Berries that have been damaged and are oozing fluids are most attractive to the beetles. Timely harvesting of fruit will often prevent most of the injury caused by these pests. These pests are crustaceans and are more closely related to shrimp, crabs, and crayfish than to insects. Adults are oblong, hard-shelled, brown to gray in color, and resemble small armadillos. Immatures resemble small adults.
Winter is passed in debris and sheltered areas as inactive adults and immatures.
In the spring, females deposit 7 to 200 eggs in a pouch on the underside of their bodies. Eggs hatch in 3 to 7 weeks and the young may stay in the pouch for up to 6 weeks after hatching. There are usually two generations produced each year and individuals can live up to 3 years. Sowbugs and pillbugs have high moisture requirements. They normally feed on organic matter and often develop high populations in mulches, grass clippings, leaf litter and soils high in humus.