Millipedes prefer the comfort of damp, dark places such as the undersides of stones and boards, or in plant debris. If the conditions outside are too wet or dry, you may find these pests inching their way into your home. Here's how to control them.
Millipedes feed on decaying vegetation. So avoid leaving root crops, degrading flower bulbs, and overly ripe fruit on wet ground. If the infestation is large, millipedes can sustain themselves on small roots, seedlings or vegetable seeds.
If you already have an infestation, sweep them up with a broom or a vacuum. You can also pick up these benign creatures by hand. Another option is to use ORTHO® Home Defense MAX® Outdoor Perimeter Insect Killer Ready-Spray®. Applying Ortho® Home Defense MAX® Insect Killer Granules will control millipedes for the entire season (3 months).
Often called the thousand-legged worm, the hard-bodied millipede is brown, pinkish brown, or grey in color, and is 1 or more inches in length. Each of its numerous sections has one pair of legs, making the total leg count between 30 and 400 per worm. If you touch one of these centipede relatives, it will curl up into a small coil.
