The Common Woodlouse – Friend or Foe?
Woodlice are insects that we see very often in the garden. Their main purpose in life is to eat wood so should we be worried about them around our bonsai?
Well the simple answer to that is yes you should be worried if you see them in your bonsai pot. They do eat wood, but they only eat rotting wood. So it can be a bad sign if you see them in the pot near the roots. It probably means that your tree has got a bit of root rot going on.
They will not eat wood if it is not rotting so it’s a good indication that something wrong is happening under the soil.
How can we stop them eating the roots? Quite easily actually. You need to repot the tree making sure that it has got ample drainage. Drainage is vital in a bonsai pot to make sure that the roots don’t get waterlogged and end up rotting (which will attract woodlice). Be sure to repot the tree in early spring which is the best time to do so.
