Photos of giant woodlice and a description of the lifestyle of these huge creatures. Unpleasant “guests” in our apartments: what do woodlice eat and how to get rid of them

Reference! There are more than 3,500 species of woodlice on the planet, most of which live in water, and only about 250 species of crustaceans have been able to evolve and adapt to life on land, however, for normal life they need a large amount of moisture.

That's why Only the most unpretentious species take root in residential premises, since this is far from the best habitat for them. Let's look at what types of woodlice can most often be found in apartments.

Photo

Below you can see a close-up photo of a domestic woodlice, in which you can see what the insect that is found in an apartment and other residential premises looks like.

Common woodlouse armadillo

It is found primarily in damp basements and storage rooms.

Rough

Prefers residential and wet areas. Very fast, therefore capable of covering long distances in a short period of time, often moving from the basement to the apartment. She loves to live in the bathroom, especially in the corners where mold appears, this is her favorite treat. Periodically, it sheds its upper and lower shell, which is interesting; it also serves as food for woodlice.

White

Possesses small in size(about 6 mm). Prefers to live in the bathroom, in dark corners.

Body size

The body is convex, the size varies from 1 mm in length to 10 cm, covered with hard chitinous bristles that protect against numerous predators.

Description

Considering the appearance of woodlice, we can highlight the following characteristic features of them:

• On the back of some types of crustaceans there are ornate patterns.
• The head is clearly defined, turning into the chest, on which there are two antennae and eyes.
• How many legs does an insect have? The legs are well adapted for walking - seven pairs (the last pair of abdominal limbs performs tactile, supporting or protective functions, or serves to absorb water).
• At the end of the body there are tactile organs that look like two small appendage tails.
• The respiratory organs resemble gills, allowing them to survive in difficult conditions.

Attention! Small representatives of this species initially have twelve legs, not fourteen.

What are they?

Today, woodlice are divided depending on their size.

Little ones

They live mainly in residential areas and damp places. They eat plant waste, mold, and moss. Small bifurcated tubes on the last pair of limbs absorb moisture. Due to the presence of pores in the shell, secretions leave the body as ammonia vapor, and not in the form of liquid urine.

Body color depends on environment, so they can be blue, yellow, pink. The sizes of small wood lice range from 1 mm to 1 centimeter.

Large

The appearance of large woodlice is identical to the small one, but the size can reach 4 centimeters. An example of such a woodlice is the tongue one.

Gigantic

There are nine species of giant woodlice, some of them larger than a man's palm., and the largest “sea cockroach” is up to ten centimeters. In addition, a huge individual, like ordinary crayfish, does not live on land, but in water depths, referring to deep-sea inhabitants. What do they look like? Outwardly, they are the same as the usual woodlice, only much larger.

Who can you confuse with?

Among the insects that resemble woodlice in appearance are the following:

1. Kivsyak Crimean - centipede, which lives in southern Russia, usually disguises itself as woodlice and lives in cellars.
2. Silverfish, woodlice is often confused with it. These insects have an elongated body that tapers from head to tail. At the back you can see three tails that look like thin hairs. If you look closely, you can easily catch the resemblance to a fish fry.

   Silverfish are nocturnal, feed on organic matter: mold, wet paper, food waste, synthetic fiber, and even in times of famine they do not disdain dead brothers. They reproduce very slowly, unlike woodlice.

Attention! Woodlice process all kinds of waste as earthworms, benefiting the environment. They are also food for lizards, spiders, and toads.

Occasionally, at home, colonies of woodlice are specially grown and then used as food for exotic animals.

According to everyone known facts about woodlice, we can conclude that they are not carriers of infections, do not damage furniture, do not eat food, are completely safe, do not bite humans, but on the contrary, try to stay as far away as possible. Of course, living in an apartment, they do not evoke sympathy. But before you start fighting, you should think about the benefits and harms of them. Perhaps the cause of their occurrence should be eliminated rather than trying to destroy completely harmless woodlice.

Generally speaking, there are more than 3,500 species of woodlice in the world, of which only a few dozen are found in our country. In apartments (for example, in bathrooms, toilets) you can find only two types:

• common woodlice armadillo;
• as well as rough woodlice.

The fact is that the apartment or a private house- this is still not the best appropriate place habitat for these creatures, and therefore only the most common and unpretentious species penetrate here and more or less take root here. In general, in Russian cities– outside residential or commercial premises – you can find a significantly larger number of species of these interesting crustaceans.

On a note

Majority ordinary people They believe that wood lice are insects. In fact, they are not insects at all, but belong to the suborder of crustaceans. All insects have only 3 pairs of legs, but woodlice have many more, and besides, they also have gills.

Scientists studying invertebrates often conduct research and analysis of the woodlice fauna in certain localities. Based on the results of such studies, we can safely conclude that in urban conditions middle zone Russia has already developed its own unique “set” of woodlice species. Each of these species has its own distinctive features that are interesting and set them apart from other arthropods.

However, we, city residents, are primarily interested in precisely those types of woodlice that are found in our apartments and houses. So let's get to know them better...

Common woodlouse (Armadillidium vulgare), or armadillo woodlouse

Common woodlice (Armadillidium vulgare) is, one might say, the same species of woodlice known to everyone and very common throughout Russia. It is the armadillo woodlouse that has a high shell and a characteristic dark color bodies.

The photographs below show adult common woodlice:

Directly in apartments, this type is quite rare, but in basements, damp cellars and heating mains it is quite typical. In cities and towns, common woodlice are most often found in gardens, front gardens, parks, vacant lots and roadsides. They are kept mainly under stones and various objects lying directly on the ground.

These small crustaceans feed on plants, both living and already decaying. In vegetable gardens and front gardens, this type of woodlice can cause harm to plantings, damaging flowers, but, fortunately, most often they choose weeds, thereby turning out to be useful neighbors for humans.

It is quite easy to distinguish the miniature “armadillo” from other relatives found in cities: its movements are leisurely, and at the slightest disturbance it curls up into a ball. An example is shown in the photo below:

This is interesting

It was the common woodlouse armadillo, after being accidentally transported from Europe to the United States, that spread there in huge numbers, and today on the California coast in some places it is sometimes found in numbers of more than 10,000 individuals per square meter.

Woodlouse (Porcellio scaber)

Despite the wide distribution of common woodlice in Russia, the most numerous and most often found species in residential premises is the so-called rough woodlice (Porcellio scaber, it is sometimes also called “cellar woodlice”). Representatives of this species are very mobile, they run much faster than armadillo woodlice, and easily move between floors apartment buildings(and sometimes there are ways to literally enter apartments in hordes from damp attics in houses where the roof is leaking).

When caught, the rough woodlice does not curl up into a ball, but, on the contrary, arches and quickly moves all its ten legs, trying to break free and run away.

Its shell is soft and quite flat, and its color varies greatly depending on its habitat. For example, rough woodlice, living in southern regions, have a light gray color with a pinkish tint, in more northern cities they have a yellowish or reddish color, and when moving to the east they become dark, sometimes almost black.

The photo shows a typical representative of the rough woodlice:

When entering houses and various human buildings this type often turns into a pest. These small crustaceans can be dangerous for greenhouses, farms, greenhouses, orchards and vegetable gardens. In basements and cellars they often feed on vegetables and fruits stored there, and in warehouses they can damage agricultural products.

However, if you come across such woodlice in the bathroom or toilet of your apartment, then you shouldn’t be particularly afraid - they don’t bite, don’t spoil interior items, and in general, are generally quite harmless. However, their appearance may indicate that somewhere nearby there is a damp room (attic, basement), from where they, in fact, crawl.

Trachelipus rathkei

This type of woodlice does not even have a generally recognized Russian-language name, but at the same time it is also quite common in many cities in central Russia.

According to the conducted scientific research, the abundance of representatives of this species is explained by the fact that they are distinguished by their excellent ability to adapt to environmental conditions. In addition, as it turned out, representatives of Trachelipus rathkei choose to live precisely those areas of cities where the development is most dense.

These crustaceans are distinguished by a characteristic shell that is slightly flattened and greatly expanded at the bottom, which makes them difficult to catch with your fingers. In addition, the antennae of Trachelipus rathkei are quite long - so much so that they can be used to distinguish even young individuals from related species.

Trachelipus rathkei is distributed throughout the world, and in the same large quantities, as in Russia, are found in Europe, the USA, and Canada.

Scientists are very attracted to the strong variability in sex ratios in different populations of these woodlice. In some cities, the population is dominated by males, in others by females, but experts still cannot find out the reasons for such fluctuations.

In the photo below you can see what an adult specimen of Trachelipus rathkei looks like:

Porcellio spinicornis

Porcellio spinicornis is another one known species woodlice, widespread in Europe and accidentally introduced into North America several years ago.

Porcellio spinicornis is characterized by the presence of two rows of yellow dots on the carapace, more or less clearly expressed in different populations and in individual individuals. Other distinctive feature This species has antennae of three segments, long and quite strongly curved at different angles on each segment.

Clearly visible in the photograph yellow spots on the shell of Porcellio spinicornis:

This is interesting

Porcellio spinicornis gravitates very strongly to places with the presence of limestone or lime. Most often, this species is found near chalk quarries, in houses made of foam concrete or in old churches with walls whitewashed with lime.

Cylisticus convexus

The woodlouse Cylisticus convexus is known for having spread throughout the world in a relatively short time. short term, but it cannot be called a typical inhabitant of urban buildings: Cylisticus convexus is almost never found in apartments. Individuals of this species prefer to settle on agricultural lands and in various buildings such as cowsheds, silos and currents.

This type of woodlice is well identified by its noticeable and fairly long cerci - protrusions at the end of the abdomen, similar to antennae:

"Domestic" species of woodlice in other countries

In Europe and Mediterranean countries, the list of typical “domestic” woodlice looks somewhat different than for Russia:

1. The first place in prevalence is occupied by the common woodlouse (armadillo), which is also characteristic of Russian residential premises, as well as various outbuildings.
2. But the second place is occupied by the famous desert woodlouse of Reaumur, which is considered, so to speak, the most terrestrial crustacean in the world, adapted to living in semi-deserts and deserts. This species is especially common in Lebanon, Israel, Egypt and Turkey - here it is found even in larger quantities than the rough woodlouse is found in the south of Russia.

In tropical countries, a significantly larger number of woodlice species live in apartments, but they are not much different from their relatives characteristic of central Russia. Even their size is not impressive - the largest representatives reach a length of about 3-4 cm, and only individual giants grow up to 5-6 cm.

Other arthropods that are mistaken for woodlice in the home

The appearance of woodlice is so specific that in our country it is very difficult to confuse them with any other guest in the apartment. And yet, many owners of apartments and houses still “succeed” in this.

For example, silverfish are sometimes called woodlice. True, this applies only to those people who have very rarely seen woodlice in their lives, because these creatures are completely different from each other. It is enough to look once at photographs of woodlice and silverfish to understand who is who:

This is interesting

In the south of our country, in cellars and basements, people often meet kivsyaks (the most common of them is Crimean kivsyak), which are also sometimes called woodlice. As in the situation with silverfish, nodule and woodlice differ so well that if you see these two creatures side by side, it will be difficult to confuse them.

But in the tropics there are centipedes with hard shells, very similar to woodlice, but, nevertheless, having nothing in common with them:

To distinguish these millipedes from the Glomeris family from woodlice, you really need to know some of the anatomy of each species.

For example, the common armadillo woodlouse can be confused with the centipede Glomeris marginata - these creatures are very similar in appearance. However, the centipede, unlike the woodlice, is almost never found in residential buildings and human buildings, preferring damp forest floor and spaces under stones.

Let's summarize.

On the territory of Russia, in an apartment or any outbuilding you can find mainly only two types of woodlice, which are easily recognized:

• common woodlice;
• rough woodlice.

What do woodlice eat and why is dampness so important for them...

Most often, woodlice can be found in basements. They also appear in the residential areas of private houses, emerging from underground. The peak activity of these creatures occurs at night, so you can catch them at the scene of a crime in the early morning or, conversely, in the evening.

This unpleasant-looking creature is mistakenly classified as an insect. It's actually a crustacean. It can cause harm to garden and home plants, as well as spoil vegetables that have been stored for the winter. Today we will look at how to deal with uninvited guests.

Variety of species

You might be surprised, but there are about 3,500 species of woodlice on our planet. Of course, apartment conditions are not suitable for all of them. Only some species of woodlice, the most unpretentious of them, are able to live next to humans. This is precisely what makes it difficult to get rid of them. Today we will look at the characteristics of each of the “domestic” species. First of all, we are interested in two questions: why do these creatures appear in our home and how to get rid of them?

Favorite places

All types of woodlice prefer damp corners. That's why they got that name. In an apartment, they can most often be found in the bathroom. The humidity here is always quite high. Packets of vegetables and flower pots- these are also their favorite places to live and breed. In nature, they also live on land, but prefer to settle in foliage, under stones or near bodies of water.

What do they eat? different types woodlice? This is mainly plant food. That is, roots, leaves and fruits. In addition, their diet may include microorganisms, both living and dead. Woodlice eat any food waste.

What does it look like

Most of you have seen these unpleasant creatures at least once. The body length of an adult is 1 cm. It is covered with a shell, but at the same time is divided into special plates, or segments. Everyone has a pair of legs. There are seven such segments in total. Some species, sensing danger, can curl up into a ball. This is due to the division of the body into segments. This is how the woodlice disguises itself and pretends to be dead. The body of this creature can have different colors - from gray to steel or brown, which distinguishes different types of woodlice. The color of the shell can be uniform or patterned. But these patterns don't make it any more attractive.

How dangerous are woodlice?

These pests can carry infections that are dangerous to humans. As mentioned above, wood lice do not feed on fresh vegetables and fruits. Only rotten plants and dead microorganisms suit them. Therefore, woodlice are a “breeding ground” for a variety of pathogenic bacteria and a source of infection. But it should be noted that woodlice are not among the most dangerous pests. The risk of infection from them is minimal. The woodlouse does not seek human contact, but is still an unpleasant neighbor.

They suffer houseplants. Pests devour leaves and roots, depriving the soil of oxygen, as they make it too dense. Pantries with vegetable supplies also suffer from gray crustaceans.

Reasons for appearance

Before we talk about how to deal with woodlice, you need to understand why they visited your home and what attracts them. If these factors are not eliminated, then other crustaceans will appear after them. Therefore, the struggle will not be effective. In order for woodlice to appear in a living space, several conditions must coincide:

• High humidity. Central heating solves this problem, usually in apartments, on the contrary, they install air humidifiers to neutralize dryness. Woodlice belong to the subtype of crustaceans and breathe with gills, that is, they will die in a dry room. If the faucet is leaking in the bathroom or the laundry is constantly drying, then problems are created there. optimal conditions for the appearance of woodlice.
• Gaps and cracks in dark corners apartments. They become cozy holes in which you can hide.
• A large number of organic residues. If you don't take out the trash and food waste bin on time, it becomes an excellent source of food for these pests.
• Malfunctions of the ventilation system. This leads to the formation of black mold, which also attracts woodlice.

Recognizing the enemy by sight

The most common woodlice that inhabits our homes is the common armadillo. It received this name because of the characteristic cover of the body. It resembles a dark, dense shell that rises slightly above the body. Such individuals are practically never found in apartments. But they reproduce well in damp cellars. They can also be found in flower beds, under stones. It is believed that they can cause significant damage to plants. But in practice it turns out that these woodlice prefer weeds, that is, they even bring some benefit. It is very easy to recognize these creatures: at the moment of danger they curl up into a ball.

Woodlouse rough

This is another popular species that is quite often found at home. It has a fairly soft shell and moves easily. Individuals willingly migrate throughout the house - from a damp basement to the attic on the roof. There are very interesting feature. You can argue for a long time what a woodlice looks like, because in different regions they may have different pigmentation. In the southern regions, woodlice are gray, in the northern regions they are yellow. If you catch this creature, it will not curl up into a ball, but will begin to move all its legs and arch.

If other species can be considered quite harmless, then the rough woodlice can cause serious harm. These creatures are very active; they can travel long distances and eat house plants. They are at the same time harmful to greenhouses and greenhouses, vegetable gardens and orchards.

Woodlice in the bathroom

Domestic woodlice is not directly dangerous to humans. If you notice this creature in the bathroom or toilet, you don’t have to worry too much. They will not be able to bite or harm finishing materials. But such an encounter should suggest that there is a very wet place nearby. There may be a water leak under the bathtub that needs to be found and fixed. Domestic wood lice will also disappear along with it.

Getting rid of uninvited guests

Now you can go directly to how to deal with woodlice. Respiratory system They can function only in a humid environment. That is, the main source of attracting woodlice to the bathroom is increased dampness in the room. Once this indicator is adjusted, the pests will disappear from your home on their own. The environment will become unsuitable for them.

Looking at photos of woodlice, you can see that these are small creatures with an almost flat shape. Therefore, they can easily hide in any crevice. This once again proves that hunting for every pest makes no sense. This is a waste of time and effort.

Ventilation

Poorly functioning vents are another source of pests. It is important to know where woodlice come from so that their appearance does not come as a surprise to you. To start air drying, you must first adjust ventilation system. To do this, it is best to call a specialist who will help assess the presence of air flows. There are several ways to optimize the ventilation system:

• Adjust the ventilation system plastic windows.
• Check the operation of the vents. The shafts can become clogged, preventing air circulation.
• Install special devices for ventilation of the room.

There are many options, but you need to choose them yourself. Woodlice, photos of which are given in the article, really do not like dry and cool rooms and will try to leave it as quickly as possible.

Prevention measures

It is very important to apply the entire range of measures to definitely solve the problem.

• It is imperative to repair the taps, replace leaky gaskets and eliminate leaks.
• Insulate the bathroom, install additional heaters if necessary.
• You should not dry things on a radiator in the bathroom. This dramatically increases the humidity level.
• The bathroom door should be kept open periodically. This avoids excess dampness.
• All cracks in the floor, walls and baseboards must be sealed with sealant. Then pests will not be able to penetrate from neighbors.

Folk methods of struggle

Now the good news is that you don't need to buy expensive drugs to get these creatures out of your home. What every housewife has at hand will be sufficient. And the very first on this list is boric acid. It can be bought at any pharmacy in powder or liquid form. The principle of operation of this tool is as follows. You already know what a woodlice looks like. She has a soft shell that is easily damaged. Boric acid corrodes it, resulting in death.

The way to fight is quite simple. In places where pests appear, you need to scatter the powder. Crawling along it, they will catch grains on their shell. This will be the reason for their death. If there is a damp corner in the house where there are a lot of pests, it is recommended to treat it with the following solution: 10 g boric acid need to be diluted in 0.5 liters of water.

Using dry kvass

This is a method proven by our grandfathers to get rid of woodlice. You need dry starter. Fill it with boiling water and spray it in places where pests accumulate. This method has proven itself very well as a preventive measure. As a rule, it is enough just to brew kvass a couple of times and treat the room with it. After this, the pests disappear.

Hot mixture

The mechanism remains the same. All these means work on the principle of contact action. Until the pest takes a walk on them, they will not cause him any harm. Eat special mixture, which has a detrimental effect on woodlice. Many years of practice have proven its effectiveness. To prepare this mixture you will need ground red pepper, soda ash and tobacco powder. It is recommended to take 3 g of all ingredients and mix with a liter of water. This solution should be used to treat all areas visited by woodlice.

Salt or lime

These are very simple and affordable means of controlling woodlice. Regular salt can become an indispensable assistant. It is scattered in paths along the baseboards, near the sink and toilet, near the trash can. Great way, since salt is not toxic to humans and pets. At the same time, it performs its function perfectly.

Quicklime is used to treat basements, cellars and storage rooms. It is scattered on the floor where the appearance of woodlice has been observed.

Instead of a conclusion

Woodlice are not too troublesome pests. In an apartment, they are most often found as individual individuals; only in the dampest corner can a whole brood be found at once. These creatures do not bite or get into food. But they differ in a rather unpleasant way appearance and can spread infection. It is worth noting that the fight against woodlice is not difficult or time-consuming. It is enough to just treat the room a couple of times with simple and available means and eliminate the cause of the dampness, and the wood lice will disappear on their own. Only in damp basements may it be necessary to carry out regular preventive work to prevent the spread of woodlice.

Destruction of woodlice

Is it worth ordering professional destruction of woodlice if they appear in your house or apartment? Is this insect dangerous? How to get rid of woodlice yourself and are there any ways to prevent their reappearance? In this article we will try to give you a comprehensive answer on how to deal with woodlice, and what needs to be done to ensure that this insect never appears in your house, apartment, garden, basement, etc. again.

What kind of “beast” is a woodlice?

woodlouse- the insect is small (from 10 to 18 mm), but one species, like a cockroach, causes disgust. It belongs to crustacean insects. You can recognize woodlice by its oval brown or brown body. gray. Lives and breeds in damp, dark places. He goes hunting for food only in dark time. During daylight hours he will hide in various secluded, dark and again wet places ah (hollow trees, heaps of manure, stones, etc.).

3 reasons why wood lice appear

1. Excess moisture- an ideal environment for woodlice. This is where you need to start killing woodlice. Excess moisture occurs due to breakdown of plumbing fixtures, leaks sewer pipes and poor ventilation in the kitchen, toilet and bathroom. Adjust and tidy up all these elements and air dry regularly. A heater, fan or air conditioner will help you with this. Leave the bathroom door open and ventilate these areas regularly.
The same applies to basements and cellars. There should also be ideal ventilation, otherwise you have yourself to blame;

2. Garbage in the apartment: A trash can that has stood for several days will act like a magnet on wood lice, so the trash can should not be left in a living space for more than a day.

Garbage in the basement or cellar: usually rotten vegetables. Try to remove empty containers immediately.
The same can be said for garbage in a greenhouse or in a garden: rotting leaves, broken bricks and stones, pieces of polyethylene, cuttings of tree branches - all these are excellent localization sites for woodlice. Get things in order!

Note! Woodlice get into greenhouses and greenhouses with humus, soil or manure.

3. Unwashed dishes in the sink and stagnant water in trays with indoor flowers. Don't leave it overnight dirty dishes and wipe dry trays of your favorite houseplants.

How dangerous are wood lice and how can you spot them in your home?

Woodlice do not bite animals or people. They mainly feed on moss, algae, rotting plant debris and bark. But when food becomes scarce and the colony size is high, they switch to a more varied diet:

Woodlice will start eating houses indoor flowers. Tropical ornamental plants- their favorite treat. Woodlice eat plants with thin, delicate roots and similar leaves, leaving noticeable damage on them. By the way, it is very easy to bring woodlice home from the balcony along with flowers when you take them out into the fresh air.
And look, if you notice that soil piles constantly appear in the flower tray, most likely the plant is infected with woodlice. They will hide in the ground, compacting it and thus disrupting the adequate supply of oxygen to the soil;

Woodlice in the garden, greenhouse or greenhouse will begin to eat vegetative plants vegetable crops. You will immediately notice how holes will appear on the sprouts and flowers that have just appeared;

Woodlice in a basement or cellar will cause significant damage to the vegetable crop located there.

In addition, this insect leaves dirt and feces on dishes and food. But the most dangerous thing is that woodlice has the ability to carry fungal pathogens and lichen through its paws. Therefore, this is not such a harmless insect as it seems.

What and how to get rid of wood lice on your territory?

1. From the above, it should be emphasized that you need to fight woodlice by removing excess moisture. This is the most important rule and without it no methods will work. This can be considered the first and main point.
For example, to remove excess moisture in a cellar or basement, you can use quicklime. Just sprinkle it on the floor or in special containers.
From now on, in greenhouses or hotbeds, water them moderately and, preferably, dry the soil;

2. Second the simplest way Connected with table salt. Scatter it in the corners of the room where you are fighting woodlice. You can spray a saturated salt solution;

3. Boric acid is a universal, practice-tested remedy that destroys the chitinous cover of insects and kills them. Spray a solution of boric acid in areas where woodlice accumulate;

4. Take 3 grams of hot red pepper, fine tobacco powder and soda ash, and dilute in 1 liter of water. The resulting mixture can also be sprayed onto areas where pests accumulate;

5. Another simple solution that can be prepared is to mix 100 grams of dry kvass with 0.5 liters of boiling water.

Advice! It is advisable to transplant the affected plant into a new substrate. Before doing this, you need to thoroughly rinse its roots in warm water or place the plant in a bowl of water for 20 minutes room temperature. This way, all the hidden insects will emerge or be washed away and will not be able to get into the new pot.

2 elementary and effective traps for woodlice

Summary: That's all. Perhaps the methods provided should be enough for you. A high-quality sanitary environment (cleanliness, efficient ventilation, moderate air humidity) will help prevent the appearance of woodlice.

P.S. SES SanEpidemStation does not recommend using disinfectants, purchased at the market, so that you do not harm your health. Many of these drugs are not certified and are unsafe. Be careful!

Woodlice are an important component of the office ecosystem and the menace of office women. English name: woodlouse (pl. woodlice) – wood louse, translated. Please love and respect.

As usual, let's start with educational program. 90% of citizens are absolutely sure that woodlice is an insect, and the number of legs does not bother them at all. So, in fact, woodlice is a crustacean! That is, in terms of kinship it is much closer to cancer than to a cockroach.

When I hear the word “woodlouse,” I first of all remember my distant childhood, when in our yard we had a drainage hole, covered wooden lid, on bottom side which always housed several dozen of these little armored insects. You could play with them: they ran briskly, and when scared, they curled up into balls, which were fun to roll between your fingers.

Woodlouse is the most terrestrial crustacean

And this is probably its main feature. Of all crustaceans, woodlice are the best adapted to life on land. Particularly distinguished in this regard is the desert woodlice, which, as the name suggests, lives in the desert. Some species of woodlice continue to live underwater.

Scientific classification(according to Wikipedia, simplified):

• kingdom: animals
• type: arthropods
• Class: higher crayfish
• squad: isopods
• suborder: woodlice

This is enough for us; all wood lice are very similar to each other.

Woodlice lifestyle

Existing on land, woodlice still breathe with gills adapted to breathing atmospheric air. For their normal operation necessary high humidity. This explains the woodlice’s extreme dislike of light and their nocturnal lifestyle. Same thing, but scientific language will sound like this: “woodlice are negatively phototropical.”

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Woodlice eat various kinds organic remains, mainly rotten wood, which is why they nest in large quantities under the bark of old trees and in other dark, damp places (remember English name– tree lice). In homes they prefer basements, secluded corners in bathtubs and toilets, various kinds of risers and communications.

Lifespan– up to 2 years.

Reproduces both through parthenogenesis and sexually.

Woodlice at home: why is it dangerous, how to fight it?

Woodlouse as a human partner safe. It does not spread beyond humid places, does not spoil food and wooden buildings, does not spread diseases, does not bite and, in general, is not interested in humans. In this regard, the presence of woodlice at home can be considered a sign high humidity, when eliminated they will disappear themselves.

To combat woodlice, I would, of course, recommend breeding a flycatcher at home, which will exterminate not only woodlice, but also flies, cockroaches and spiders, although, of course, I guess that many citizens will find the proximity to a flycatcher much more unpleasant than to woodlice. But this is a personal matter for everyone. I would suggest not touching the harmless bug.

If I haven’t convinced you, and wood lice still haunt you, then use insecticides. However, if the source of woodlice is not in your home, but they regularly come to visit from basements and other damp rooms in the neighborhood, then fighting them becomes almost impossible, because you need to fight the causes, not the consequences. One option is to kick the management company.

Woodlouse: video

Woodlice in nature

It is beneficial because it mainly consumes decaying plant remains and plays a role in soil formation. Basically, its functions in the garden are approximately the same as those of earthworms, although in some cases it can harm particularly delicate plants, incl. eat a strawberry. Woodlice serves as food for many animals and insects. Due to this circumstance, it can be bred specifically to feed domestic reptiles, spiders and other pets.

Exists separate species spider, Dysdera crocata, which specializes exclusively in woodlice.

During the Crimean bicycle trip, I happened to meet an entire population of sea lice. They covered in a continuous layer the shady depressions in the limestone cliff, not far from the surf.

Sea lice, pay attention to the tails

They were very different in size, from very tiny to one and a half to two centimeters. They behaved very vigilantly: when I approached within a meter, everyone began to run away at once, emitting the characteristic rustling of thousands of paws.

Literally a second - and the stone, almost completely covered with woodlice, turns out to be completely clean. In this regard, I did not catch a single large one; I managed to grab only one of the small ones. As we can see from the photo, these woodlice are very similar in appearance to our native land lice, but they have much longer mustaches and branching tails.

Woodlice molting (photo)

Somehow, under another stump, a newly moulted woodlice was discovered and photographed.

There is interesting nuance. Woodlouse sheds in parts, with the back half moulting a few days before the front. The photo clearly shows that this woodlouse has just shed its cover from the front part, and the back part has already acquired a darker color.

Woodlice molting is a waste-free process. The discarded cuticle is eaten and the building materials contained in it are put back into use.

In computer games

There are two computer games, which feature characters that I strongly associate with woodlice. These are harvesters from Dune II (whoever understands what we are talking about is an oldfag), and Protossian reavers from StarCraft. The latter are generally woodlice in their purest form.