Millipedes

• The most obvious sign is seeing live millipedes.
• Millipedes seek out dark, sheltered places to avoid predators and extreme environmental conditions.
• Yards with ample leaf litter, mulch, and other organic debris provide ideal hiding spots.
• Indoors, they may enter through cracks and crevices, seeking out the cool, dark, and damp areas of a home. They are often found in basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and crawl spaces.​
• Finding dead millipedes around your home, especially near entry points like doors and windows, can also indicate an infestation​.

• Millipedes are easily recognizable by their elongated, cylindrical, or slightly flattened bodies and their numerous legs.
• Most common millipede species are small, ranging from about ½” to 1 1/4” in length​.
• Millipedes are generally dark in color, ranging from brown to black. Some species may have brighter colors or patterns.
• Millipedes have two pairs of legs per body segment, except for the first few segments which have only one pair of legs each. The number of legs varies by species, typically ranging from 30 to 400​.
• They have long, slender antennae which they use to navigate and sense their environment.
• Millipedes move slowly, with a characteristic wave-like motion of their legs. This slow movement is in contrast to their faster, more agile relatives, the centipedes​.

• No, millipedes are generally not dangerous to humans or pets. Millipedes do not bite or sting, and they are not venomous. Unlike centipedes, which can deliver a painful bite, millipedes are harmless in terms of direct physical harm​​.
• Some millipede species can secrete irritating chemicals as a defense mechanism. Although rare, some people might experience allergic reactions to the chemicals secreted by millipedes, including itching, redness, and swelling of the skin.
• Millipedes are primarily considered nuisance pests when they invade homes and gardens in large numbers. They do not cause structural damage, infest food, or harm household items.

• Millipedes do not cause structural damage to homes.
• Millipedes do not chew through wood, fabric, or other building materials.
• While they can be a nuisance in large numbers, millipedes do not harm household items or food.
• However, their presence can indicate underlying moisture problems.

• Millipedes enter homes and yards primarily in search of moisture and shelter.
• Millipedes are attracted to moist environments as they need high humidity to survive. Indoors, they are typically found in damp areas such as basements, bathrooms, and kitchens​​.
• Extreme outdoor temperatures can drive millipedes indoors. They prefer moderate temperatures and will seek out a stable environment inside a home when outdoor conditions become too hot or too cold​.
• As detritivores, millipedes feed on decaying plant matter, fungi, and other organic material. Gardens with abundant mulch or compost piles attract millipedes.

• By addressing environmental factors that support their development, such as moisture and organic debris, you can reduce the likelihood of millipede infestations.
• Keep mulch, leaves, and other organic matter away from the foundation of your home or building.
• Patch and fill cracks and holes around the perimeter of your home or building.
• Maintain low humidity, especially in your basement, laundry, and kitchen.

• The majority of millipedes consume dead and decaying leaves, wood, and other plant matter.
• Some millipede species also feed on fungi. Fungi can be an important part of their diet, especially in environments where decaying plant matter is less abundant.
• Millipedes may also consume other forms of organic debris, including algae and lichen. In some cases, they have been known to eat animal remains or their waste pellets, which may contain beneficial fungi or microorganisms that aid in digestion​.
• A few species are known to drink plant fluids, although this is less common compared to their primary diet of decaying material​.
• Millipedes contribute significantly to the decomposition process, helping to break down and recycle nutrients back into the soil. This role is vital for maintaining healthy ecosystems and supporting plant growth.

The lifecycle of millipedes includes simple metamorphosis: egg, juvenile, and adult.

• Female millipedes lay eggs in the soil. The eggs are often laid in clusters, and some species create individual cases for their eggs using chewed-up leaves or soil.
• The incubation period for millipede eggs varies by species but generally takes a few weeks to a couple of months, depending on environmental conditions such as temperature and humidity​.
• When the eggs hatch, the juvenile millipedes emerge. They initially resemble miniature adults but have fewer body segments and legs​.
• As they grow, juveniles go through several molts, shedding their exoskeletons to form new, larger ones. With each molt, they gain additional body segments and pairs of legs until they reach the full adult form. This molting process can occur multiple times, with some species molting up to ten times before reaching maturity​.
• Millipedes reach adulthood after completing all their molts, which can take anywhere from several months to a few years depending on the species and environmental conditions.
• Adult millipedes can live for several years, with some species living up to 10 years or more.

1. When threatened, millipedes can curl into a tight coil to protect their softer undersides. Some species can also secrete irritating or toxic chemicals as a defense mechanism.
2. Despite their name, most millipedes do not have a thousand legs. Most species have between 30 and 400 legs, and the highest leg count recorded is 1,306 legs on a species discovered in 2020.
3. Millipedes are among the oldest known land animals. The first known millipede, Pneumodesmus newmani, lived around 428 million years ago, making them some of the earliest creatures to colonize land​.​
4. Some millipede species, such as those in the genus Motyxia, are bioluminescent. These millipedes emit a greenish-blue glow when disturbed, which is believed to serve as a warning to potential predators.
5. Millipedes can secrete a variety of chemicals, including hydrogen cyanide and hydrochloric acid, as a defense mechanism against predators. These substances can deter or harm predators but are generally harmless to humans, causing only minor irritation if handled.
6. Male millipedes have specially modified legs called gonopods, which they use to transfer sperm packets to females. Some species engage in elaborate courtship behaviors, including producing sounds and performing a "dance" to attract mates​.
7. In Madagascar, lemurs have been observed intentionally disturbing millipedes to release their toxic chemicals. Lemurs then rub these chemicals on their fur, possibly to use them as an insect repellent or to protect against parasites​.
8. Millipedes can regenerate lost legs or body segments, a process known as autotomy. This ability helps them escape predators and recover from injuries​.
9. Due to their docile nature and fascinating behavior, some millipede species, like the giant African millipede, are kept as pets. They require a moist environment and a diet of decaying plant material​.