What is this bug? Should I be concerned?

[roblaur]

So I received my order from Hausermann's today and was super stoked. I usually repot most orchids right after I get them, and the Encyclia radiata had new growth producing fresh roots, so it was perfect timing. As I was rinsing the last of the old potting media away, a couple of these guys appeared... I grow indoors so I don't usually have bugs in my collection. What are these and are these harmful? Do I need to treat them with anything?

[estación seca]

Those are pillbugs. They eat decaying dead plant material until that's gone, and then they start on live plant parts. Remove all the old medium and soak the plants for a couple of hours. That will drown them.

[roblaur]

Originally Posted by estación seca

Those are pillbugs. They eat decaying dead plant material until that's gone, and then they start on live plant parts. Remove all the old medium and soak the plants for a couple of hours. That will drown them.

Awesome. Drowning was my plan A anyway. Thank you!

[PaphMadMan]

Yes, a pillbug. Any greenhouse or part-time outdoor collection is likely to have them. Technically a crustacean, so some insecticides are completely useless, but they are rarely a serious problem. Drowning won't be 100% effective but sometimes repotting in fresh media is all it takes.

[will1986]

I only ever see them around plants that should have been repotted a year or two ago. They like soft, wet things, so they aren't fond of fresh bark. Drowning will kill them, and repotting will keep new ones from moving in.

[Leafmite]

Pillbugs were never a problem for me until last year when the population exploded indoors and they ate the roots and damaged new buds of my Cattleyas.

[roblaur]

Thanks everyone. I soaked and repotted in fresh bark. I thoroughly searched and cleaned, and I only found 2 total. Hopefully that was all of them. Since it's a new addition, I will be quarantining everything from that shipment and keeping an extra close eye on them. I don't want anything contaminating the rest of my collection.

Cheers!

[bil]

If the media is allowed to dry between waterings, it is less atractive for them.