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Pillbugs and Sowbugs (Isopoda)
Identify it, prevent it, and know when to call. A South Florida guide from Pro-Spray.
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What Are Pillbugs and Sowbugs?
These small crustaceans breathe through gill-like structures, so they need constant moisture. They feed on decaying plant material outdoors. When rain soaks their hiding spots, or the ground dries out, they wander, and sliding door tracks and garage doors are easy ways in.
Pillbug vs Sowbug
Pillbugs roll up into a tight ball when touched. Sowbugs are flatter, have two small tail-like parts at the rear and can't roll up. Both get the same treatment.
The South Florida Season
Indoor sightings rise after the first heavy rains of the wet season and again during dry spells, when outdoor soil loses moisture and they wander looking for damp shelter.
Life Cycle
Females carry their eggs in a fluid-filled pouch on the underside of the body until the young hatch. The young look like tiny, pale adults and molt in two halves as they grow. They can live more than a year, feeding on decaying leaves, mulch and other plant debris in damp soil, and come out mainly at night when it's humid.
Look-alikes and How to Tell Them Apart
- Millipedes: long and worm-like with many more legs; they curl into a flat coil, not a ball.
- Earwigs: have pincers at the rear and run fast.
- Pill millipedes: can also roll into a ball but have far more legs; rarely seen in homes.
- Cockroach nymphs: long antennae, six legs, and quick, darting runs.
Where They Hide in South Florida Homes
Under mulch, pavers, pots and stepping stones; along damp garage edges and under stored boxes; below sliding door tracks; and in ground-floor bathrooms and laundry rooms. After a stretch of summer storms, homes next to heavy mulch beds or irrigated planters often see the most.
When to Call a Pro
Call if they're coming inside every day, if you're also seeing millipedes, earwigs or centipedes, or if moisture near the foundation keeps drawing them in. Perimeter service handles all of these occasional invaders together.
Signs of Pillbugs and Sowbugs
- Gray bugs on garage floors, patios and ground-floor tile, especially in the morning
- Dead, dried-out bugs along thresholds and baseboards
- Lots of them under mulch or pots right next to the house
Is it dangerous?
- Harmless
Harmless nuisance; they die quickly indoors.
Prevention Tips
- Keep mulch thin and a few inches back from the foundation.
- Move pots, boards and debris away from doors.
- Add door sweeps and seal garage door bottoms.
- Fix irrigation that keeps soil by the house soaked.
How Pro-Spray Treats Pillbugs and Sowbugs
We look for the damp harborage driving them in, treat the perimeter, thresholds, garage and entry points, and point out moisture fixes. Regular perimeter service keeps them and other occasional invaders outside. Our Bug Free Guarantee: If pests come back between visits, so do we, at no extra cost.
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Then stay protected with our $125 quarterly pest control plan, about $42/month.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Do pillbugs bite or damage the house?
Why do I find them dead indoors?
Can they live in my house?
Reviewed October 2026 by Pro-Spray's family-run team
Pests don't wait.
Protect your home today.
Get $50 OFF your first pest service and a FREE inspection & estimate. Ongoing protection is $125 quarterly (about $42/month), with no contracts and no cancellation fees.
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