Unfortunately without a picture or more information, we won’t be able to make any certain identification, but we can try!

The “curling up” behavior that our reader described is known as a common defense mechanism for millipedes. The description of the creatures our reader found also matches that of a millipede. Therefore, we believe that our reader is indeed dealing with millipedes (just like they suspected!).

When millipedes infest the indoors of a home, people often are anxious to get rid of them. However, in the outdoors millipedes are beneficial and a natural part of the ecosystem. Millipedes break down damp leaf litter and debris and feed on small insects. A sudden plethora of these creatures indicate that females have recently laid eggs and that these eggs are hatching. We hope our reader is satisfied with this explanation about what they discovered in their driveway!

To wrap up, our reader’s driveway and walkway was covered with black worms that curled up when bothered. We determined these to be millipedes.

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