Article: Bugs in basement actually crustaceans

Q. I have found a whole mess of what I think are pill bugs in my basement. I don't know what they eat, but there are quite a few of them and they are a nuisance. How can I get rid of them? They look like little armadillos and they roll up into a little ball when disturbed. R.P., Foxborough A. Your bugs are actually crustaceans, related to crabs and lobsters, the only crustaceans that can live their lives out of water. One is the sow bug (Porcellio laevis); the other is the pill bug, and the resemblance to little armadillos is appropriate because its Latin name is Armadillidium vulgare. The pill bug can roll itself up into a ball; the sow bug cannot.

They like damp areas, and are often in ...

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