Pillbugs / Sowbugs

Pillbugs / Sowbugs

Pillbugs and sowbugs are dark grey in color and ¼ to 5/8 inch long. These humpbacked, oval crustaceans appear to be covered with segmented armour. Pillbugs can be distinguished from sowbugs because pillbugs are able to roll up into a ball when alarmed.

Order/Family

Crustacea/Isopoda

Scientific Name

Armadillidum vulgare Porcellio laevis Koch

Biology

Female pillbugs and sowbugs carry their eggs in a brood pouch where the young hatch in about 45 days.  There are 24-28 eggs in each brood; and one to three broods are produced each year.

Behaviour

Pillbugs and sowbugs are found in moist areas where they feed on organic matter. They are commonly found outdoors under stones and plant materials. They frequently invade basements and crawlspaces. They do not cause damage, but are considered a great nuisance.

Control

For effective control, it is beneficial to reduce moist environments by removing any piles of organic matter, wood, and any other materials that create harbourage areas. 

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Silverfish

Silverfish

Silverfish are primitive, wingless insects that are ½ inch long when fully grown. They are flattened, somewhat “carrot” shaped, and covered with silvery scales.

Order/Family

Thysanura/Lepismatidae

Scientific Name

Lepisma saccharina Linnaeus

Biology

The female silverfish lays one to three eggs per day in crevices or under objects, which hatches in about 43 days. The young silverfish look exactly like the adults, except smaller, and feed on the same foods. These insects are very long lived, commonly living a minimum of three years.

Behaviour

Silverfish can be found throughout a structure, from the basement, to individual floors, to attics, to shingles on the roof.  They readily feed on books, cloth, and sometimes dried meats or dead insects. 

Control

 

For effective control it is beneficial to reduce moisture, lowering the temperature and removing any infested items can help eliminate localized infestations. Sanitation is helpful, but may not greatly reduce the problem. Silverfish are easily controlled with thorough application of baits and/or residual insecticide sprays or dusts.

 

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Earwigs

Earwigs

Adult earwigs are ¼ to 1 inch long and typically dark brown to black in color, with a red head and pale yellow-brown legs. The body is long and flattened.

Order/Family

Dermaptera/Forficulidae

Scientific Name

Forficula Auriculana

Biology

The female lays several batches of approximately 50 eggs in a nest-like shallow depression beneath a board or stone.

Behaviour

Earwigs generally live outdoors and feed on plant material. They are highly active at night and hide during the day under stones and other objects. Earwigs are outdoor insects which become household pests when they invade structures, usually in the fall or at night. Indoors, they are usually found in cracks and crevices and under furniture and carpeting.

Control

Earwig control and prevention begins outdoors by removing moist harbourages such as wood piles, landscape timbers, mulch, etc. A vacuum should be used to remove accessible earwigs. Since it is difficult to control earwigs it is recommended that you contact your pest control company in order to put forth a solution to these pests.

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