Okay, I do understand that the wood bug is a great aerator for my gardens. However, I live on almost half an acre in White Rock and I cannot nearly kill by hand the amount of these bugs (and others) by hand, and I am not keen on using bottled pesticides in my organic gardens. I live around many trees, therefore have lots of shade and moist areas around here. I know that there are very knowledgable people out there who have had the same experiences and are hopefully willing to share what worked for them. Thank you in advance for your advice!
"Invasion" seems harmless enough? This may reduce the number to a more manageable amount. http://www.extremelygreen.com/Product.cfm?Name=Sluggo Plus
Are you sure that these are the culprit? Usually, they only feed on decaying material, sometimes seedlings, and have been known to burrow into strawberries...Unless this is the case, could you be missing out on the real (perhaps nocturnal) pest? What is the damage you are seeing on your plants? Given the site conditions you describe, it would be a massive (and ill-advised) task to try and get rid of them. It's unlikely they are the real problem besides.
Thank you for your feedback. I have no problem with having these bugs in my yard, I was hoping to control them in certain parts of the yard (ex. flower and veggie beds). I do know that they will keep moving into the beds. Yes, strawberries are at risk and many annuals brought into the yard. I see many slugs also, but I pick them out. the damage that I'm seeing are chew marks and holes in the plants. Maybe there are other pests involved but I have gone out at night also to see if I'm missing something.
Slugs, and earwigs, and weevils are possible culprits. To catch and kill wood bugs and slugs, you can put out boards: flip over the boards and step on whatever is clinging to them. A paper cup with dried grass or straw turned upside down over a stake is a trap for earwigs (I've never tried it; earwigs do eat other critters).
Are woodbugs the same as pillbugs? The rolly-pollies of childhood and/or the sowbugs that can't roll up? If so, I haven't found them to be terribly troublesome except in very young seedlings and soft fruits as mentioned before. On the other hand earwigs can inflict a lot of damage, as well as even tiny slugs and snails. Cutworms can do more than just cut stems off at the ground and seem to be harder to catch in the act. I had a tough time with some small ones devastating some primulas in a pot. It looked like snail damage without the slime, all the thin parts of the leaves were eaten with the center stems left. Bug-geta Plus pellets finally nailed them. I use this product when I have night feeders that I can't seem to catch. In all the years of using it I've never had problems with pets eating it, it is a safe way to catch troublesome nocturnal bugs. Also, in those bad earwig years (when there seems to be thousands boil out of hiding places) I roll up newpapers, get them a bit damp, and put them under plants where it is shady. In a week I go around and check them, dumping the contents in a plastic 5 gallon bucket for my very eager chickens to eat. This method catches many other garden insects too.
Thank you for the advice and suggestions. I'm beginning to think that it might not be the Wood or Pill bugs after all. I will keep a closer eye on the gardens since it is primose time here and I'd like to see them flourish! :)
