ANR-1075, New Nov 1997. By Faith M. Oi, Extension Entomologist,
Assistant Professor, and Arthur G. Appel, Professor, both
in Entomology at Auburn University.
IPM Tactics
For Millipede Control
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Homes in a number of Alabama counties often experience
millipede "invasions" in the early summer (Figure 1).
Figure 1. About 1 pound
of millipedes extracted from a swimming pool filter.
Homes that have had such an invasion are often 3 to 5 years
old with well-kept lawns. In general, millipede incidents appear
to decrease considerably without the aid of chemicals or other
control measures after the home is about 7 years old.
What are millipedes?
Millipedes are not insects. Millipedes belong to the arthropod
class Diplopoda which means "two footed" or "double
footed." The class name refers to the fact that most body
segments support two pairs of legs.
Millipedes should not be confused with centipedes which bear
only one pair of legs per body segment. There are about 1,000
different kinds of millipedes. The one that has been most troublesome
to homeowners in Alabama is the common garden millipede.
The garden millipede is brown-black and about 1/2 to 3/4 inch
long and 1/16 inch wide (Figure 2). Millipedes prefer to live
in moist places, including under large rocks, beneath pine bark
or straw mulch, in well-kept lawns, and under wood. They lay
their eggs in the soil during the spring and summer and usually
overwinter as adults. We do not know why millipedes migrate,
but we believe it is in response to food and moisture.
Figure 2. The common garden
millipede.
Do millipedes bite or sting?
No, millipedes do not bite or sting. (Centipedes bite and
inject venom from their jaws into their victims.) Millipedes
give off an offensive odor when disturbed or crushed, and can
stain fabrics.
How can millipedes be controlled?
The most effective method of millipede control is
using an IPM approach. The least effective method of control
is relying on chemicals alone. Reliance on chemicals alone results
in very poor control.
As a homeowner, you may undertake your own IPM plan by implementing
the control alternatives listed below, or you may elect to contract
the services of a professional pest control operator. Professionals
have the equipment and training to do a thorough job and have
access to products not available to homeowners. If you decide
to contract the services of a professional pest control operator,
get estimates from several reputable firms before you decide
on one.
Non-chemical management practices. Reducing the availability
of moist resting places often provides faster and better control
of these pests, than chemicals alone.
The hordes of millipedes at a mental health facility in Birmingham,
Alabama, were halted when the following non-chemical measures
were taken.
- Dethatch the lawn because millipedes thrive in the dense
thatch layer of plant material just above the soil surface.
- Closely mow and edge the lawn so the lawn can dry more quickly
and reduce the millipede habitat.
- Remove debris that can provide a hiding place for millipedes.
Pull mulch away from the house because it retains moisture, creating
a good hiding place for the millipedes.
- Water grass in the early morning so that it can dry during
the day.
If millipedes enter your house, vacuum them up and discard them
outside. Some species can stain carpeting or fabric, especially
if crushed.
Chemical control. If you prefer to use chemicals as a
method of control, take care to treat around the entire perimeter
of the house in a 5- to 20-foot band. Apply a chemical, such
as Baygon, Ficam, or Sevin (Pinto 1990), that will result in
a quick kill because millipedes can move quickly across a treated
surface.Wettable powders provide longer residual activity.
Also treat doorways and other openings to the house with a
material labeled for this use.
Because millipedes are not insects, most insecticides alone
are of little or no use. The non-chemical management practices
outlined above should be implemented in conjunction with chemicals
to enhance control.
References
Appel, A. G. 1988. Clean, dry surroundings impede migration of
millipedes. Highlights Of Agricultural Research 35(1):8.
Appel, A. G. 1988. Water relations and desiccation tolerance
of migrating garden millipedes (Diplopoda: Paradoxosomatidae).
Environmental Entomology 17:463-466.
Pinto, L. 1990. Occasional invaders. IN Mallis Handbook of
Pest Control, 7th ed. Franzak & Foster Co., Cleveland,
OH. pp. 833-867.
For more information, call your county Extension
office. Look in your telephone directory under your county's
name to find the number.
Use pesticides
only according to the directions on the label. Follow all directions,
precautions, and restrictions that are listed.
Trade names are used
only to give specific information. The Alabama Cooperative Extension
System does not enforce or guarantee any product or producer
and does not recommend one product or producer instead of another
that might be similar.
For more information, contact your county Extension office. Visit http://www.aces.edu/counties or look in your telephone directory under your county's name to find contact information.
Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work in agriculture and
home economics, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, and other related
acts, in cooperation with the U.S. Department of Agriculture. The Alabama
Cooperative Extension System (Alabama A&M University and Auburn
University) offers educational programs, materials, and equal
opportunity employment to all people without regard to race, color,
national origin, religion, sex, age, veteran status, or disability.
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