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, are click beetle larvae, have only three pairs of legs, and stay underneath the soil surface.

Millipede Control

Millipede control begins outdoors by removing harbor aging places that hold moisture, such as wood debris, rocks, grass clippings, and leaf litter. Firewood should be stored off the ground. Lawns should be watered in the morning to promote drying by the afternoon. Flower beds should not be over mulched. Entry into building should be prevented by sealing and caul king gaps around siding, windows, doors, pipes, wires, etc. Large numbers of these structure-invading pests are easily controlled by vacuuming and discarding the collected material. A good residual sprayed along entry pts., cracks and crevices, and baseboards is important. Even more important, a good residual sprayed on the outside, in particular, the exterior walls that the millipedes are entering the home. Cyonara 9.7 or Cynoff WP work well when sprayed 3 feet out, along the foundation and 3 ft. up the exterior wall as well as sprayed around the entry pts, like doors and windows. Cyonara 9.7 will not leave a visible residue seen on dark surfaces as where Cynoff WP will. Repeating these liquid residual insecticide treatments are suggested every 3 months. You may also want to use an aerosol like D-force HPX or CB Air Devil HPX. Spray these products around doors and windows and other places where these pests may enter premises. Repeat treatment of this aerosol once a month. Talstar EZ or Deltagard G would be an additional treatment around the house to serve as a barrier. The advantage of granule treatments in addition to liquid residual barriers is that they hold up under rainfall. Repeat treatments of granules every 3 months.