Sunday, March 30, 2008

Pill Bugs



In a recent conversation I told someone that I was painting things that were growing in my garden and she asked if I meant things like roly-poly bugs. I hadn't, but I liked the idea. The previous owners of my house had spread chunky bark mulch everywhere so I had an infestation of these little guys to deal with when I started to garden. My soil is healthier now and not mulched but I still find wood lice under pots. I tried to get one to curl up in my hand but it was a brave bug and wouldn't give up the fight even though I shook it gently in my fist like a dice. I didn't want to hurt it so I gave up and let it crawl away. Do they eat my seedlings? Let's assume not. I grew up calling them potato bugs since I encountered them most often in our dark, dirt floor cellar when fetching potatoes out of the storage bin. I like them more now than I did then.

3 comments:

  1. I used to play with them as a child. I am less fond of them now.~~Dee

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  2. Wonderful to find another Seattle garden blog. We're on the hill north of you. Found you through Blotanical.

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  3. Cool painting! I hope you don't mind, I linked to it from my blog in which I was blathering about roly polys. You are very talented!

    -- Kristin

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