Millipedes frequently invade homes due to the presence of standing water or drought conditions in their environment. Since we seem to have had a vast supply of both conditions recently, standing water and drought, it's no wonder many homeowners are finding these "Thousand Legger" pests inside.
Being nocturnal, millipedes may be found crawling along the ground or up tree trunks and the sides of dwellings at night. During the day millipedes will be found under stones, firewood, grass clippings, leaf litter or mulch and other debris which retains moisture.
Because they eat decaying organic matter, millipedes are very helpful in recycling leaf litter or other decaying vegetation and also provide soil enrichment. But no matter how beneficial, when they invade our homes en mass, secreting a foul-smelling fluid, millipedes are MOST unwelcome.
As a result of the high moisture requirements millipedes have, the best strategy against them is to reduce available moisture in the yard. Moisture reduction methods include removing debris and clutter from the yard, dethatching the lawn, keeping the grass short, bagging clippings and edging the lawn. Another important consideration is to water the lawn or landscape early in the morning, allowing it to dry out prior to evening when the millipedes will become active.
Maintaining caulking and weather stripping in good repair as well as sealing gaps around utility access points will also reduce indoor sightings of millipedes. As an added benefit, these basic home maintenance chores will also help to lower utilities bills when cooling or heating the home.
If you should be experiencing a problem with millipedes, or any other pest, please contact Mr. Bugg's Pest Patrol today for a free evaluation.
