Whether you have millipedes indoors or outdoors, in large numbers, these quick creatures can cause anxiety, they can be annoying, and they can even destroy vegetation and turf. Indoors, millipedes can stain furniture, carpeting, and other interior accessories. To find out how to control millipedes, both indoors and outdoors, continue reading to learn more.

One of the easiest ways to control millipede populations is to take away their food and shelter source. If you destroy their feeding and breeding grounds they will hunt for another place to dine and reproduce. Other ways to control millipede populations in the home is to repair (seal) splits and cracks in foundation walls, and around doors, basement windows, and similar openings. Properly ventilated basements and crawl spaces are a turn off for millipedes, and centipedes, as well.

Reducing the availability of moist resting places will help as well as some basic cleaning. Vacuum millipedes up and discard them in the trash outside. If you remove food sources, clean, repair cracks, and destroy all food and shelter sources and you still see a millipede or two here and there, you can try chemical controls such as Baygon, Ficam, or Sevin (Pinto 1990). It is important to note that chemical controls alone will not be effective against millipedes. You must incorporate all controls and preventative measures to successfully rid your home of these pests. Before using any kind of chemical controls for millipedes whether you decide to try Raid Foggers as a temporary solution or Ficam. Using chemicals in your home can be hazardous to pets and to small children.

To control millipede populations outdoors, there are several non-chemical controls that have proven to be effective. You can start by dethatching your lawn. Millipedes “thrive in the dense thatch layer of plant material just above the soil surface.” Next, “closely mow and edge the lawn so the lawn can dry more quickly and reduce the millipede habitat.” And finally, “remove debris that can provide a hiding place for millipedes. Pull mulch away from the house because it retains moisture, creating a good hiding place for the millipedes. Water grass in the early morning so that it can dry during the day.” –Alabama Cooperative Extension System (ACES)

If you still feel that you have to use chemical controls, “treat around the entire perimeter of the house in a 5- to 20-foot band. Apply a chemical, such as Baygon, Ficam, or Sevin (Pinto 1990). These chemicals will result in a quick kill because millipedes can move quickly across a treated surface. Wettable powders provide longer residual activity.” –ACES

If controlling millipede populations on your own doesn’t work, you should consider hiring a professional pest control service.

About Millipedes

Adult millipedes range in color from gray to brown. These anthropods are worm-like with cylindrical bodies. They are typically 13 to 38 mm long with a pair of short antennae. The adult millipede has at least 30 pairs of legs, although it can look like they have much more. So much more that the millipede earned the nicknames “thousand-legged worm,” “thousand-legged spider,” and “hundred-legged worm.” Millipedes have a large number of segments with at least two legs attached to most body segments. While it may look like millipedes mover at warp speed, they actually move very slowly as their legs move in a wave-like motion.

Although millipedes and centipedes may look alike at first glance, a second look will reveal many differences. Centipedes have flattened bodies and a pair of long, slender antennae. They also have a pair of claws just behind the head. Centipedes have roughly 15 pairs of long legs and only one pair on most of its body segments. Centipedes are the faster of the two, so they are tougher to catch.

Millipedes (and centipedes) live in just about every part of the world. Millipedes prefer to live in dark, damp places, while centipedes prefer places where they can hunt for insects and spiders. The millipede prefers to eat moist, decaying organic matter. Chances are, most people will come across a millipede and not a centipede, specifically the greenhouse millipede.

The types of millipedes and centipedes that enter homes usually do not bite. They do feed on vegetation and they can do damage to turf. Just because millipedes don’t bite, this doesn’t mean that these anthropods are welcome visitors. If you see many of them in a short period of time, they can become a nuisance.

Tip: It’s easy to mistake a millipede for a worm due to their elongated segmented-like bodies. The more accurate you are at identifying them, the better you will be at controlling a possible infestation. The millipede can easily pass for a worm if you’re not paying close attention. In many cases the worm that you see is actually an immature millipede.

Sources

Alabama Cooperative Extension System, www.aces.edu

This Old House, www.thisoldhouse.com

Previous Article « Why Do Birds Eat Worms?
Read Next Article » Should I Discard Clothing That May Have Come In Contact With Worms?

Read more:

1. What’s the Difference Between a Centipede and a Millipede?
2. Is it a Worm or a Millipede?
3. Millipedes and Centipedes in the Bedroom
4. Brownish Black Worms that Curl Up – Millipedes
5. Millipedes in the Basement

For similar stories check out our archives on: Garden Worms