Millipedes

• Latin Name: Narceus americanus
• Length: 27 – 38 cm
• Color:brownish-black or mottled with shades of orange, red or brown

How to get rid of Millipedes?

To get a pest problem under control, inspection is the first and foremost step. Millipedes are attracted to dark, cool, moist environments, usually going unnoticed in the summer due to their nocturnal habits and tendency to disperse. They feed on living and decomposing vegetation and occasionally on dead snails, earthworms and insects. They cannot tolerate water-saturated soil, which forces them to the surface and higher ground. Likewise, dry, drought conditions can stimulate migration. In the autumn, it is believed they may migrate for better overwintering sites. If one or all of these conditions exist, sometimes hundreds or thousands (shovelsful) of millipedes are found in garages, first floor rooms and basements. Others believe that migration may occur when the food supply dwindles in October and November.

These creatures are usually abundant in compost piles and heavily mulched ornamental plantings, moving out shortly after sunset sometimes into dwellings. Over the past years, they have migrated in large numbers during a period of unusually warm weather for the time of the year (75°F) and then would immediately stop when a quick drop in temperature (cold snap) occurred. Anyone handling these creatures without gloves will notice a lingering odor (hydrogen cyanide-like), and the fluid may be harmful if rubbed into the eyes. If crushed, millipedes may stain rugs and fabrics.