
“I have these small, tiny, dead, curled-up worms on my front porch”, writes Len about the black worm-like creatures pictured below. “What are they and how do I get rid of them? I assume they will be worse when it gets warm. I live in North Carolina, on the VA line.” Firstly, we want to thank Len for the great picture he sent us. Pictures like these, taken in great lighting and with a crisp quality, always help us identify the worms we are asked about. Secondly, we have to comment on the sheer number of worms he found, because it is truly impressive, though we understand that from Len’s point of view, it could be somewhat alarming.
Not to worry though; the worms Len found are actually not worms at all, but millipedes. Unfortunately, millipedes have a rather bad reputation for being creepy-looking. Generally speaking, people are not a big fan of creatures with over a dozen legs. Millipedes are arthropods, meaning they have segmented exoskeletons with pairs of legs joined at each segment. Despite their appearance, millipedes are harmless. The most they can do is secrete a foul-smelling toxin which can cause allergic reactions if touched with bare skin. For that reason, we do recommend that Len avoids physical contact with them. Other than that, millipedes just want to do their job for the environment, which is to eat rotting organic materials. Like earthworms, they help clean up such materials, and then return them to the earth as nutrient-rich waste.
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So, why are the millipedes gathering on Len’s porch only to die? Well, they are trying to get inside his home. Why? Because millipedes are really picky about their climate. They prefer cool and damp environments, and when the weather conditions are not meeting this requirement, they take to people’s homes. Typically, they will enter people’s basements or garages, as they are the least dry rooms in a home. Len is right that this will only get worse as it gets warmer, as the outdoors will become less and less favorable for millipedes. To prevent their invasion, we suggest our reader remove any organic debris from his porch and yard, particularly those that are closest to his home: millipedes are attracted to organic debris as they provide food and shelter. Similarly, he should keep his home as dry and warm as possible, so as to create an unfavourable environment inside. However, if more millipedes show up on his porch only to die, the best he can do is just remove the millipedes from his property. If he is not removing them fast enough, it could be that other millipedes are following the ones that already went to his porch.
In conclusion, the horde of dead worms on Len’s porch are millipedes. They are not harmful, but invasions of this size are never pleasant, no matter how harmless a creature is. We hope this helps, and we wish Len the very best!
All About Worms is always free, always reader-supported, we don't subject you to ads or annoying video pop-ups. But it does cost us money out of our pocket to keep the site going (nearly 20 years so far!) So your tips via CashApp, Venmo, or Paypal are appreciated! Receipts will come from ISIPP Publishing.
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