Domakihub How to Get Rid of Woodlice in Your Home
Stop woodlice at the source by fixing moisture and sealing entry points before they take over.
Reviewed by Domakihub home & decor pros · 2026-06-23 · 5 min read
Woodlice — those small, grey, armour-plated crustaceans — thrive in the damp corners of Greek homes, holiday rentals, and hotel basement stores, especially after the wet winter months. The video above walks through the core treatment methods, and this guide builds on those steps with practical advice tailored to the conditions found across Greece, from stone island villas to urban apartments. Work through the steps below and you can clear an active infestation and prevent the next one.
Why Woodlice Invade Greek Homes
Woodlice are not insects — they are land-dwelling crustaceans that need moisture to breathe through their gills. In Greece, the combination of stone construction, poor subfloor ventilation, and seasonal rainfall creates exactly the humid microclimate they seek. Properties left unoccupied through the winter, which is common with holiday rentals and second homes on the islands, are especially vulnerable because no one is regulating indoor humidity or catching early warning signs.
They do not bite, sting, or damage timber the way woodworm does, but a large population signals a real moisture problem. Finding them indoors consistently is a flag that something wetter and more serious — rising damp, a slow leak, or blocked drainage — may be developing nearby.
Where to Look First
Start your inspection in the places with the least airflow and the most contact with soil or concrete: under kitchen and bathroom cabinets, behind washing machines, inside meter cupboards, along ground-floor skirting boards, and in any basement or storage room. In holiday rentals, check under outdoor furniture that gets pushed indoors at the end of the season, and inspect the gaps around external pipe entries.
In hotels and commercial properties the same logic applies but at scale — plant rooms, laundry storage, bin areas, and any room that backs onto a garden or terrace retaining wall are the highest-risk zones.
How to Get Rid of Woodlice: 5 Steps
- 1
Dry Out the Affected Area
Before any treatment, remove the moisture that is keeping woodlice alive indoors. Run a dehumidifier in affected rooms for 48 to 72 hours, fix any dripping pipes or tap bases, and ensure washing machines are properly vented to the outside. In basement rooms, lay a polythene damp-proof membrane on bare concrete floors and seal it at the edges. Woodlice cannot survive in a genuinely dry environment, so this step alone will reduce numbers significantly and make every subsequent treatment more effective.
- 2
Remove Outdoor Harbourage Near Entry Points
Woodlice breed in decaying organic matter just outside the building. Clear leaf litter, wood piles, damp compost, and stacked plant pots away from the perimeter walls. In Greek gardens this often means moving terracotta pot collections that are stored directly against the house wall, and cutting back dense shrubs or jasmine that keep the wall face permanently shaded and damp. The further you push their outdoor habitat from the building, the less pressure you put on the internal environment.
- 3
Apply a Residual Insecticide Around the Perimeter
Use a wettable powder or liquid concentrate labelled for crawling insects and woodlice — products based on cypermethrin or deltamethrin are widely available in Greek hardware stores (katastimata ylikou) and agricultural cooperatives. Apply a 30 to 50 cm band around the external base of the building, across thresholds, and along the internal skirting of affected rooms. Wear gloves and follow the label dilution exactly. Repeat after rain. In occupied holiday rentals, apply treatments between guest stays and ventilate thoroughly before the next arrival.
- 4
Seal Every Gap at Ground Level
Woodlice need a gap of less than 2 mm to enter. Work around the ground floor with silicone sealant and fill every crack where pipework, cables, or drainage enters the building. Replace worn door seals and fit brush strips to external doors that do not close flush. Pay particular attention to the junction between stone or render and the floor screed — this is frequently the entry route in older Greek construction. In holiday rentals and hotels, add this to the annual maintenance checklist before the summer season opens.
- 5
Monitor and Maintain Ventilation Long-Term
Place sticky monitoring traps in the corners where you found woodlice and check them weekly for the first month. If numbers drop to zero within three to four weeks you have broken the cycle. For ongoing prevention, keep sub-floor and cavity vents clear of soil and debris, run bathroom and kitchen extractor fans for at least 15 minutes after use, and consider a passive humidity indicator in any room that is seasonally closed. For holiday rental and hotel operators, schedule a brief damp inspection each spring before the rental season begins.
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FAQ
- Are woodlice harmful to humans or pets?
- No. Woodlice do not bite, carry disease, or damage structural timber. They are a nuisance and a sign of a moisture problem, but they pose no direct health risk to people or animals. That said, a large indoor population means conditions are damp enough to encourage mould growth, which does carry health risks, so the underlying issue is worth addressing promptly.
- How long does it take to get rid of woodlice completely?
- Once you have fixed the moisture source and applied a perimeter insecticide, most infestations clear in two to four weeks. If numbers do not fall after a month, there is usually a hidden damp source still active — a slow leak inside a wall, a blocked French drain, or condensation from an unventilated roof void — that needs locating before the treatment can work.
- Can I use natural methods instead of chemical insecticides?
- Yes, for mild infestations. Diatomaceous earth (fossilised algae powder) dusted along skirting boards and under cabinets damages the woodlouse exoskeleton and kills them without chemical residue — it is safe around children and pets once settled. A solution of white vinegar sprayed along entry points also acts as a deterrent. Natural methods work best as a supplement to drying out the area and sealing entry points, rather than as a standalone fix for a heavy infestation.