Millipedes may seem creepy, but they’re a key part of the ecosystem as they feed on rotting plants and animals to return nutrients to the soil. Inside a commercial premises however, they are a sign that you have another underlying pest problem.
Is your business dealing with millipedes? Assured Environments have been protecting New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut businesses from millipedes, and other pests for over 100 years.
Read on to find out about what is a millipede, its life cycle, where it lives, what it eats, the problems it creates, plus how to get rid of millipedes.
Millipedes are an insect of the scientific order: Spirobolida. The most common species in the United States is the North American Millipede (Narceus americanus).
Size: The common North American millipede may be anywhere between 1½ to four inches long.
Shape: Millipedes’ worm-like bodies are elongated, rounded, cylindrical with a hard exterior. They have two pairs of legs that fit underneath each body section.
Color: Brown, dark brown-red, or black. Legs may appear lighter in coloration than the main body. The North American millipede has distinctive red, yellow, or pink edges outlining each body segment.
Markings: The North American millipede’s distinctive, colorful edges give them a black-and-red “ringed” or banded appearance. Other species may not have the same banded appearance across their entire bodies, but most have some kind of coloring to mark their edges or legs.
Millipedes usually shelter under boxes or other storage material. So you may find them after moving packaging material, especially in dark or quiet parts of your business. Millipedes thrive in dark, humid environments as close to food sources as possible. They need moisture to survive, and will dry out and become “desiccated” if they don’t get enough. If you see crusty remains of a millipede, it means its desiccated body has flaked or fallen apart.
Millipedes are “detritivores” so they eat decaying plants, and animals, so they are important natural recyclers. They will often infest rotting wood and seek out fungal growth. They may also burrow under soil to access rotting root systems.
Millipedes have three life cycle stages: egg, nymph, and adult. They start mating in early spring, and can continue mating, and laying eggs until temperatures begin to cool in the early fall.
Millipede nymphs look like adults, but have fewer legs, and body segments. Nymphs keep growing by eating rotting material, and they must shed their skin several times. How long does a millipede live? Well, nymphs may not develop into fully-grown adult millipedes for up to two years, and may live for another eight years after that.
Millipedes are very sensitive to temperature and humidity changes. So they often migrate in large numbers in particularly wet or dry times, and move indoors to be in dark, humid environments. During the spring or fall, millipedes move further from their usual places, and may climb up to 6ft off the ground.
They move slowly, using a wave-like walking motion to push themselves through soil and leaf litter. If threatened or crushed, they may secrete a foul-smelling liquid. Yellow or brown in color, this can stain carpets or other nearby fabrics and can cause mild skin, and eye irritation if handled.
Millipede infestations usually occur in commercial facilities when they move indoors in large numbers to search for moisture, often after heavy rainfall, flooding, or prolonged dry weather. They enter through ground-level gaps, utility penetrations, and foundation cracks in search of dark, humid shelter.
You’d be likely to find infestations in damp basements, crawl spaces, garages, and bathrooms. While millipedes do not damage buildings, furniture, or food, they can be a nuisance if they gather in large numbers.
How to prevent them coming back:
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We can identify millipedes, stop them getting in. We can also thoroughly inspect your facility, because if you have millipedes, the chances are you have another underlying pest problem.
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Most millipedes typically live for about 2 to 5 years, though some species can survive for 7 to 10 years as some people keep them as pets. They progress through several life stages, growing in size and adding more segments, and legs each time they molt.
Millipedes are primarily attracted to dark, damp environments, and decaying organic matter like rotting leaves, logs, compost, and mulch. They often enter homes, especially attics, and basements to seek moisture during periods of extreme drought or heavy rain when their natural outdoor habitats become unsuitable.
Not usually. Millipedes don’t bite or sting and so they are not venomous. But many species secrete a foul-smelling defensive liquid which will usually only cause a mild skin irritation or allergic reactions in humans, so it is best to wash your hands thoroughly after handling them.
No. Millipedes don’t bite or sting as they haven’t the right mouthparts or stingers to harm humans or pets. When they feel threatened, they may curl into a tight spiral to protect their soft underside, plus squirt out a defensive fluid.
As long as you allow it to. The faster you address points of entry, moisture issues, and food sources, the sooner millipedes will search for new habitat.
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