Question
I know there is a big debate on what kind of damage pill and sow bugs actually do in a garden but I am not a believer.  I was hoping you might be able to help me figure out why my asparagus is being eaten before it sprouts. We planted it last year and took all the proper steps to prepare the beds.  This year we added the extra soil and carefully fertilized the plants in hopes of a small harvest.  Low and behold no fresh tender roots have been emerging from the soil.  So of course we had to inspect.. so we move away a little soil to find thousands.. no joke thousands of pill and sow bugs doing what appears to be eating the tender you asparagus shoots.  YIKES! Help!  How do I save my second year asparagus.. I hate to think of the long term effects.  Thank you!

Answer
They are not usually a problem unless you have thousands of them!  If you have an acid soil, you can pull back the soil and sprinkle wood ashes or water with a weak solution of lime (from limestone) in water will repel Sow and Pill bugs. If they are still a problem, you could use pyrethrem powder at night (if you apply it during the day it can harm beneficial insects.) Water in the morning to make it ineffective.  It will also break down quickly in the sun.  

Usually you plant asparagus on top of a rich mix of composted manure and compost so the roots are the only part of the plant in the rich soil. If the problem persists, you might want to tranaplant them, or remove the soil above the roots, and just put ordinary soil on top of them.  You have too much organic matter around the plants, which is making the bugs thrive and reproduce, and when there are too many, they will nibble on tender young shoots.