One of our readers sent us a picture of a little critter that he has been finding in his home. He said that each day and night, he and his family see dozens of these things on the carpet or tiles of their home and even on the walls every now and then. He says that they are very slow moving and are about 1 to 1 ¼ inches in length. He did mention to us that there had been a lot of rain in their area for about the last 2 to 3 weeks. He said there seems to be more of these critters since the rain started. After looking at the picture, these creatures are probably millipedes.

Here is the picture:

Millipedes are generally brown and black in color like the one in our reader’s picture. They have two pairs of legs that are attached to each body segment. They are usually found outdoors where there is a lot of organic matter for them to eat. They like to feed on decaying matter like wood chips or decaying plants.

When the weather changes drastically, this is one of the factors that drives millipedes into homes. If there are extremely wet seasons, this will drive them into homes. This could be what has happened to our reader’s home. The wet weather has been the factor that has driven these critters into his home.

Our reader can make sure that these millipedes do not get into his home by keeping items like firewood out of the home or keeping the wood off of the ground. There are many items that could be harboring moisture in the home and this could be very inviting for the millipedes as well. He could make sure that any cracks in the home are sealed and all windows and doors remain closed. This will help keep these little critters out of the home.

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