How to Get Rid of Sow Bugs in Tennessee

Seeing sow bugs around your Tennessee home and seeking ways to ensure they stay out of sight? There are plenty of things for this woodlouse to love about your landscaping, basement, or crawl space—and frequently spotting them indoors likely means that sow bugs are breeding and thriving near your building’s foundation. With the proper preventive actions, though, you can help get rid of sow bugs for good.

Ways to Eliminate Sow Bugs at Home

Eliminating sow bugs means eliminating their hiding spots inside or outside your house. Without shelter and plentiful food and water sources, this bug sure to look elsewhere or dry up completely. Several steps can go a long way in preventing the presence of sow bugs.

Clean Up Debris

Sow bugs scavenge for sustenance among decaying organic matter in yards, gardens, and compost piles or under mulch, stones, wood, flower pots, and other items that might sit upon a damp surface. Although some of these materials are unavoidable if you have a landscaped yard, be conscious of how close they sit to your home’s foundation and entry points (including garages), as it can bring sow bugs inside more easily.

Cleaning up outdoor debris is crucial for getting rid of sow bugs. Some maintenance to consider includes: 

• Stacking firewood, logs, boards, and other potential hiding places off the ground 
• Relocating stones, wood piles, leaf piles, and grass clippings away from the house
• Ensuring downspouts drain and divert water away from the foundation
• Removing any fruit dropped from trees that can rot and attract sow bugs 

Close off Entry Points

Double-check that all of your home’s exterior and screen doors close tightly, and seal holes and cracks so they’re not accessible to sow bugs. If necessary, replace damaged or missing weather stripping and door sweeps that are missing or damaged. Also, make sure your crawl space entrance has a door that keeps the bugs out. These nocturnal pests may leave their habitats at night, wandering to your patio, foundation, or entry-level openings like door thresholds and brick or concrete wall voids.

Reduce Areas of Moisture 

Because they require areas of high moisture, sow bugs often won’t survive inside for long unless there are significantly damp conditions to accommodate them. Therefore, maintain a dry, ventilated interior free cool or moist gathering places for pests. Crawl space vents should be open to allow airflow, and dehumidifiers or waterproofing can help minimize dampness in basements. 

Get Effective Sow Bug Control in Tennessee Today

At U.S. Pest Protection, we strive to be proactive—not reactive—when it comes to your pest problems. If you find a few too many sow bugs, we’ll work to craft a comprehensive solution that keeps them from returning. Schedule your free pest inspection to start reclaiming your home and peace of mind.