Millipedes

INFORMATION

Millipedes live in and feed on rotting leaves, wood, and many kinds of moist decaying plant matter. Generally, their role is beneficial in helping to break down dead plant matter. However, when they become numerous, they damage sprouting seeds, seedlings, ripening fruits in contact with the ground. Sometimes individual millipedes wander from their moist living places into homes, but they usually die quickly because of the dry conditions and lack of food. Occasionally, large numbers of millipedes migrate, often uphill, as their food supply dwindles or their living places become either too wet or too dry. They may fall into swimming pools and drown. When disturbed they do not bite, but some species exude a defensive liquid that can irritate skin or burn the eyes.

APPEARANCE

Millipedes, or "thousand-leggers," are brownish, elongated, cylindrical to slightly flattened creatures, and have two (most common) or four pairs of tiny legs per body segment. Millipedes do not have thousands of legs; even the largest ones have somewhat less than 100. When they walk, their legs move in an undulating wavelike manner. Adult millipedes vary from 1/2 to 6 1/2'' in length. When prodded or at rest, most millipedes curl up. The three species found in California are the common, the bulb, and the greenhouse millipedes. Millipedes may be confused with wireworms because of their similar shapes. Wireworms, however, or click beetle larvae, have only three pairs of legs, and stay underneath the soil surface.

Millipede Control

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