No Need To Fear Tiny Visitors In Your Home

Seeing insects in your home can often be unpleasant. However, for one small arthropod, there is no need for alarm as they are completely harmless.

The woodlouse, more commonly known as a sow bug, is a small invertebrate which can often be found under rocks, wood, or in basements.

Not actually an insect, the land crustacean from the order isopoda breathes through gills and must stay in damp environments as they search for decaying plant material.

John Gavloski Entomologist with Manitoba Agriculture says these animals are of no concern as they pose no risk to humans, carry no diseases and often only accidentally end up in a home.

"So often it's a basement or somewhere it's quite damp, maybe a woodpile near a house that's where they would be. Often when people find them this time of year they're bringing in firewood and they're coming in with the firewood."

To keep sow bugs out of your house Gavloski says to shake off any firewood before bringing it into your house and if there are any compost bins near your house to move it farther away as it's a great place for a hungry sow bug.

He notes any sow bugs found in the home can be easily swept up and placed back outside.

Gavloski says generally the bugs don't do well in a house environment due to low moisture levels. However, an established population could mean you have a damp basement with old plants and finding them could mean a search for possible water damage.