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Parasites > Sowbug
Parasites > Sowbug

What does it look like?

Sowbug is not an insect. It is an adapted terrestrial crustacean. It looks like a little war tank. Sowbug is grey or brown. It is between 8 to 15 mm long. The sowbug shape is oval, its carapace has several segments. It moves slowly.

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Does it represent any risk for me or my belongings?

Sowbug is harmless and it does not do any damage to house structures. It cannot establish and reproduce itself inside human buildings under normal conditions.

It is nocturnal and avoids light. It is rarely seen during daytime. Sowbug feeds on plant debris and fungi and moisture in decaying wood.

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Why do I have Sowbugs?

Sowbug is often seen where there is an excessive humidity, under stones, in dead wet wood, under construction materials, etc. It is quite strong and has the capacity to deeply dig and move in soil. It can use and go through very thin cracks and crevices.

Sowbug is very good to detect high humidity levels. Their presence in structures reveal excessive humidity problems relayed to decaying wood, wet materials, water infiltration or condensation points. Sowbug is more abundant on rainy years. In dryer situations, sowbug tries to find more humid areas such as cracks, foundations, basements, etc.

Signs

There is no specific signs of their presence. The main sign is when you see many sowbugs in groups, running along the baseboards. The sowbug does not produce any stinky repellent.

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What to do if I have Sowbugs?

A sowbug infestation requires a complete indoor and outdoor inspection. We need to know the origine and the causes of the problem. Our insect biologist will use the IR thermography for the detection of all condensation zones and the energy lost around the window frames or other areas.

Sowbugs will often hide in big numbers in locations where humidity is 70% or higher.

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