Are woodlice harmful to humans?

Woodlice are harmless creatures, and don’t present any health risks to humans. As mentioned, they may cause superficial damage to wooden upholstery, but woodlice are otherwise benign.

Do woodlice carry germs?

Woodlice, which are not known to transmit disease, may cause superficial damage to decorations and possibly furnishing in your home. Woodlice feed on mould growth, leaves and rotting wood, they are known to damage wallpaper which may be due to feeding on minute mould growth on the paper causing incidental damage.

Can you touch woodlice?

Hold the woodlice gently when you want to handle them. If you’d like to take a woodlouse out of its container to observe, carefully pick it up with your thumb and forefinger. Leave it in the palm of your hand until it unrolls.

Should you kill woodlice?

A healthy garden will have a balance of predators and prey, so there’s no need to kill any woodlice outdoors yourself. Woodlice help to recycle dead plant and vegetable matter. Woodlice occasionally come into houses from gardens, but they’re unable to survive for long indoors unless they find a damp place to shelter.

Should I worry about woodlice?

Woodlice do not carry any diseases that can be transmitted to humans and they don’t eat our food. As such they do not pose a threat to us. An exterminator may remove the woodlice, but they aren’t the real problem. A carpenter may be needed to repair the house.

Do woodlice cause damage?

Woodlice do not usually damage healthy plants, they can however become associated with damage which has other causes such as slug damage or plants that have died and begun to rot. Woodlice occasionally damage very soft plant tissues, such as seedlings and sometimes strawberry fruits.

Do woodlice sleep?

Like their aquatic relatives they do not have a waxy body covering so they easily dry out. This is why woodlice hide away in cool, damp places during the day and come out at night.

Do woodlouse spiders bite?

A bite from the woodlouse spider can be painful to humans, but their venom isn’t believed to be all that harmful. If you’ve been nipped, you can expect some localised pain and a bit of itchiness – but no serious medical problems.