Sow bugs and pill bugs — the little grey “roly-polies” kids love — are completely harmless: they don't bite, sting, spread disease or damage your home. They're actually beneficial in the garden, breaking down decaying matter. But when they start turning up inside in numbers, it's a reliable sign of a moisture problem at your foundation, and that's worth addressing.
What sow bugs and pill bugs are
They're not insects at all — they're land crustaceans, which is why they need constant moisture to survive. (The difference between the two: pill bugs roll into a ball when disturbed; sow bugs don't.) They live outdoors under mulch, leaf litter, stones, logs and in damp soil. They can't survive long in a dry home, so when you find them indoors, they've wandered in from a damp zone right against the house — and their presence indoors flags excess moisture there.
How we control them
Since they can't establish indoors, control is about the perimeter and the moisture. We treat a barrier around the foundation and the harborage areas where they gather, and we identify the conditions drawing them: mulch and vegetation piled against the foundation, poor drainage and pooling water, leaky spigots and irrigation, and damp crawl spaces. Pull organic material back from the house, fix the drainage, and seal the low entry points, and the indoor sightings stop.
A moisture signal worth heeding
Because they only come inside where it's damp, a sow bug problem is really a helpful early warning about moisture — the same conditions that invite silverfish, centipedes and, if ignored long enough, wood-damaging pests. Book a free inspection and we'll treat the perimeter and point out the moisture source.
Ready for a free inspection?
Tell us what you're seeing. A licensed technician identifies the pest and entry points and quotes an exact price — no obligation.