Millipedes

You've waited all week. It's a beautiful spring evening and your family just arrived from an outer island. Everyone is enjoying themselves on the patio. The barbecue is hot and you're ready to grill your Porterhouse steaks. You return from the kitchen with your favorite barbecue sauce. As you approach the grill you hear and feel that characteristic "crunch" under your slipper. You look down and see that you've stepped on a millipede.

One of the frequently asked questions we hear is: "What can I do to get rid of millipedes?"

Millipedes normally live outdoors in damp places such as in decaying leaves and mulch. Sudden climatic changes (heavy rains, hot dry weather, etc.) will often drive them from their normal habitats in search of more favorable conditions. This is when they show up in your house and become a problem.

Although relatively harmless, millipedes can produce an acid-like secretion which can result in light brown stains on your tile or carpet. What can you do to get rid of them? Remember that they live in decaying leaves and mulch. They also dwell in thick-thatched lawns. Millipedes feed on decaying organic matter as well as new roots and foliage.

Eliminating millipede-nesting areas can greatly reduce the population. Keep plant mulch and decaying organic matter to a minimum. This is fundamental to controlling millipedes.

If organic matter has been minimized and the millipede population remains unacceptable, chemical control measures may be necessary. An appropriately labeled residual insecticide can be applied around the perimeter of the house out to about 15 feet. Be careful to assure the insecticide gets down to the soil surface. Insecticide granules may also be used.

As with any insecticide check the label for instructions. Make sure that millipedes are listed as a target pest on the label, and follow the application directions. Always keep pesticides out of the reach of children.

Remember that your goal is not to try to kill every millipede in the neighborhood, but to achieve a tolerable level. Exterior pesticides break down quickly due to rain and sunlight, so don't expect that the yard treatment that you did 2 months ago is still around. A regular maintenance program will be best to keep millipedes in check.