The experts on the soil forum mostly say that pill bugs eat damaged, decaying organic matter. They will only eat living healthy plants if there is not enough decaying organic mater in the soil. I believe this is true. Another bug, possibly slugs, are most likely the culprits doing the damage. Then, after the damage is done, the pill bugs come in and eat that damaged tissue. I've read that they even eat the slug slime.

Have you gone out with a flashlight at night and checked for slugs? You might want to try that and also set slug traps (a flat board on wet soil overnight, or a dish or beer sunk into the ground). Then check your trap first thing early in the morning for slugs. BTW, iron phosphate products are wonder cures for slugs.

I feed my pill bugs. I have millions of them and they never damage my plants. A few weeks ago I sifted and spread some finished compost. The pill bugs of course go right thru the 1/2 inch hardward cloth sieve. The sifted compost that was in the wheelbarrel was crawling with pill bugs. I spread that in my garden several weeks ago and they have not damaged a single plant. I suspect they're too busy eating the decaying matter which makes up the compost.

We did get rain all day Friday, and those pill bugs love moisture, so they're probably happy in your garden, hiding from the sun under your plants. But I doubt they're the culprits doing the damage. Slugs love moisture, too.

Like most soil and bug problems, a good solution is to feed your soil plenty of organic matter. The pill bugs will be too busy eating that to bother your plants.

Karen