We’ve all seen these small creatures. When threatened, they roll into a tight ball. As children we let them roll around in our palms. This behavior gave them their common name of roly polys.

If you look closely, you’ll see the creatures in the accompanying photo are not the same. The one with the tail-like structures at their end is the sowbug, (family Porcellionidae). The “tail-less” variety is the pillbug, (family Armadillididae). Truth be told, these creatures are more closely related to lobsters, shrimp and crawfish than bugs in your garden bed. Sowbugs and pillbugs are terrestrial crustaceans. They even have gills. These soil-dwelling crustaceans are not insects or true bugs. They are soil-dwelling crustaceans in the order Isopoda (called isopods).

What makes them not-a-bug? Isopods have seven pairs of legs. They have a small head and six small abdominal segments. They have seven relatively large thoracic segments, each having a pair of legs. Adult insects, by contrast, have three pairs of legs.

Sowbugs and pillbugs feed primarily on decaying plant material and occur mostly hidden under organic litter or other debris on the ground and beneath low-growing plant parts. Their ability to thrive depends on wet bedding material and soil. They also chew fruit, succulent plant parts, seedlings, and vegetables that touch damp soil.

According to Texas A&M Agrilife Extension, Field Guide to Common Texas Insects, "Mouthparts are for chewing and rasping. Sowbugs and pillbugs spend bright daylight hours in damp dark habitats such as underneath stones, logs, leaf litter and other debris. At night they venture out and feed on decomposing organic material, including mulch and grass clippings. They will feed on the tender foliage, stems and roots of young garden vegetable transplants, seedlings and bedding plants. They also rasp the outer skin of cucumbers laying on the ground in gardens, causing fruit to be deformed and blemished."

This behavior makes them a nuisance to some gardeners and homeowners. However, should you find them in your home frequently, it indicates an issue with a sealant, window, or door that allows access. The University of California Statewide IPM Program offers suggestions on limiting the effect of these pests at https://ipm.ucanr.edu/home-and-landscape/pillbugs-and-sowbugs/#gsc.tab=0.

The dependence on moisture for these creatures can also be a clue to their large numbers this year. If pillbugs or sowbugs are a problem, try these suggestions: 1. Reduce the frequency of irrigation to an extent compatible with healthy plant growth. 2. Irrigate early in the day so surfaces are drier by evening. 3. Pull compost and mulch back from plants and building foundations. 4. Use raised beds or planting boxes and drip or furrow irrigation instead of sprinklers For more information on sowbugs and pillbugs, see these links:https://texasinsects.tamu.edu/sowbugs-pillbugs/.