now.. ::)
I've never had any trouble with woodlice or damage coursed by them that I've noticed...but they seem to take advantage of little holes that something else has already caused. As having them in strawbs...just shake them off and pop the berry into your mouth...if you miss one its just extra protein... ;) ;D I wonder how many I've eaten over years.. :-X (not intentionally..not ventured into bug eating...yet..)
There is a healthy population of them in the garden. They can be a real nuisance sometimes. It's not true they only go for decaying or damaged vegetation, sometimes they themselves are the culprits.
They eat the leaves of young plants and seedlings. This year it was melon plants in the polytunnel (planted in black polythene), I had to replant with larger plants that are luckily doing fine.
They also love life in the greenhouse often making quite palatial, for a woodlouse, cavities in potted plants, leaving plant roots exposed.
One year they invaded the chilies I had growing in pots. Fruits were damaged and they were living inside.
Gives a whole new meaning to chili con carne! :)
Eurgh!!!! ;D
Yes I've noticed a silly number of woodlice - I took the top off the compost bin to get some out and it was grey with them.