Millipedes are the thankfully harmless lookalike of centipedes that tend to show their faces much more as we move into the wetter months of the year. Usually content to live outside in gardens, munching on decaying plant matter, this tends to change somewhat as fall and spring kick in and their populations boom, sending millipedes into your home. Thankfully for everyone, they aren’t harmful to land or limb. Unfortunately, however, they’re still a nuisance and apt to give many people the creepy-crawlies.
The most common millipedes stay fairly small in their lives, only growing to about to one to one-and-a-half inches long. They’re a very dark brown in color, almost black, and their numerous tiny legs are can be so small that the millipede looks more like a legless worm. As these bugs strongly favor moist environments to survive, they don’t tend to live very long when they make their ways into people’s homes. However, patios, crawlspaces, and basements can become prolific breeding grounds for millipedes, especially in moist weather and if there is old rotting wood or other organic matter around.
Because millipedes are so uncommon in households, it is not usually necessary to call an exterminator, unless the pests stick around for more than a few days. If the problem is only one or two millipedes, they can often be diverted out of the house and into the yard with a damp newspaper left outside as a trap. Similarly, the removal of wet or rotting organic materials can have a huge effect in keeping millipedes out of your home or business.