What Is It?
Sowbugs (Oniscus asellus) are an introduction from Europe. Although they live on land, they are crustaceans and are related to shrimp and lobsters. Sowbugs have 7 pairs of legs, a series of armour plates covering the back and may be up to 15 mm (half an inch) long.
What's the Problem?
Sowbugs are a common sight in yards and homes in the Edmonton area. They usually cause the most concern when found crawling in the home, especially in large numbers.
What Can I Do?
Sowbugs typically live in damp areas and feed on decaying plant material. Removing any grass clippings, mulch, rotting wood and leaf litter around the foundation of your house will help keep the area dry.
Removing logs, boards or boxes under which sowbugs hide will also help.
Basements and crawl spaces should be kept dry and free of any food material for sowbugs. Foundations, doors and windows should be properly sealed to prevent entry. Sweep or vacuum any sowbugs that may still wander in. Spraying is not usually required.