My polytunnel is infested with woodlice, probably because my compost contains sawdust (from the henhouse). If I had been forewarned, I could have put some hens in there before planting time but now I'm stuck.
I have successfully nurtured tomatoes, potatoes, onions and even cucurbits to the stage where they can do no damage but I'm fighting a losing battle with beans. Those sown directly in the soil are eaten as soon as they germinate and those started in pots only survive for a day or two. The creatures gather around the base and bite their way through, not unlike foresters felling a tree. I disturb them with a stick when I can but they return within minutes. I can accumulate them under damp flowerpots, newspaper etc but they scatter very quickly when disturbed and it is well nigh impossible to gather them up.
Though I try to walk the organic way in the footsteps of John Seymour and Laurence Hills, I would be prepared to use chemicals but none are available for these crustaceans. Do I just give up for the season and release the hens?