Centipedes & Millipedes
Millipedes are red, brown, black or coppery coloured with wormlike segments each having at least 2 pairs of legs for each segment. (not to be confused with centipedes that have only one pair of legs per segment).
Millipede(left)-Florida Agriculture, A group of millipedes (right)-J. Kalisch, UNL
Centipede (left)-University of Nebraska, Centipedes (right)-Techcom
Description
They are about 1.5cm long and are usually found coiled up like a spring when disturbed. Centipedes are a little longer. There are over 6,000 species found worldwide.
Desert Milipede in Arizona(left)-Young Entomologists Society, Red millipede (right)-William W. Bushing
Habitat and Lifecycle
Both are found everywhere throughout North America and many other countries. They tend to favour damp areas and in moist crevices. If millipedes are found in your house don’t worry too much as they do NO damage and they will die as they have nowhere to reproduce. If centipedes are found in you house, they can live up to 5 years. Both overwinter in the soil and emerge in the spring and their eggs are a little bit sticky and are laid in small clusters in the soil.
Millipede (left)-University of Delaware , Milliped group (right)-UC Riverside
Diet and Damage
Most species of millipedes feed on organic materials and other rotting garden debris. Millipedes are not often a pest but they have been know to eat beans, cabbage, carrots, corn, potatoes, strawberries and turnips. They sever seedlings, eat roots and burrow into fruits. There are some millipedes that are predators of other soil insects. If they are not attacking your plants I would just leave them as they work wonders in your compost breaking down organic material. I would suggest moving them into your compost pile rather than kill them. I have found no indications that centipedes cause plant damage. Millipedes have been known to eat small bugs, cockroaches, flies and a few other bugs in your house. My advice…..don’t kill these guys.
How To Control Centipedes & Millipedes
- Plant GuardianTM Houseplant Insecticidal Soap
Drench the soil or area where they are with insecticidal soap. My homemade recipe that is also effective: 1 or 2 tablespoons of any dish soap to one quart of water. Spray directly on the bugs. - Clean up Garden Debris
Keep your garden free of debris since this is an excellent breeding environment for them. Anywhere that is constantly moist should be controlled. - Hand Pick
This isn’t an easy task since they do most of their damage at night. dig lightly around the soil….you’ll see them if they are present. - *Here’s a true cute story about getting rid of millipedes:
One day when I was in the garden at 5 am… my elderly neighbour came running out of her house in her best curlers and house dress screaming! I thought maybe her husband was after her or some other major emergency. NO….it was an infestation of millipedes in her kitchen! Nothing bad there I told her. I went over to her house and swept them into the dust pan and dropped them in hot soapy water. I inspected around the foundation of her home outside and found that she had left all her weeds in a pile right beside her rain barrel. As soon as we cleaned up this mess, she never had another scare like that again LOL. She was truly thankful and baked me a lovely apple pie
April 2nd, 2008 at 8:28 pm
i was sweeping up the mess under my pot plants and i found almost 20 millipedes!!!!!!!!!!!! how do i get rid of them with a natural remedy that will not harm my cat?? [as my cat chews on some of the plants]
April 1st, 2008 at 11:54 pm
I have been finding millipedes in our front room and basement. We have lived in our house for 2 1/2 years we started seeing them last fall. I thought the dog was bringing them in or they were coming in on fire wood. But now that they are being seen in the basement I’m not sure. I just want them gone.
March 16th, 2008 at 11:34 am
Hey Cahri, my house is infested with millipedes inside and out! In my living room, bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and the patio floor is literly covered with them. Can you tell me how to get rid of them because its extremly embarassing, i’m afraid to have guests over.
thanks
October 17th, 2007 at 9:30 am
We too have found a serious number of these little pests in our home, expecially in out bedroom and they don’t make for good bedfellows! I am talking about milipedes! Yes, we have them everywhere! My wife tells me, either they go or I go! What can I do? I have checked around the house for old debree, however I have found nothing! Where are they coming from and better yet, who invited them? Help save my marriage! Merle in WA.
October 8th, 2007 at 9:29 am
I am being terrorized by these millepedes, if anyone knows how to get rid of them all in one hit and deter them from coming back i would love to know,
they are invading my house:(
September 3rd, 2007 at 8:59 pm
We have had millipedes invade our walkway and our basement and main living room in the spring and fall….. i will be trying the homemade control recipe…hopefully this will work, otherwise i will be trying the chemical version.
Anyone tried the homemade recipe with any good luck?
LT
August 3rd, 2007 at 10:25 pm
A broom and dustpan and removing moisture from problem areas
Regards Cahri
August 3rd, 2007 at 9:32 pm
Hello-
I read your story and would like to know what you used to get so many dead centipeds. I have rental property and rent to a friend who says shes been seeing alot lately. I would really appreciate it!
Thanks alot-
Vicki Atwater
July 21st, 2007 at 9:17 pm
We have been invaded by centipede bugs. We have sprayed and dusted with insecticides everywhere. Also put out granules. Now we get up every moring to hundreds of dead and few live ones. This has been going on for weeks. We have lived here 13 years and hardly seen any till now. What is thier life span, where do they lay their eggs? HELP!
June 20th, 2007 at 10:53 pm
Ok excuse me, now that I look at the pic above… They are centipedes…. With the really long and scaggely legs!!! EW!