

     Millipedes, or thousand-legged worms, are many-jointed,

cylindrical arthropods. These relatives of insects have two pairs

of legs on most of their similar-appearing segments. They glide

over a surface with their legs moving in waves. When disturbed, a

millipede may coil up like a watch spring. The common species in

Delaware is about one inch long and dark brown in color.



     Millipedes are most active at night or in the shade. At

times, millipedes appear in large numbers on lawns, gardens, and

around houses. They may invade houses in cool, wet weather, or in

the fall. They are especially abundant in ornamental plantings

that are heavily mulched. Infestations may occur in a new house

that has been built in a wooded area.



     Millipedes feed on decaying organic matter, compost, and on

rotten wood in forests. Sometimes they injure soft-stemmed plants

in gardens and greenhouses. They do not bite people or animals

and are not associated with any human disease.



Control



     Dryness kills millipedes. Some will be eliminated by

breaking up and raking away mulch and leaf litter to expose the

soil surface to air and sunlight. But it is usually necessary to

apply insecticides for satisfactory control. You'll get best

results if the surface of the ground is cleared of debris and the

insecticide is applied to the soil. If this is impractical, apply

insecticide to the surface of the mulch, then work or wash it in.

The insecticide must filter down through the mulch to reach the

millipedes.



     The insecticide that has generally proved most effective in

millipede control is carbaryl or SEVIN (trade name). Apply it to

the soil in a swath at least five feet wide around the building

you are protecting. Apply an emulsion spray (1 or 2 percent), a

dust (5-10 percent), or a granular formulation (5 percent).

Granules are particularly convenient to use and are effective.

Follow the directions on the label. Sprays are usually applied at

                           Millipedes
the rate of 20 gallons of water per 1,000 square foot. Diazinon,
Baygon, and malathion are also effective against millipedes.

     Millipedes dry out and die quickly inside the house, except
in damp basements. Insecticides are of little value in the house
after the pests have gained entrance. To prevent entry, spray
diazinon on foundations, steps, and frames of doors and windows,
where millipedes get in. If you have extensive millipede
populations inside, correct the moisture problem to reduce
infestations.

     Measures to control millipedes are also useful against
sowbugs or pillbugs.

Dewey M. Caron, Ph.D.
Extension Specialist
Entomology and Applied Ecology

HYG-29-6/93 


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