PK-H06 · Household invaders
How to get rid of Millipedes
Diplopoda
Need a look-alike split? Use House centipede vs millipede, then follow the control sequence on this page.
Millipedes are rounded, many-legged detritivores. They invade after heavy rain or irrigation, then die on the rug and smell faintly. They do not bite like centipedes. Control is dry the edge, reduce mulch volcanoes, seal, and sweep — not a residual that kills a thousand millipedes on a patio every spring while the mulch remains. They curl when disturbed. If it is flattened and fast with a bite, that is a centipede.
How to identify Millipede
- Cylindrical, two pairs of legs per body ring, slow, curl into a coil.
- In mulch, leaf litter, and basements after rain.
Signs of an infestation
- Dozens on a patio after a storm.
- Dead millipedes along a baseboard.
Biology and why they show up
Moisture-driven mass movements. They eat decaying plant matter. Not indoor breeders in dry houses.
Health and property risk
Nuisance, mild secretions that can irritate skin in some species. Not a structural pest.
Proven control sequence
Work in this order. Skipping inspection or exclusion is why most “treatments” bounce back in a week.
- Pull mulch and leaf litter off the foundation. The factory is outside.
- Seal and door sweeps. They wander; they do not need a nest indoors.
- Skip the weekly spray as the plan. You will still have rain. Habitat first.
Matching tools for these steps can be bought on Amazon. Buy the field kit.
Tools for millipede invasions
They commute from wet mulch after rain. Seal the door gap. Interior pesticide is a mop-up, not the habitat.
As an Amazon Associate, Pest Kill earns from qualifying purchases. The EPA label is the law for any pesticide. These links match the sequence on this page — they are not a shopping list instead of identification. Details: advertising disclosure. Browse the full tools catalog.
Hardware
Door sweep / garage threshold seal
The gap under an alley or garage door feeds more rats than a bait station on the wrong wall. Measure the gap. A sweep is exclusion, not a gadget.
Hardware
Door and window weatherstripping
Stink bugs, lady beetles, and cluster flies use the same leaky envelope as a draft. Replace flattened foam at the stop. Pair with a door sweep on the sill gap.
Prevention that actually sticks
- Grade so water does not pond at the slab.
- Irrigation heads aimed away from siding.
When to hire a licensed professional
Rarely.
United States and Tier 1 notes
Humid East and South see dramatic rain invasions. Drier West still has them in irrigated beds.
Common questions
Will they eat my house?
They eat wet dead leaves, not timber like termites.