Saturday, April 14, 2012

sow bugs chowing on the seedlings

Usually sowbugs are good for producing compost, but sometimes the little critters chow on the tender seedlings. This squash seedling has quite an infestation. I've read that a sprinkle of diatomaceous earth will discourage the sowbugs, so I'll try some. The little "bugs" are also called "woodlice" and are actually not insects, but crustaceans. They have 14 legs in 7 pairs and a rigid exoskeleton. There are apparently thousands of known species of these interesting little "bugs."

woodlice on squash seedling