les

I have just emptied out some pots in which I had spring flowering plants,
(daffodils and primula). I found lots of woodlice in the compost. Do these
woodlice damage the plants? Do they eat the roots? Is it safe to use the
compost in the garden?

Your help would be appreciated.

Les

vicky

"> I have just emptied out some pots in which I had spring flowering plants,


Not an answer but adding to the query. I am overrun with the little
b*ggers and they have a lovely habit of eating things so that you don't
realise they've done it. I had a load of strawbs and mange tout once and
they ate them from behind. Didn't notice until I'd grabbed them first -
euggh!

I use nippon to good effect to stop them coming in my house and, contrary to
popular belief - or at least advice I've had in the past - they do cause
damage in some things as above. Perhaps this around pots would help. I did
consider sprinkling some under my newly established growbags but, looking
out at today's horizontal rain, that would have been a waste of time.

However, the waterbuts I moved at the w/e are now full again! Water not
woodies!

BTW the Isle of Wight has a unique species of soft-bodied woodlice and did
you know that there are several different species? Anorak points for the
day I think :-)

Vicky

tim challenger

Absolutely.

--
Tim C.

tim challenger

I think the popular belief is that they *do* cause damage. And you're right
of course, popular belief is more or less wrong.
Just because you get woodlice on damaged plants in no way means that they
cause the damage. I'm sure if you look constantly that they don't cause
much, if any new damage to your strawbs. They were probably bruised or
eaten by slugs first, then the woodies moved in.

I didn't know that. All the more reason not to kill them.

Around 30 in the British Isles, I think.

--
Tim C.

flower faerie

I have woodlice in my pots too but the plants are fine. Woodlice like
to live in dark areas so they crawl up into the pots from underneath,
standing the pots on trays may help. I like to live with them, humans
find it all too easy to kill everything that moves by spraying chemicals
everywhere.

vicky

right


I'll keep an eye out this year and see if you're right! If so, I shall
publicly vindicate the woodies!


Trust me - they are far from endangered here. In fact, they are under
everything in my garden and my neighbour has been thoroughly raided to the
point that they are under all her living room furniture. Hence I feel not
the slightest bit of guilt at scattering nippon all over the edging under
the carpet by my front and back doors. It seems to do the trick.

My son used to eat them when he was a toddler - this was prior to the nippon
introduction BTW!

Vicky - looking forward to the earwig invasion shortly - not!

nmm1

Both you and she might find it more useful to deal with your damp
problems than poison the indicators.

Then why deprive him of such natural nourishment?


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.

kay easton

In article <4097a400$0$202$c3e8da3@news.astraweb.com>, les
<les_1102NO@SPAMyahoo.co.uk> writes

Most gardens are full of woodlice. The few you add from the pot are not
going to make any difference.

AFAIK they eat dead stuff rather than live stuff.
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

kay easton

In article <4097a798$1_1@mk-nntp-2.news.uk.tiscali.com>, Vicky
<vickyversa@yahoo.co.uk> writes


Different genera too, aren't they? The ones that curl up vs the ones
that don't.

And they're crustacea, so related to prawns ;-)
--
Kay Easton

Edward's earthworm page:
http://www.scarboro.demon.co.uk/edward/index.htm

vicky

and back doors. It seems to do the trick.


Again - trust me - my house is not damp. It's a common problem in the area.
I am rather fond of woodlice and have referred to them as baby armidillos
since childhood but I either put down nippon or they take over my house and
I prefer the former option. They have very comfortable residence in the
compost heaps at present. Perhaps the problem is the fact that we are
surrounded by trees.

nippon


He's 9 now and hideously embarrassed when I remind him of this fact!

Vicky