Help me identify these bugs please!

Oct 19, 2000
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Was taking down the Christmas lights finally, and I moved a little stone eagle statue-thingy beside the front porch so I could get the ladder in position. I found a lot of bugs underneath, and didn't know what they are. We just purchased this house back in September, so I'm a little cautious when it comes to stuff like this. Since buying the house, we've learned that the previous owners weren't the best keepers in the land, and have had to fix numerous things already. My first fear was termites, but these don't fit the typical look from what google image search has showed me.

Small version: http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/bugs_small.jpg
Large version: http://pics.bbzzdd.com/users/blurredvision/bugs_large.jpg

Thanks for any help.

EDIT: When we figure out what they are, what can I use to get rid of them? Any consumer products out there to where I can spray the outside of the house?
 

Mermaidman

Diamond Member
Sep 4, 2003
7,987
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Those are 'pill bugs' or 'roly-poly' bugs. They are not insects and are harmless (They eat decaying vegetation).
 

sobriquet

Senior member
Sep 10, 2002
912
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Originally posted by: Umberger
Originally posted by: sobriquet
Pill bugs - Some information on elimination.

Hmmm, maybe I'm wrong...
Common names for woodlice vary throughout the English-speaking world. They include: "armadillo bug" [1], "cheeselog" (Reading, Berkshire) [2], "doodlebug" (also used for the larva of an antlion) [3], "monkeypea" [4], "pill bug" (usually applied only to the genus Armadillidium) [1], "roly-poly" [5], "potato bug"[5], "roll up bug" [6], "slater" [3] and "sow bug" [3][5].
Looks like we're all right.
 

Umberger

Golden Member
Apr 13, 2005
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Originally posted by: sobriquet
Originally posted by: Umberger
Originally posted by: sobriquet
Pill bugs - Some information on elimination.

Hmmm, maybe I'm wrong...

Common names for woodlice vary throughout the English-speaking world. They include: "armadillo bug" [1], "cheeselog" (Reading, Berkshire) [2], "doodlebug" (also used for the larva of an antlion) [3], "monkeypea" [4], "pill bug" (usually applied only to the genus Armadillidium) [1], "roly-poly" [5], "potato bug"[5], "roll up bug" [6], "slater" [3] and "sow bug" [3][5].

Yeah, just saw that :)
 
Oct 19, 2000
17,860
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Thanks a ton guys, glad to hear they are harmless. The previous owner was a landscaper, and has laid supposedly "top of the line" wood mulch in various places in the front of the house, which is where these bugs were found. Everyone I've spoke to says to get rid of the wood mulch, because it'll attact termites, but we're not quite sure what to do yet. We've got a lot of work to do outside once it gets warmer.
 

IGBT

Lifer
Jul 16, 2001
17,976
141
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..pill bugs. we use to call em rolly pollies as kids. touch em and they roll into a ball and roll around.
 

rickn

Diamond Member
Oct 15, 1999
7,064
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those are roly-polies, and when i was a kid i use to love to pull them apart, haha