Millipedes in Your House: What to do?
Millipedes often hide in the corners of our house, and many begin to wonder “How did they enter our home and why?” Besides that, we need to know how we can control them from entering our home and how to get rid of them.
Millipedes belong to the class Arthropods because they have a pair of legs associated with almost every segment of its body. Generally, millipedes are black or brown, but some are found to be orange and red. To find them, you need to search in moist places where decaying matter could also be found. This is because millipedes eat decaying wood and plants.
Millipedes in House
Millipedes in House: How & Why?
We might face an encounter with a millipede in our home, especially if there’s a decaying organic matter somewhere in the house or on the lawn. They may give us some scary experiences in the night because they are nocturnal pests and are highly active in the night.
A millipede by Walter Siegmund (talk) – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0,
The most obvious reason for them entering our home is severe outside conditions such as intense cold or a drought (hot weather). Once they are in the house, they could stay under the furniture or any other moist area. Garage doors, crawl space vents, doors with missing weather stripping, basement doors, and windows are few places where millipede can be found.
Is a Millipede Dangerous?
One good sign of relief is that the millipedes are not dangerous and are regarded as low-risk pests. Unlike centipedes, they do not bite, except a few species of millipedes.
Millipede and centipede side by side. By Millipede: Drago, Leandro; Fusco, Giuseppe; Minelli, Alessandro, modified by AnimalpartyCentipede: Kingsley, J. Sterling, modified by Animalparty – Millipede: Drago, Leandro; Fusco, Giuseppe; Minelli, Alessandro (2008). CC BY 2.5,
These species sometimes release a fluid for defensive purposes which irritates the human skin. Still, the fluid is not venomous, but if someone is allergic to these fluids or anything else, they must use gloves and wash their hands after dealing with millipedes.
How to Get Rid of Millipedes?
Despite millipedes being a low danger to humans; still, their presence inside the home should be controlled. This is because their infestation can be a continuous nuisance because of the odor and stains they produce.
Below are effective ways you can control the entrance of millipedes inside your home and get rid of them.
Non-Chemical Measures to Get Rid of Millipedes:
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Clean the Garden:
To keep millipedes away, you need to make sure that your garden is well taken care of. You have to cut away the aging and decaying plants from your garden. Since millipedes eat aging and decaying plants, this will help eliminate a food source. The presence of decaying organic plant matter will invite the millipedes to your home. Furthermore, if the environment is moist, you will need to dry the surroundings or else, be ready to welcome a millipede in the night.
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Eliminate hiding places:
Millipedes often hide in many places. These places include stocks of wood, trash piles, leaves or any other such kind of decaying matter. You should eliminate these hiding places to avoid having millipedes.
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Drain the water:
Make sure that there is no free-standing water spread around your house. The reason is that millipedes, alongside the decaying matter, seek moisture for their growth. If rainfall or water is surrounding your house, remove it immediately and sanitize the place.
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Seal the cracks:
If you see some sort of cracks or crevices in the walls of your house, then you need to seal them. The reason is that millipedes always sneak into the house through these passageways. If they are sealed with a good chemical or paint, it will block their potential entry points and hideouts.
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Sweeping:
If somehow, you see any millipede in your living area, you can simply use a vacuum cleaner or a broom to sweep them away.
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Control moisture indoors:
You need to keenly observe the internal environment of your house if you constantly face the problem of millipedes. The reason is that your house might be providing the moisture or food Millipedes are seeking. Make sure you evacuate all such sources, even from the inside of your house.
Chemical Measures to Get Rid of Millipedes in House:
Before using insecticides and other chemicals, you need to make sure that you have tried all non-chemical precautions first. Chemicals will not eliminate millipedes if these precautions are not done. If non-chemical procedures are not working, chemicals may help reduce the problem.
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Applying pesticides indoors:
First, you need to identify the possible entry points of the millipedes. Next, spray the required insecticides in those locations, around doors, windows, and the building foundation. Whenever a pest, especially a millipede crosses that area, it will die when in contact with the insecticide.
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Applying pesticides outdoors:
If you notice millipedes outside, you can use a pesticide to help alleviate the problem. You can spread a mixture of pesticides and water over soil or damp areas. This dilute form will not damage the soil. Ultimately, these chemicals will enter the body of your target and will kill it.
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Contact sprays:
Another effective way to instantly kill millipedes is through contact sprays. These contact sprays are much more efficient than the previous ones mentioned. If the right pesticide is chosen, it will kill the millipedes instantly. The usage of gloves and masks is essential when dealing with this spray because it could be harmful to people with sensitive skin.
Usage of Natural Pesticides to Get Rid of Millipedes in House:
Other than the chemical measures, the best way to prevent the entry of millipedes into your home is the usage of some natural pesticides.
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Boric Acid:
Boric Acid is the first natural remedy for killing the millipedes. You can spray or spread the Boric acid on the places which are most affected by millipedes. Boric Acid kills the millipedes by dehydrating them since they are vulnerable to a dry environment. Furthermore, if a millipede ingested boric acid, it will eventually kill it since it is a stomach poison.
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Wood Ash in the Soil:
To eradicate millipedes outdoors, you can mix dry wood ash into the soil and let the wood do the trick for you. In doing so, it will suck up the surrounding moisture and create a dry environment for the millipede, resulting in death.
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Chickens:
A chicken raised as a pet can serve as a natural predator for millipedes. This is because chicken used to feed upon such creatures. Keeping a chicken will not only help you to eradicate the millipedes from your home but other pests as well.
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Roach Powder:
Roach Powder is another natural remedy available to be considered. All you have to do is spread it like any other chemical on the soil and let the chemical do its job.
If you can’t seem to get rid of these annoying millipedes in your house, contact an exterminator near you. If you don’t have an exterminator, let us connect you to a local exterminator in your area.
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