We recently received the classic request from a reader to identify some critters. She finds tons of these creatures on her patio nightly. She doesn’t know where they are appearing from or where they go during the day. She lives in Dorset, England where they have been experiencing a very wet winter that has turned her grass into mud.

The photo she attached shows three olive green or brown organisms lying in a Tupperware container. They look shiny and segmented, and might have legs (it is hard to tell from the picture). We are quite curious about these creatures!

With the assistance of the fabulous picture and details our reader included, we think these creatures are likely millipedes!

Millipedes rely on moisture for survival, and have been known to appear on patios and decks after heavy rainstorms. They often have a hard segmented shell, and many legs, which they sometimes tuck into their bodies. The specimens in the photo appear to have the characteristic shiny shell and tucked legs, but they are much greener than the millipedes we often see. However, this could be due to a difference in diet or any other various factors. Millipedes are known to curl up when they are in a threatening situation. If our reader has seen these creatures curling up, then they are definitely millipedes. Also, millipedes are active at night, so during the day she probably can’t find them because they are hiding and sleeping.

Millipedes live in places where soil stays damp, eating dead leaves and decaying wood particles. However, after heavy rains millipedes might migrate and find themselves on patios and porches and sometimes even inside homes.

Assuming these are millipedes, there is not a ton our reader can do to get these worms off her patio. Millipedes are quite beneficial to the ecosystem, so as long as they are not inside her house she shouldn’t worry. There might be some chemical solutions to deterring millipedes that our reader can explore at a gardening store if she wishes.

To conclude, a reader keeps findings tons of critters covering her patio at night. We think these are probably millipedes!

Summary

Article Name

Patio Likely Covered in Millipedes

Description

We recently received the classic request from a reader to identify some critters. She finds tons of these creatures on her patio nightly. She doesn’t know where they are appearing from or where they go during the day. She lives in Dorset, England where they have been experiencing a very wet winter that has turned her grass into mud.

Author

Dori Franklin