I have pill bug eating my squash seedlings in the garden. What is the best way to control them or keep off of my seedlings?

I'm so glad you asked.... I just logged on to share my experience & maybe
offer a solution.!!

PIll bugs eat my strawberries, so i had to do something. There are two ways to go it seems: 1. To Trap--then Release them or
2. To Kill them

I set aside my 5oz cat food cans after feeding the cats, and added about
3ish tablespoons of water. Stirred up the bottom of can real well.
(These were the pop-top type cans.)
I flipped the peeled off lid over and rested the lid over the top of the can,,, the pull tab hooked over the top edge. This created a little "shade covering".
I placed about 5 of these cans in low spots in the strwberry patch or kinda dug a small hole to drop them in. I did this in the shade of the evening.
The next morning the bottom of the can was totally full of them.

The dead ones were dead because they drowned . The ones that were alive were in cans that i forgot to add water to.... so i just took them to the creek bed down the hill & released them. this was a first time experiment so you could try different "baits", but i think the can is the perfect size to trap them.
let me know of different baits you come up with if you try any!!
good luck!!!!


:D

I have had the same problem in my veggie garden with squash and cukes seedlings. I finally made "collars" to place around my planting holes. I used all sorts of things, like tuna and vegetable cans with the top and bottom cut out, and some 4" plastic pots from previous seedlings I bought (with the bottoms cut out). I put them firmly in place, planted my seeds, left the collars in place until the seedlings were growing strong. It worked great. You can also trap them by leaving banana peels laying around the garden close to your seedlings. They will gather on the peel, and you can remove them easily.

I just use Diatomaceous Earth. as Howard has said "Natural DE also makes a very effective natural insecticide. The insecticidal quality of DE is due to the razor sharp edges of the diatom remains. When DE comes contact with the insects, the sharp edges lacerate the bugs' waxy exoskeleton and then the powdery DE absorbs the body fluids causing death from dehydration. Said more simply, DE kills insects by drying then up. You'll see how drying DE is if you handle it with bare hands.

There is no residual danger of contamination. In fact, DE is actually beneficial to the soil. It's loaded with trace minerals. However, there are a few precautions. Diatomaceous earth is very dusty and can cause lung problems if breathed heavily, so when applying it dry always wear a good dust mask or stand up wind. The second precaution is that DE sold for swimming pool filters is ineffective for insect control because it has been heated and chemically treated. It won't kill insects and it is very dangerous to breathe. Finally natural DE will kill beneficial insects too, so use it sparingly to kill problem infestations of harmful insects and don't use it too often."

My understanding about DE is that it is not effective unless it is dry. When you plant seeds, you generally keep the area moist until they are germinated and growing well. Wouldn't that keep the DE from killing pill bugs (or any other bugs)?

No, I use the DE around my Hosta's. I water them and the DE still is effective. Water does not effect the sharp edges on the shells, they still cut the exoskeleton. In fact the DE will work wet or dry and last as long as you do not wash it away.