Why Do I Keep Finding Millipedes In My House?

Table Of Content

• How to Get Rid of Millipedes
• Damage caused by millipedes
• Reduce Houseplants for Millipede Control
• They may be pretty, but it’s best to avoid this centipede in California.
• What is the fastest way to get rid of millipedes?
• What Are the Signs You Have a Millipede Infestation?
• How to Get Rid of Millipedes in Your House

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How to Get Rid of Millipedes

A professional pest control company usually will set you up with a multi-layered approach to keeping millipedes out of your house, including sealing off gaps and cracks. If this sounds appealing, call a professional in your local area. Cardboard boxes are cheap, sturdy, and great for storing things, but they are also like flashing welcome signs for pests.

Damage caused by millipedes

If the foundation of your house isn't sealed very well, it's easier for them to find their way in. Moist-wet mulched garden beds are attractive breeding grounds for millipedes. Mulch and thick vegetation touching the foundation and/or covering siding allow millipedes easy access to the house and can make chemical treatment difficult. These centipedes are often found in desert habitats but can also be found in more tropical climates and along the seashore. They are typically found in logs, crevices, burrowed in the soil, or under stones.

Reduce Houseplants for Millipede Control

Of the 7,000 species, 1,400 live in the United States and Canada. Pesticides are typically a short-term solution to a long-term problem. Emphasis should be placed first on reducing conditions and access points favorable to millipede invasions.

The majority of millipedes seen in people’s houses are black or tan in hue. The legs are separated into seven sections and are mostly identical. Without millipedes, the earth would have a hard time breaking down all the leaves that fall every autumn. They also help to break down tree stumps, rotting logs, and even your compost pile. In terms of usefulness, millipedes rank beside or maybe even just above earthworms.

However, millipedes can be annoying as accidental invaders in houses and other buildings when they migrate into buildings over night. Millipedes are usually found in the garage, basement or lowest level although they may wander into other parts of the house. Millipedes in greenhouses, gardens and potted plants may be annoying but do not feed on the plants unless the plant is laready damaged or decayed. Growth and development occurs in damp areas with decaying organic matter. Millipedes live outdoors or in damp locations such as greenhouses and hide during the day under leaves, needles and dead plant debris, or in cracks and crevices. They are most active at night when the humidity is higher or when dew is present.

If you find a few in your basement, they may be able to live longer with a source of food and water, so it’s important to figure out what they’re using for food and cover. If houseplants are infested you may decide to discard the plants. For plants you wish to save, remove any soil-covering mulch or moss and allow the potting soil to dry out as much as the plant can withstand between waterings. The soil surface, cracks along the edges of the pot and the area between the pot and saucer can be sprayed with a houseplant insecticide to further help eliminate millipedes. Millipedes spend the winter as adults, hiding in protected locations.

Getting rid of other pests from your house will go a long way toward reducing the number of house centipedes you see. There is a possibility, if you have outdoor plants you bring in during the cold months, millipedes could have laid eggs in there. That’s a big “IF” because millipedes prefer decaying plant matter to living. Coleoptrata showed the ability to distinguish between possible prey, avoiding dangerous insects.

Elements of the venom have antimicrobial properties against many diseases that can make humans sick, including E. The western fire centipede, Scolopocryptops gracilis, is a long, bright red centipede with burning venom, meaning a bite from this centipede is going to hurt. These centipedes are native to California, but they are mostly found burrowing in tree bark and only coming out during the rain or at nightfall to go hunting. Southern California is home to several different centipede species.

Twice a year, millipedes pack up their belongings to seek new digs. It’s not understood why they do this, but the mass migration happens in spring and fall. With this economical 75-pack of glue traps, Catchmaster Bulk Pack Mouse and Insect Glue Boards can stop the millipede invasion in its tracks.

Lisa Jo Lupo is a pest control expert with over 25 years of experience in the pest control industry, writing about pest identification and management. Some of the fluid could be toxic in large quantities, but the amount millipedes produce is harmless to people. If millipedes are in your house, you probably want to know how they got there, whether they're dangerous, and how to get rid of them. Use a gravel border 6-12" out from foundation walls to allow for better drainage. The bite of the Common Desert Centipede is one of the most painful bites possible from an arthropod. Much worse than a wasp sting, it has been compared to the Bullet Ant Sting and will almost certainly send you to the emergency room.

If their current outdoor home is no longer conducive, these arthropods are left with no choice but to migrate. No one wants their home to be invaded by these worm-like bugs with hundred tiny legs. • When they walk, their legs appear to move in a wave-like motion, and they will curl up into a small coil when resting or disturbed.

House centipedes will only stay where they have an ample food source. Centipedes are also partial to moisture, so investigate to ensure there are no leaky pipes or appliances that need repair. If you discover no such problems, adding a dehumidifier to dry out moist areas like a basement may send the house centipedes packing. Controls for millipedes are aimed at keeping millipedes outdoors or reducing their numbers at the source.