What are Woodlice?
Woodlice are the insects, that got their name from where they were found. They can be often found in old, decayed wood, and are transformed from aquatic environment to land. The marine isopods are the first carboniferous that have had their colonies in the land since the cretaceous period. These woodlice are commonly known as terrestrial isopods and have their structure of the segmented dorso-ventrally flattened body with seven pairs of joint legs. They have specialized appendages for respiration and carry their fertilized eggs in marsupium where they can develop eyebrows with water, oxygen, and nutrients. In this article, we will discuss how to prevent woodlice infestation.
Are woodlice harmful?
Woodlice are not so harmful to human health, properties available in your place, and they do not cause any environmental damages. They don’t event sting and spread diseases.
Why should you avoid woodlice?
Though woodlice are not harmful and not responsible for the dangers, they will enter your home to get a warm shelter and search for food. They can stick with carpets, skirting boards, and other shining properties. They leave a stain on the carpet if they are crushed, and they will stick with the properties and are hard to remove. They are harmful to garden areas as they can eat young seedlings and strawberries.
What do woodlice eat?
Woodlice love to feed on dead plants and fungi, and they can also eat compost materials. Woodlice eat paper and wallpapers, so it is important to reduce the plants especially decomposed plants to prevent woodlice infestation.
How to get rid of Woodlice?
If you find woodlice in your home and you cannot eliminate them, you can try out these simple DIY methods to get rid of woodlice.
Vacuum them Up
Vacuuming is the first step to eliminating the woodlice presented in your home. After the process, it is important to empty the vacuum bag as soon as the process is completed.
Anti-Insect Spray
You can buy several pest control sprays in shops, make use of them if you found any woodlice in your home. Some of them are more toxic, so make sure your children and pets are away from the place before using the spray.
Seal up the Holes
Seal all the cracks and gaps found in your home. Holes are the entry point for any of the insects to enter your home. Sealing all the holes will help you to avoid the presence of woodlice and other insects.
Try Electronic Pulsing Device
The electronic pulsing device will emit a high-frequency pulse that cannot be handled by pests. You can make use of this device to eliminate woodlice, but make sure the device is secured from the action of rats.
How to Prevent Woodlice Infestation?
Above are some of the simple tricks to get rid of woodlice, it is also important to prevent your home from infestation after eliminating them. It is not sure that the pests will not enter your place after the DIY pest control treatment. So here are the few steps to be followed to prevent woodlice infestation.
1. Make your home Woodlice-unfriendly
Woodlice love to stay and feed on decayed products, so check all the places which are the best for them to stay. Try to avoid decomposed plants and rotten wood which will eliminate the way to enter your home.
2. Check for Damp Walls
Damp walls can attract woodlice, and this explains why only a particular place is infested by woodlice. Try to repair the walls which are damped as soon as possible.
3. Keep Plants and Weeds away from your home
Plants can attract the woodlice easily so, keep the plants away from your living area. If you have plants near doors and windows, or weeds near doors the chance of getting infected is high.
4. Clear your Rood Gutter
Many people will miss out on the roof gutter, it is important to check your roof if it is draining properly and regularly. If not, the roof gutter will store moisture and it can attract the woodlice easily.