Millipedes

[SB8476]

We are being over taken by millipedes. They are crawling through our lanai, up the sides of our house and into the pool. We just moved into our new house in early July, and they started appearing in early August. Deans has sprayed 3 or 4 times for them but it has not resolved the problem. Any suggestions?

[Polar Bear]

Do you have Oleanders in your yard, or nearby?

[steaknife]

We had them last year shortly after we did some landscaping. Nothing we could do would take care of them. We had the professionals out, talked to the extension service, etc. but they finally went away their own. We bought all kinds of products, but because they have a hard shell, nothing works. Some said try talc, but we had no luck.

[PaPaLarry]

Get some of those "Sticker Boards" at Home Depot, and put them around your lanai.

[PandG]

The promise of a short millipede season has long ago expired. :yuck: They've certainly outlived their welcome!

We suspect they hitched a ride to our yard in the pine straw. Is anyone else still seeing these critters outside or inside?

[SB8476]

We are also using Dean's and they indicated that they would last a few months and should be gone shortly when the weather turns colder. We had a lot of them come out yesterday and today after the rain. We have probably killed over a thousand of them since August. We think that ours started after our neighbor began to build their pool. However we also had new pine straw delivered and them also seem to be worse since then. Deans indicated that they occur in new construction and wooded areas. We live in Fernandina on Bonifay Path and moved in this July.

Good Luck!

[Lovey2]

Had these off and on down in Cape Coral (Southwest Florida). You cannot spray or treat for them. They WILL slowly go away, and may not come back for a few years, or just might...who knows? There seems to be no rhyme or reason. I never had them till I was in my home about 10 years and only had them bad once, but a friend of mine had them crawling up her walls a few years running. Just don't crush them, if you can help it..they are smelly...therefore, I resisted the urge to vacuum them up out on the lanai. Also, the oleanders are famous for those orange caterpillars, not millipedes, that I know of. Love the plant and treated mine down in the root system from when it was small, but still had to pull it out because of the caterpillars. They can give you a bad sting if you touch them.

[llaran]

You can try Borax. ..the old 20 mule team. Or there is a diatomaceous earth. They both work on the legs of roaches and might work for you.

[bill50]

The only product we found that works for milipedes is Direct CS.

[Easyrider]

We are being over taken by millipedes. They are crawling through our lanai, up the sides of our house and into the pool. We just moved into our new house in early July, and they started appearing in early August. Deans has sprayed 3 or 4 times for them but it has not resolved the problem. Any suggestions?


I would use Tal Star.....

Do My Own Pest Control

Millipede Control (http://www.domyownpestcontrol.com/millipedes-c-150.html)


How to Get Rid of & Control Millipedes

Indoors: If you find a millipede in your home, don’t panic. Most of the time, there is no control measures necessary, since millipedes generally can’t survive indoors. A millipede infestation is more likely to occur outdoors than indoors. If there is a very damp area of your home, try to dry it as best as possible. Focus on area of your home that is infested; if you want to use pesticides, only treat this area. Seal all possible entry points that the millipedes are entering in from, and sweep or vacuum up any dead millipedes.

Outdoors: Reducing the possibility of millipede populations from building up in your yard will reduce the population of millipedes from entering your home.

Habitat modification is the key to reducing millipede populations. Since millipedes live in and eat organic matter, trying to remove as much excess organic matter as possible like piles of weeds, leaves, etc.
Over-mulching and overwatering can create damp environments for many pests, not only millipedes. Avoid overwatering and use rocks or other materials instead of mulch if possible.
Always pick fruit or vegetables as soon as they are ripe to prevent millipedes (and my other pests) from using them as a food source.
A residual insecticide can be applied around the perimeter of your home and on the foundation walls and on window and doorsills (outdoors).

Millipede Identification

Millipedes are worm-like arthropods with cylindrical, shiny bodies. They are brown to black in color and are about one to two inches long. The legs of a millipede often give them away. They have two pairs of legs to each body segment, and the number of segments depends on both the species and age of the millipede. People often get centipedes and millipedes confused. Centipedes have far fewer legs and much longer, more visible legs, with long protrusions coming from the front and back ends of their bodies, while millipede legs are very short and hardly visible if viewed from above.

Millipede Habitats

Millipedes need cool, damp places to live. Outdoors, you will find millipedes under stones, in leaf mold, mulch, compost, compost heaps, grass clippings. At certain times of the year, millipedes tend to migrate and may find their way into your home, again searching out damp and cool areas like basements, crawl spaces, window wells, and garages. This migration could be correlated to changes in weather and mating behavior.

Millipede Damage

Millipedes are often considered to be beneficial, because they help to break down the soil, but sometimes they feed on your garden. Overripe fruit in contact with soil, like strawberries or tomatoes, or roots and seedlings of beans, corn, and peas are sometimes affected. They can crawl their way in to cabbage, potatoes, beets, and other root vegetables. If inside your home, they will not cause any physical damage. Many people are concerned about millipede bites or stings and whether they are harmful to humans. While millipedes do not bite or sting, millipedes have bristles that can cause allergic reactions in some individuals. Millipedes are not poisonous.

[aframe]

Had them up north in Wisc. Used "Sevin" granules around the foundation of the entire house.. No more problem.

[jazzeoneaj]

Had them up north in Wisc. Used "Sevin" granules around the foundation of the entire house.. No more problem.

Yes, SEVIN is the best stuff..its a powder..get it at Lowes or ACE hardware. It will take care of your problem.