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
July 19th, 2010 at 9:59 pm
I am going to try the dish soap recipe. My husband is going through bottles and bottles of spray. Our home is infested. I must have killed at least 75 today in my house. And they love to hang off of the side of our garage at night. EEEEWWWW!!!!!!!!!!!!
I am going to also rip out the two flower beds outside of our kitchen and behind the garage. Wish me luck!!! I have probably already used about 2 rolls of toilet paper and one roll of paper towels squishing the little devils!
July 14th, 2010 at 8:42 pm
This is so helpful. We’ve been growing herbs and vegetables for years but this is our first experience with Millipedes. We’re infested! And just like you said, especially at night. So much so that it is impossible to leave our home without stepping over them. Gross! And really creepy. I’ve tried a mix of hot sauce, dish detergent and water, and then vinegar. They really hated that. As it does smell rather pungent, I’m going to try adding dish detergent, like you’ve suggested, and more of it, to a water solution and see how it goes. Thank you so much for youe help. My neighbors and I really appreciate your help.
June 25th, 2010 at 9:48 pm
Hey! I am not saying to spray the laundry detergent, just sprinkle it out all around your house. We have a newer house also, 3 years old, so I just put the straight laundry detergent all around the carport, the other porches and all around the house. My husband pulled the pine straw back and we put the detergent. I used the cheap kind from The Dollar store. I CANNOT believe how good it works!! My husband did not believe it would work, he said I would listen to anybody!! But Lynn really did know what she was talking about and I am SOO Thankful!! Try it and let us know how it works for you. Later, Lisa
June 24th, 2010 at 1:48 am
I just recently have had a millipede invasion. I’ve lived in my home for four years now and have never seen one. Now out of nowhere they are all over the place. I don’t know what is attracting them. I hate bugs! You’re saying I should spray them with laundry detergent? I live in Florida. I don’t know if they are attracted to the hibiscus out front or what…really annoying. I would love to get rid of them. I feel like everyday I’m finding more and more. I just went around my house and flushed like 15 down the toilet.