Pillbug control · Southeast Michigan
Pillbug Control in Ann Arbor and Southeast Michigan
Pillbugs breathe through gill-like parts that need moisture, so most dry out and die within a few days indoors unless they find a damp spot. They usually come in at ground level from damp mulch and soil by the foundation. An exterminator reads them as a moisture sign first.
Quick answers
Pillbug control in Southeast Michigan: the quick facts
Pillbugs breathe through gill-like parts that need moisture, so in a dry house most dry out and die within a few days unless they find a damp spot. They usually get in at ground level from damp mulch and soil by the foundation. If they keep showing up inside, check for damp first.
- Most common here
- Common pill woodlouse
- Rolls into a ball when touched. A land crustacean, not an insect, that dries out easily and needs damp.
- Worst months
- Apr to Aug
- The months with the most sightings in Michigan, from public records anyone can check.
- How it gets in
- Damp mulch and soil by the foundation
- They walk in under a door or through a foundation crack from damp ground right outside it.
- Included in
- The Honorable Shield plan
- Covered by the plan, with free re-treatment between visits. Or book one visit.
Pillbugs in Michigan.
Pillbugs are not even insects. They are land crustaceans that need damp to survive, which is why they sometimes turn up in damp basements, usually after a long, wet spring.
A few outside is normal. Keep finding them inside? That may point to a moisture problem or a gap at a door or window. We treat the foundation and the damp spots they come from, and show you what to dry out.
Seasonal pattern
When are common pillbugs worst in Michigan?
This is when common pillbugs are actually recorded in Michigan, month by month, from public observation records rather than from a guess.
Warning signs
How pillbugs announce themselves.
Cool, wet spells let them build up in the mulch and leaf litter around foundations. Mulch beds right against the foundation keep them close to the house, and cracks and gaps in the foundation let them in. A treatment along the foundation can limit how many get in, but if the damp stays, the problem tends to come back.
Small gray bugs on the basement floor
Pillbugs along the base of a damp basement wall. Seeing them inside is a good sign that many more are living in the soil outside.
Bugs that roll into a ball
Touch one and it curls into a tight gray ball. Sowbugs look similar but have two tail-like parts at the back and cannot roll up.
Crowds under stones and pots
Lift a stepping stone, board or flower pot and find several on the damp soil underneath.
Dead ones in dry rooms
Most pillbugs dry out and die within a few days indoors unless they find a damp spot, so dead ones probably came in from outside.
What to look for
What a pillbug problem looks like at home.
Pillbugs live in damp soil and mulch outside, and their need for moisture may drive them indoors. These are six of the things people notice, and what each one tells us.
Small, gray and armored. Most dry out and die within a few days indoors unless they find a damp spot.
Stones, boards and pots over damp soil are where pillbugs live. A few is normal outdoors.
Rolling into a ball is how you tell a pillbug from a sowbug. Both are harmless crustaceans.
A gap under a door can let them in. Check that the sweep sits tight on the threshold.
A gap at a basement window can let them in. Clear wet leaves out of the window well.
Thick, wet mulch against the foundation keeps pillbugs close to the house. Pull the mulch and leaves back from the foundation.
How our exterminators treat pillbugs.
We work both sides of the problem: we treat where pillbugs live and get in, and show you how to dry out the damp they need.
Find the damp and the gaps
We inspect your basement, foundation, crawl space, and landscaping to find the moisture sources and entry points bringing pillbugs into your home.
Treat indoors and outdoors
We apply targeted treatments to basement perimeters, foundation walls, entry points, and exterior harborage areas like the damp mulch and soil where pillbugs live.
Dry it out and treat the perimeter
We provide specific recommendations for reducing moisture and modifying landscaping near your foundation, plus apply a residual perimeter treatment along the foundation to limit how many get in.
Every pillbug control visit
The full Honorable TriShield™, every time.
Three layers. The house, the lawn, then the property line. Not a rushed spray along your baseboards. A cheap quote usually skips two of the three.
Foundation barrier
Three feet up the wall. Three feet out from it. All the way round the house, plus windows, doors, the garage and the roofline. That strip is the road bugs use to get in.
Measured with a tape, not eyeballed
Granular yard moat
A ring of granules across the lawn. Rain wakes it back up. So does your sprinkler. In a Michigan summer that is most weeks.
Skipped by most companies. Granular costs money.
Property line
We spray the whole property line. Bugs get stopped at the edge of your yard, not at your back door.
The layer a cheaper quote quietly leaves out
For pillbugs: they usually live and breed in damp mulch and soil right by the house, inside the property line. Treating along the foundation can limit how many get in, but if the damp stays, they tend to come back.
How to tell a pillbug from a sowbug.
These are three of the pillbugs and sowbugs we treat that have confirmed sightings in Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties. Each photo comes from a research-grade record somewhere in the US, so independent naturalists agreed on the species.
Rolls into a ball. The one under stones, pots and mulch.
A shiny sowbug that cannot roll up. Of these three, it dries out fastest.
A sowbug. Looks similar but has two tail-like parts at the back and cannot roll up.
All of these have confirmed sightings in Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties. Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations, pulled 2026-09-25. Photos: Common pillbug by vrose96 (CC0); Common shiny woodlouse by kevinhemeon (CC BY); Common rough woodlouse by Katja Schulz (CC BY).
What it costs
Pillbug control is included in the Honorable Shield plan.
There is no special tier to buy. Pillbugs are covered by the normal plan. If they come back between visits, so do we, free, within 48 hours. Your price depends on the size of your house, not on which bug you have.
| Honorable ShieldRecurring | One-time treatmentSingle visit | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Keeping them out all year | Killing off one problem now |
| You get | All three barrier layers, every visit, on a schedule | All three barrier layers, one time |
| If they come back | We treat again, free | A follow-up is $247 |
| Other pests | Over 20 pests, rodents included | This one only |
| Price | From $61 a month | From $497 |
Prices are the starting figures: a home up to 1,000 square feet, or half an acre for yard work. What is covered is set out in the plan terms.
Pillbug control, answered straight.
What are pillbugs and sowbugs?
They are crustaceans (related to shrimp), not insects. Pillbugs roll into a ball when disturbed; sowbugs cannot. Both are gray to brown, about 1/4 to 5/8 inch long, and need moisture to survive.
Are pillbugs harmful to my home or family?
They don't bite, sting, or harm people or pets, and they cause little or no real damage in the house. But if you keep finding them indoors, it may signal a moisture problem or a gap at a door or window, so they are a warning sign worth checking.
Why are pillbugs in my basement?
Pillbugs breathe through gill-like structures and need moisture to survive. That need may drive them into basements when they are searching for water. They enter through foundation cracks and gaps, often from mulch beds near your foundation.
Will reducing moisture get rid of pillbugs?
Drying out the damp spots is the key. Removing leaves, mulch, stones and flower pots from close to the foundation, and keeping that ground well drained, may greatly cut how many get in. A treatment along the foundation can also limit their entry, but it is unlikely to solve a problem that keeps coming back unless the damp is fixed. That is why we treat the foundation and show you what to dry out.
When are pillbugs most active in Michigan?
They are largely nocturnal, so they move around mostly at night. Cool, wet weather lets them build up in mulch and leaf litter outside. Adults usually spend the winter in sheltered spots, which can include a damp spot in a heated building, and come out in spring.
Pest-Free Guarantee
They come back? So do we, free.
On Honorable Shield, see a covered pest between visits? We come back within 48 hours and treat it again. You pay nothing.
Pillbug control where you live.
Old streets with big trees get different bugs than new build on cleared ground. Pick your town to see what we actually find there.
That is not all of them. See all 38 towns, or ask us if we reach your street.
Other pests we treat
One plan covers every one of these. No extra charge when something different shows up.
From our blog
Every visit includes all three barrier layers. See what we treat, or ask an exterminator.
Pillbug control · Licensed and insured
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