[Fifitrix]

Hi

I couldn't find a section for advice on composting but my compost bin is overrun with woodlice.  Is this OK?  My bins probably get overdosed with browns rather than greens because of the chooks and I guess I may not be keeping it moist enough?

I'd love some advice - perlease!

[richyrich7]

Woodlice break down dead vegetation so yes they are ok, it's just a sign that your heap's not hot enough. Try mixing in more greens small pieces are better lots of different layers and a good stir every now and then.
What do you mean by browns ?

[Fifitrix]

Hi

I mean that I put lots of straw in from cleaning out the hen houses.  There's lots of straw, sawdust and the odd bit of shredded newspaper so I'm guessing it's not enough of a mix.  We don't really produce enough green to go with the amount of brown.

[richyrich7]

If it's dry then you could water it that may help   tho' the sawdust does take a long time to rot down anyway.

[Zak the Rabbit]

If it's dry then you could water it that may help   tho' the sawdust does take a long time to rot down anyway.

pee in it!

seriously, not only does it add moisture, it adds nitrogen. The urea breaks down to ammonia and helps the rotting process

[Knight Family]

yep peeing in it is good, the only trouble in our compost bin is I need to do it in the dead of night, because were overlooked on 3 sides!  

you can get chemicals to do it but its cost and not organic!

[mrs bouquet]

hi, woodlice only in your bin !!  here in  sussex we are totally overun with them everywhere !!
We live on the top of the S.Downs, so I guess they were here first, but everybody in W Sussex has the problem.
As richy says, ok in your bin, but not so good when they are going in all my tubs, even though I keep them (the tubs) on feet.  Mrs Bouquet

[Becci]

So have you found any successful ways of dealing with the woodlice problem mrs B??
I'm tearing my hair out here in Cork, Ireland... have a really bad woodlice problem in my garden. they eat everything, and i mean EVERYTHING!! my tomatoes, turnips, any seedlings they can get, potatoes, herbs... imagine how upsetting it is to harvest a large beautiful aubergine, get it into the kitchen and cut it open only to find it full of woodlice!!  :cry:
I started growing in this garden 2 years ago, and it used to be pretty wild and overgrown, and being a permaculture gardener myself i know i'm not helping things by mulching etc as this is a perfect home for them... but i'd to find a way of controlling them without having to scrub every corner and remove every stone and pot they might hide under.
PLEASE anyone!!! Advice? I'm already getting nervous about the next growing seasons disappointments!
Thanks!

[mrs bouquet]

No I have to say not really, I have got some white powder that I sprinkle around the edges, but not where I am growing.  I try to leave some tiles or bricks around, lift them and tread on the little blighters.  If you find away, please let me know.  (its alright to pee in your compost bin if your a bloke, not so easy for me   )  Mrs Bouquet

[Trillium]

Becci, are you staking plants like toms, aubergines, etc? If you are, I can't imagine why the woodlice would crawl up them to eat. Can you introduce some hedgehogs into your garden or are they not native to Ireland? I wonder if raised beds (and I mean raised sides about 2ft high) would help?

[Aunt Sally]

My chooks eat wood lice.

[Salmo]

Be thankfull that they are working away in your compost bin breaking everything down. I would leave them to get on with it.

What a pity to be even thinking about killing woodlice that do so much for us. They live almost exclisively on decaying vegetation although they will nibble plants if they are short of moisture. If there are huge numbers it may be that something is out of balance in nature and a predator has been whiped out. This sort of thing is somtimes the result of indecriminate use of chemicals.

If you have a problem it may be that you are too tidy and there is nothing else for them to eat. Often they get blamed when it is not their fault. If there is a hole made by a slug in a potato they often crawl into it and feed on what is already spoiled. We see the hole and they get the blame when they are seen crawling out.

[mrs bouquet]

I think you are right, the problem where we live, is that years ago developers built our homes.  But now the woodlice are getting revenge -
they are eating our houses  !!  Mrs Bouquet

[Christine]

The hit film of this year then - Revenge of the Woodlice. :mrgreen:

[Becci]

yeah, i've been thinking chickens, toads, hedgehogs or some kind of predator is the way forward, but i live on a city terrace where there are lots of cats. I put some toad spawn in my pond earlier in the year, and had loads of little toads crawling around but they seemed to all disappear very quickly. Hopefully one or two survived and will suprise me in the spring. I don't have enough space for chickens, and if hedgehogs are here they're not making a difference!

I put down woodchip paths this summer hoping that by giving them loads of that to eat they'd leave my fresh veg alone. Hasn't made a difference either way.

I don't want to kill them , i just want them to GO AWAY!! If it were the case of one crawling out a potato i wouldn't mind, but its masses of them clustering around the stems of plants and killing them. I'll have to get some pics up next spring because anyone i've talked to about it doesn't believe me. People assume thy only like dead material - but THEY LOVE TOMATOES!!