Is there an entomologist around here?

[vampyrewolf]

Seem to recall we have a couple folks around here that might know a thing or two about insects...

[jabba359]

Oh...insects...

I thought maybe you were looking for someone who knew a thing or two about these...

[ChrisR]

Maaaaaybe :rolleyes: ...

Depends which insects ... and what you want to know :D I specialize in a particular family of flies (Diptera, Tachinidae) but you can try me :)

[npueppke]

I know a bit about field crops pests if that's what you're interested in from working as a research assistant for entomology for 2 summers, otherwise no.

[vampyrewolf]

Whatsthatbug.com tells me that what I've found is a sowbug...

is that in fact what I have, and how do I get rid of em in the house?

[Pinetreebbs]

Sounds like you may have excess moisture.

Looks like a Sow bug or Pill bug.

[ChrisR]

We call them woodlice over here but they're not lice - they're land-based crustaceans. They're not harmful but they do indicate that there is some moisture somewhere - they need humidity to breathe. Some species seem to exist in quite dry atmospheres but they don't usually cause any damage - they just feed on dead plant material - rotting wood or plants etc. :)

To get rid of them just sweep up any dust around the house and keep it as dry as possible to make the house hostile to them. You might get a few coming into the house but they won't hang around if they find nothing to eat and a dry atmosphere :)

[tortoise]

It struck me as so remarkable that I might have occasion to speak of this creature twice in the same day, on separate fora, that I just had to reply.

Maybe get yourself a couple of these, they're small and pretty. They were common in our yard and outbuildings in our last house.

Dysdera crocata - the "Sowbug Killer"

[Markous]

When you asked the question VW I was going to reply "Why whats bugging you?" :p

Doesn't sound like like much of a problem, i haven't seen one before though.

[sharpguitarist]

hey vw,
we've got em down here in tn., and i've always called em rolly polly bugs.
if you turn over anything outside, rock, log, there's hundreds of them. :eek:
later,
don

[araneae]

That is in fact an isopod, an introduced crustacean in much of North America. Might be Oniscus asellus, but I'd need a better photo to be sure. It is one of the most common species in northeast Ohio.

To get rid of them seal up your windows and door frames. They are probably sneaking in due to cool or excessively wet weather. Also consider a cat, mine are great bug catchers... :D

[Water Bug]

As many have noted, that is a sowbug (as opposed to pillbugs).

And, as already noted, their presence inside the house is an indication of high moisture conditions (which they seek).

The permament fix is to determine and fix the moisture condition. The literature notes reducing moisture or humidity levels indoors. Depending on the source of moisture, dehumidifiers, bathroom fans, venting clothes dryers outside, etc., are some means of drying things out to make it unpleasant for them.

Also, the literature notes...

- The removal of excess vegetation and debris (which act as "staging areas" for these things prior to entering the residence) around the outside of the house helps.

- Keep soil levels below the level of structural wood of the house.

- Also, as noted above, caulking cracks and crevices at or near ground level provides a physical barrier to keep them out.

- Check the weather stripping for your doors as they may be sneaking in under the doors.

- Pesticides (applied by a certified, professionlal pest controller) only work as a temporary "knock down" for these. Until the moisture issue is addressed, they'll keep coming back.

[vampyrewolf]

Next time I find one I might have the time to toss it in a glass and get a better pic... this one was scurrying across the floor when I was taking pics. Right before it met my boot.

Funny thing is that with my limited insect experience I had it tracked down to being an isopod and possibly crustacean (the larger ones definitely look lobster-like)... but that was as far as I got.

[toomzz]

In a certain way they are related to the extinct order of the trilobites. Isopods as well, except they lived in the ancient oceans 245-570 million years ago. I can tell you ALL about them.... :)

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