Woodlouse in da house

Swiss_Toni

We have a Victorian home, with 100+ years of dust between the floorboards (of the bedrooms) and the ceiling (of the downstairs).

We are suffering from greater numbers of woodlouse, which appear to be coming from the floor/ceiling gap.

Is there a solution to getting rid of them?

We also have them downstairs (again, likely to come from under the floor) and much as we enjoy watching them race across the floorboards of an evening, we would like them to move out...

Any suggestions..... Cheers!!!!

Pollen

This thread here covers subject in great depth including use of Jack Russell :rolleyes:

Swiss_Toni

Thanks!! - One of my issues is that we have a child on the way (I sent it first class 6 months ago... ahem) so I don't really want too many chemical solutions.

I guess I might try a shotgun - certainly worked on the woodworm.

Cheers

Moz

How bad is your problem? We also have far too many woodlice guests, it seems to be a real problem on Shetland. While honeymooning in South Africa late last year, I found a pest control book and eagerly read the bit about 'what to do about woodlice'. After reading a fairly large section they came to the conclusion that there is nothing you can do about them, so not much help.

I have asked lots of people for help and advice and one of the more sensible answers if you have got the room is to get some hens and give them free access around your house. Apparently they count woodlice as a delicacy and gobble them up willingly. And you get eggs as a bonus. Unfortunately we haven't been in a position to get hens yet so I can't say whether it works yet. I wouldn't suggest you let them run around your house though as the mess and smell might not be to your liking! Hopefully, later this year I will have sorted out the house a bit and I can test the theory, only they will have to be really hungry hens as our carpet is heaving with the things.

Good luck. I will be keeping an eye on this thread to see if anyone else has an answer.

Regards

Moz

Sarahsaver

I don't think woodlice are a risk to children. I live in a house built in 1876, and have had at various times woodlice, ants, BIG spiders, mice, squirrels in the garden, and foxes - all this in an 'inner city' area. PLUS 3 kids who are all none the worse for wear. Oh yes and bats in the garden at night.
We are just part of a much greater ecosystem, and toddlers LOVE to watch woodlice.
I would recommend a chicken too, or borrow a cat. Cats eat bugs, but i wouldnt keep one because they are a health risk to children, everyone in fact!
Have you tried to search online for pest control? there are some good sites out there.
If I remember the particular one i was thinking of i will post a link later.

Sarahsaver

I just noticed you said your CARPET is heaving with them. Are you sure they are woodlice and not carpet beetles?

catherineblack

Woodlice are horrible! But as moz says, there is not much you can do about them. When I did some searches on the internet and found that apparently they are not harmful, and not dirty in the way cockroaches are. (So I have read). We stay in an old house, and have wooden floors throughout. They seem to appear when it is damp or raining. One suggestion, which helped reduce them (and heating bills) is to go under the floorboards (on the ground floor) and nail some wood on the underside of your floor. This helped insulate our floors and has reduced them considerably. Also knots of wood can be filled with specialist stuff - you can get one to match your wood colour - as these gaps are perfect for any wee insect to crawl up! Ronseal Multi-Purpose Wood Filler was bought for me by my fantastic dad (but we've still to use it!) and may be worth trying. I've got it right in front of me and it says it can be used for -

multitude of repairs. long lasting repairs which flex with natural wood movement
can be stained varnished or painted
flexible formula
can be nailed screwed or planed.

but it is not suitable for gaps between floorboards, so perhaps try it for the edges of the room.
Another tip is to get beading to put down at the bottom of the skirting boards, gaps round there used to be our biggest problem for letting woodlice in.

good luck!
Catherine