If you've found small, gray, armored bugs on the basement floor or in the garage of your Bergenfield home, there's a good chance they're pillbugs. Most people know them as roly-polies, the bugs that curl into a ball when you touch them. They're harmless and slow, but a steady trickle of them indoors is a sign that something near your foundation is staying too damp. Below, we'll cover what pillbugs are, how to tell them apart from their close cousin the sowbug, why they come inside and what keeps them out. If they keep showing up, our pillbug and sowbug control service can help.
What Pillbugs Are
Pillbugs aren't insects at all. They're crustaceans, more closely related to shrimp and crabs than to beetles or ants. They're one of the few crustaceans that live their whole lives on land. Adults are usually under half an inch long, gray to dark gray, with a rounded back made of overlapping plates and seven pairs of legs.
Because of their crustacean roots, pillbugs breathe through gill-like structures that need to stay moist. That's the single most important fact about them. It explains where they live, why they wander and why they don't last long inside a dry house.
Pillbug Or Sowbug?
Pillbugs and sowbugs look nearly identical and live in the same places. The easiest way to tell them apart is to give one a gentle nudge.
| Pillbug | Sowbug | |
|---|---|---|
| When disturbed | Rolls into a tight ball | Can't roll up, tries to run |
| Body shape | Rounded, higher back | Flatter |
| Tail end | No visible tail-like parts | Two small tail-like parts at the rear |
| Prevention | Same approach: reduce moisture and seal gaps | Same approach: reduce moisture and seal gaps |
For your home, the difference doesn't matter much. Both are drawn in by the same conditions, and both are handled the same way.
Where They Live And What They Eat
Outdoors, pillbugs hide during the day in damp, dark places and come out at night to feed. You'll find them under:
- Mulch, leaf litter and grass clippings
- Stones, bricks, boards and landscape timbers
- Flowerpots, planters and garden debris
- Firewood and compost piles
They feed mostly on decaying plant material, which makes them useful recyclers in the garden. They'll occasionally chew on tender seedlings or soft fruit touching the soil, but serious garden damage is uncommon.
Why Pillbugs Come Inside
Pillbugs don't set out to live in your house. They wander in by accident, usually when the conditions outside change. Long stretches of rain can flood their hiding spots, and dry spells can push them to look for moisture. When large numbers are living in thick mulch or debris right against the foundation, some will crawl under doors, through gaps in weatherstripping, into window wells and through cracks along the sill.
Once inside, most pillbugs can't survive for long. Indoor air is too dry, and there's little for them to eat. That's why you often find them dead or dried out. If they're living for a while indoors, it usually means you have a damp basement, crawl space or garage that's keeping them alive.
Are Pillbugs Harmful?
No. Pillbugs don't bite, sting or carry diseases, and they don't damage wood, fabric, food or wiring. They're a nuisance, not a threat. Kids pick them up all the time without trouble, since they have no way to bite or sting. You don't need to worry about them spreading through your house the way ants or roaches can, because they can't survive long in dry rooms. The bigger takeaway is what they're telling you: there's moisture and organic debris near your foundation that could also attract other pests, like millipedes, centipedes and springtails.
How To Keep Pillbugs Out
Since pillbugs depend on moisture, the fix is mostly about drying things out and closing the gaps.
- Create a dry border. Pull mulch, leaves and grass clippings a few inches back from the foundation.
- Move hiding spots. Store firewood, stones, boards and planters away from the house and off the ground where possible.
- Control water. Clean gutters, extend downspouts and fix leaky outdoor faucets and hoses.
- Seal entry points. Add door sweeps, replace worn weatherstripping and caulk cracks near the base of walls.
- Dry the lower levels. Run a dehumidifier in the basement and make sure crawl spaces are well ventilated.
- Sweep or vacuum. Pillbugs indoors can simply be swept up. Spraying inside usually isn't needed.
When To Call A Professional
If you're finding pillbugs inside every day, or they seem to be living in your basement or crawl space, it's worth having someone look. A technician can find the moisture sources and entry points, treat the perimeter where pillbugs gather and check whether a damp crawl space needs attention through crawl space pest control. EcoFusion's NJ DEP-licensed technicians use EPA-registered eco-safe products as part of an Integrated Pest Management approach.
Pillbugs are harmless, but they're honest. When they keep turning up inside your Bergenfield home, they're pointing at moisture you can fix. Dry out the foundation area, seal the gaps and most of them will stay outside. If they don't, EcoFusion Pest Control offers a free inspection to find out why.