Millipede invasions have long been a problem for many homeowners. Although these invasions seem more likely to occur in the spring and after heavy rains, they have been reported in every month of the calendar year. Thousands of migratory millipedes can create a mess. Once they die, expect a smell that can last for several weeks.
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Other information: PEST ARTICLES
MILLIPEDE BIOLOGY
There are over 1000 species of millipedes in the United States. They are slow crawling, appear to have hundreds of legs and generally gray to light brown in color. Most species take 1-2 years to reach reproductive maturity and can live 5-10 years. They love to live in decomposing thatch, leaves and mulch. They will get nutrition from these locations and may choose a root system of a nearby plant on which to feed. When they breed, the eggs hatch larva which will feed right where they emerge. This leads to large populations or nests which can number in the hundreds. They will remain feeding as long as there is a food supply to support the nest. This could be for a year or two but at some point expect a migration.
MILLIPEDE MIGRATION
Excessive rain, drought or lack of food will cause them to migrate. This phenomenon can occur at any time of the year and may result in several thousand moving in a direction that is in line with your home. The author has dealt with several infestations of millipedes that have numbered in the hundreds of thousands. One customer had so many he used a gas powered blower to round up all the dead ones and 14 Hefty bags to haul them away! This happened over a three day period, but if he didn’t have the right materials or know how to use them, he would have had a mess in his home. Other infestations have lead to thousands stacking up or climbing the side of a house. The migrating millipedes will reach a certain height and simply stop. It is unsure why they do this but it will lead to huge numbers accumulating and a nasty smell when they die.
MILLIPEDE CONTROL
Controlling millipedes involves a series of steps. The first is identifying nest sights. This will allow you to minimize the conditions these pests need which will lead to less getting inside. Look to see where they are invading. In most cases, you will find them along one side or wall of your home. Look around this side of the property. Inspect nearby mulch, compost piles, wood piles, large rocks, pinestraw, sheds, cracks in cement walkways or driveways and stoops. Any of these locations can breed, feed and shelter these pests. If you know where they are coming from, you will be able to treat the area precisely and even remove excessive organic matter available for them. Clean up leaves. Replace old straw that is decomposed. Move log piles away from the home. Seal cracks in cement which allow water to gather. Rake thatch buildup from your lawn. By reducing these conditions, you take away food and harborage these pests need for survival.
HOW TO SEAL MILLIPEDES OUT OF YOUR HOME
Lastly, if you have a lot of access points through the siding of the home, you should consider a “seal” job. Most homes that get invaded have lots and lots of small cracks, crevices and gaps through which millipedes enter. These entry points should be reduced and/or eliminated with the use of some FOAM SEALENT. These cans are self charged and good for small jobs.
Pur Black: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/aerosol/pur-black
If you have a lot of work to do, it would be wise to invest in one of the professional FOAM GUNS and maybe even the 24″ FOAM GUN. These tools will enable you to apply the sealent quickly and precisely without much waste or missed applications. In other words, they will more then pay for themselves. You’ll need the FOAM CANNISTERS for these guns, which easily fit on either applicator, and cover a much larger area then the smaller cans.
Pur Gun: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/tools/pur-shooter-basic-gun
Pur Gun 24″ : http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/tools/pur-pageris-24-pro-gun
Pur Black: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/aerosol/pur-black
If your home is prone to animal invasions, consider the FOAM WITH REPELLENT. This cannister comes with expanding foam but includes a strong repellent which insects and animals do not like. It may be just what you need to make sure ladybugs and other undesirable home invaders aren’t able to find their way inside quite as easily as they have in the past. Be sure to keep your guns clean by using some FOAM GUN CLEANER. This will help keep the gun functioning and ready to go to work when next needed.
Foam Repellent: http://www.bugspraycart.com/repellents/aerosol/pur-ipf-foam
Pur Gun Cleaner: http://www.bugspraycart.com/sanitizer/aerosol/pur-cleaner
MILLIPEDE TREATMENTS
No doubt sealing up your home will help to keep migrating millipedes out of your living area. But if you don’t knock down the outside population, your home will be continue to get covered with them and once on the structure, they’ll start to nest, roost and invade living spaces no matter how well you seal it. So to stop unwanted invasions, treat the outside with granules and a good liquid spray that will actually control millipedes. Since they’re tough to kill, very few actives work well but we know just which ones are best.
MILLIPEDE CONTROL GRANULES
Since millipedes thrive under mulch, thatch, around plants and plant roots, you’ll need to cover your entire property with a good layer of BIFEN LP or ESSENTRIA GRANULES. These products are best suited for the outside, especially under heavy thatch or mulch, and will permeate down to where the millipedes are reproducing and nesting. Keep in mind these are slow acting and should be applied monthly. But over a 3-6 month time span, you should be able to reduce the local millipede population dramatically and within a year, virtually eliminate all local activity.
Bifen Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb
Essentria Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/granule/eco-exempt-org-g-22-lb
Broadcast either granule into mulch or turf that you think is infested. The GRANULE SPREADER applicator is easy to use and will let you get even and uniform coverage when making the application.
Spreaders: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/spreaders/scatterbox-spreader
MILLIPEDE SPRAY
After applying a nice layer of granules to your turf, get a quart of BIFEN XTS and a 20 GALLON HOSE END SPRAYER. Add 4 oz of the Bifen to the Sprayer, fill it with water, hook it to your garden hose and spray the entire amount over 5,000 sq/ft. Repeat this over your entire yard making sure every inch of turf is treated – especially any area with pine straw, wood chips, stones or other ground cover.
Bifen XTS: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen-xts-concentrate.html
Hose End Sprayer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/sprayers/gilmour-20g-390
Be sure to spray the sides of the home too covering as much of the siding as the millipedes cover. So if you see them climbing up 10 feet of the siding, treat up to 10 feet high around the entire home.
Now if you’re finding millipedes in the home, garage or basement, mix up some Bifen in a PUMP SPRAYER and treat all the baseboards on every level of the home where activity is noted. Pay extra attention to key entry points like garage doors, basement windows, patio and deck doors as well as main entrances. Another spray that works well on them is ESSENTRIA IC. This is a federally exempt product which uses food oils and extracts for active ingredients. Highly effective on a wide range of pests, Essentria is a bit more “mild” compared to the Bifen and if you have a sensitive area to spray, would be the “green” choice compared to the Bifen.
Pump Sprayer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/good/pump-sprayers
Essentria IC3: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/liquid/eco-excempt-gal
MILLIPEDE AEROSOL
Now if you have reason to believe there maybe nests behind walls or in hard to treat cracks, DFORCE AEROSOL is designed to let you treat these areas. It uses Deltamethrin as the active ingredient and with it’s special tube injector, you will be able to get into tight cracks and joints these pests like to hide. Use the Dforce aerosol for neat and penetrating applications.
D-Force: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/d-force-14-oz-aerosol
MILLIPEDE CONTROL TAKES TIME
Now once you begin the process explained above, do not expect to see all the millipedes you find to be dead and then gone in a few days or even a few weeks. Most properties take years to become infested and consequently, the treatments will take months to penetrate all the areas where millipedes will be nesting and thriving. For this reason one should compare results based on monthly activity and not daily or weekly reviews.
That being said, the granules and liquid sprays will most definitely help you manage the activity so that when they migrate, you shouldn’t have them living on the home or getting inside. But if you don’t treat the outside at least once a month, you’ll never reduce their numbers enough to ever stop them completely. That means if you want them gone for good, stay the course and don’t stop treating. In 3-6 months most populations will be dramatically reduced and if you keep on treating after they’re gone, you’ll never get them again.
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Comments on MILLIPEDE CONTROL
P.T. @ 8:08 am
We have been living at a property on one of the Finger Lakes in New York State for three + years. Each year the millipede migration seems to get worse. The small blackish/brown milipedes cover one side of our two story house at times. They seem to have a route across our livingroom rug and they we find them in various other places in the house too but not to the same extent as in the living room. I am forever vacuming them up around three weeks of the beginning of the Summer or so. It is very freakish, but once the invasion stops I forget all about them and can go back to enjoying our Summer on a beautiful lake. My problem is the odor. I saw a show on t.v. that said the order is Hydrogen Cyanide. I have discovered that during the invasion period I get headaches and feel ill. I am worried about our health now and also worried about using chemicals in the house. Please advise about any health issues from the millipede odor or pesticides. I want to tackle this problem this year before the invastion starts. I’m afraid with our weird and mild Winter here this year that the invastion could start sooner than most years.
DESPERATE IN UPSTATE NY
Tech Support @ 9:15 am
@P.T.: First and foremost, odors can have a wide range of impact on people. Decaying odor, like that released from dead or migrating millipedes, has been reported as making people feel ill. But it’s not lasting or unhealthy and though annoying and in come cases nauseating, it will pass.
As for odors from pesticides; these can be more hazardous if someone is exposed to certain products for extended periods of time. This can happen when treating with aerosols inside the home. This is also why we recommend most treatments for millipedes to be done outside and in fact, very little if anything should be applied inside even if you’re seeing some like you describe. Stick with the “vacuum only” approach inside and spraying outside which in the end will work fine.
By using this approach you’ll both minimize and even eliminate exposure to the people living in the home and in fact you’ll even solve the problem faster. The main reason for using this approach is to address the millipedes where they are living. As explained in our article above, millipedes thrive under grass clippings (make sure you’re removing and recycling grass clippings! This is a major contributor of millipede problems), lawn thatch, pine straw and other mulch. And if you leave the millipedes to live as they please, they will populate to extreme numbers eventually migrating all over the property. And it’s this migration that leads to them getting inside homes. Based on the millipede live cycle, it only makes sense to get them where they’re nesting and this means mostly if not only outside treatments are needed.
So for now, I suggest applying Complete Insect Killer Granules to the lawn and mulch areas of your property ASAP. Millipedes will feed year long and though they tend to slow in the winter, mild temps mean they’ll be more active which in turn leads to bigger numbers and larger migrations come the spring following a mild winter. I have family in upstate NY and they are reporting a mild winter which leads me to believe the millipede migrations this year will be big.
After applying the granules, spray over the top with Cyonara RTS. This will provide the quick kill needed to knock down existing millipedes. The granules will provide 1-2 months of protection so if you treat now, you’ll want to do another application around the end of March and then again in the beginning of May. Treating for millipedes during the first six months of the year can really cut down on how many you see so the time to strike is now. With any luck, you won’t see them the second half of the year if you do a good job now.
FYI, I’m listing different granules and liquid from our article because the Bifen isn’t registered for sale into your state but the Complete and Cyonara will work just as well. And they’re odorless so they’re better suited for use around your home. Here are links for these two:
Lawn Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/complete-insect-killer-granules
Cyonara RTS: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/cyonara-32-oz-rts
Debra sturdevant @ 12:20 pm
Is the Bifenthrin safe for pets who roam outdoors? We also have free range chickens who seem to dislike the bugs as well otherwise we would have natural bug control!
Tech Support @ 2:30 pm
@Debra sturdevant: Go with the Essentria Granules for outside the home. They work just as well as the Bifen and based on the fact that you have free roam chickens, the Essentria would be the better choice since it uses food grade active ingredients which won’t impact animals that might feed on some.
Essentria Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/granule/eco-exempt-org-g-22-lb
I also suggest you go with the Essentria Spray for around the home as well for the same reason.
Essentria IC3: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/liquid/eco-excempt-gal
Marie Grunden @ 8:34 pm
I have lived in my home for 20 years never had a problem with millipedes until 3 yrs ago. Then it was like I had millions of them. I had an exterminator come and spray which decreased the number greatly. Again this summer I am overrun with the millipedes. I think they are living in the dirt near my garage doors, its black shale type dirt that is moist most of the time due to an overhanging deck floor. What would be my best means of destroying these things?
Tech Support @ 10:46 pm
Start with the Bifen Granules. Apply them to the turf and do this monthly for the next 3-6 months. Next, spray over the top with the Bifen Spray and make sure to treat your foundation heavy too. Over time you’ll eliminate enough outside the home which will eliminate the ones entering.
Bifen Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb
Bifen IT: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen
Echo @ 2:05 pm
The last 2 weeks I have noticed these milipedes in my cottage. This is the first time in 10 years I have ever seen these bugs in my place. The problem is since the weather has been so hot and humid the creek next to my place has really dried up. The other day I did apply boric acid around the inside walls of the entire place. What I do notice is they seem to come in the cottage more in the evening and early hours as the air conditioner seems to attract them. Not sure if that is accurate or just an observance. Because I do have a creek next to my home and a lake in the front, what do you suggest the best method of attack? Please help because I have the hebegeebies.
Tech Support @ 3:27 pm
Boric acid won’t work on millipedes so you might as well vacuum up all you’ve applied and start anew. And what will work is listed above. That would be the Bifen Granules applied to the turf and then a good spraying with the Bifen IT.
Bifen Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb
Bifen IT: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen
Now if runoff from rain that comes down on your home will feed the treatment to the lake or the creek you mentioned, go with the Essentria Granules and the Essentria IC instead. These are made from food grade actives and won’t hurt any water way in case the runoff is a concern.
Essentria IC3: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/liquid/eco-excempt-gal
Essentria Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/exempt/granule/eco-exempt-org-g-22-lb
Lastly, the Dforce should be applied to any crack or crevice inside the home where you’re finding millipedes active. Additionally, baseboards can be sprayed with either the Bifen or the Essentria concentrate.
Worth mentioning is that the only trade off between the Bifen and the Essentria is that the Bifen will last 2 months per application where as the Essentria just a month.
Hoy Chan @ 11:36 pm
I just moved into my new home about 3 months ago. Like everyone else in this forum, I have a millipede problem. I’ve tried using the Ortho Home Defense Spray and sprayed the outside of the home around the perimeters and inside the house. I don’t think the Ortho is doing any good. I sprayed one directly on contact and it looks like it was going to take it forever to die. The millipede ended up underneath my sandals after a few minute. Is there any other home defense beside Ortho? It also sucks because I have a deck right in my back yard connected to the home. What are your recommendation to getting rid of this creature and where do I start? Thank you. Neighbors don’t seem to have this problem besides me. Why?
Tech Support @ 7:40 am
As explained in our article above, millipedes will live in the soil and over time get bunched up with dense populations that can reach hundreds of thousands in a very small area. Once they hit a certain level, they’ll start migrating up and out of the soil. During this migration, they’ll follow a very distinct pathway and no pesticide will be able to kill them quickly when they’re moving. It’s during these migrations that people find out they have a problem and obviously you’ve got a major one that must be treated thoroughly if you want the invasion to end.
For starters, give up using anything you can find at a local retail store. Those products just aren’t strong enough to handle millipedes. Instead, get what pest control companies use (the items we sell) if you want the best results – especially when it comes to millipedes.
Second, attack them where they’re living which is the soil around the home.
Now if you review our article above, you’ll learn exactly what the professionals use for millipedes and how to apply these items. As the article says, the best products to use is the Bifen Granules and Bifen Spray. So if you apply half a bag of Bifen around your home every month and spray with the Bifen twice a month, you should be able to reduce the local numbers enough to where eventually you won’t be seeing any. But it will take time and it will take a lot of treating. Also, you will somehow have to get under that deck you mentioned because you can’t leave any area untreated around the home when it comes to millipedes.
Bifen Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb
Bifen IT: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen
Molly @ 8:54 am
We have property in the finger lakes and have been battling millipedes for the last three years. They usually disappear after a few weeks. This year they came early in the spring and won’t leave. They have moved from the basement to the first floor. I was told Talstar Pro would work, but I have sprayed three times and still have them getting in. We have sealed all cracks, only have fine gravel around the perimeter of the house. Help.
Tech Support @ 9:40 am
Talstar can be effective but if you review our article above, you’ll learn that what you really need to do is get them in the yard, from where they’re migrating, and that it will take a lot of Bifen Granules first with either your Talstar or Bifen sprayed over the top. Additionally, you’ll need to spray the exterior of your home too. This process will involve using several gallons of finished product per application (like 3-5 gallons) so don’t be shy about applying it since a lot will be needed to control this pest.
Bifen Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb
Bifen IT: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen
This should be done every month during the warm season which will depend on where you reside but in general, a good 6-8 months per year. Ultimately, if you treat enough outside, you’ll reduce their numbers in the ground so that when they start their migrating patterns, there won’t be that many making it to your home.
Lastly, spraying every crack and crevice inside the home with Dforce will help.
D-Force: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/aerosol/d-force-14-oz-aerosol
Chris @ 9:41 pm
We have lived in our current home for the past 25 years. Within the past seven to ten years, we have been inundated with millipedes and can’t seem to get rid of them. They appear to be worse around the garage and foundation of our home (hundreds). Every morning we are cleaning up the dead ones. I do have a lot of shrubs/mulch around our house. Do you think this is contributing to the problem? We also live near a creek. Can this be contributing to the problem also? This year has especially been worse. We have been trying to control them with sevin dust, which seems to help the problem temporarily. They are also getting into the basement of our home.
Tech Support @ 8:27 am
First, I suggest you review our article above which explains in detail how this pest can live in great numbers outside the home and from there, launch massive migrations which enable them to get inside. These migrations typically happen when it’s damp during the spring, summer and fall. Basically what you’re seeing are young adult millipedes leaving their nests seeking new locations to start new colonies. And when populations are dense, these migrations can involve thousands and thousands of millipedes making their activity messy and even smelly.
Second, no doubt vegetation close to the home can be a a big help to their cause as will mulch and thatch. And the nearby creek you mention could very well be the source of water enabling them to thrive even if you’re in a region that has a drought. The good news is you can knock them out if you treat with the products listed above and the most important ones for you will be the Bifen Granules and Bifen Spray listed above.
So to start the process, apply Bifen Granules over as much turf, mulch and flower beds as you can. Basically your entire property. And get used to doing this monthly for the next 6-12 months. This will really help reduce their numbers where they’re no doubt living and thriving.
Bifen Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb
Next, spray over the top of this same area with Bifen Concentrate. Use the Hose End Sprayer we have listed to insure good coverage.
Bifen XTS: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen-xts-concentrate.html
Hose End Sprayer: http://www.bugspraycart.com/equipment/sprayers/gilmour-20g-390
If you stay the course as explained above, you will eventually reduce the local millipede population enough to where you will have very few if any getting on the home or inside. The key will be using the right products and using enough of them.
Chris @ 9:25 am
Thanks so much for the information. Is Bifen safe for pets? I want to use as strong as a product I can to try to control/eliminate the problem without harming my dogs.
Tech Support @ 9:28 am
All the products we sell can be safely used in and around the home and will pose no hazard to people or pets when used properly. We also have excellent safety video’s for all our products which explain everything you’ll need to know so you mix, handle, apply and store everything correctly. Each video is designed for the type of product like a granule or spray and can be viewed here:
Product Safety Videos: http://www.bugspray.com/video/safety-videos
Megan L. @ 10:32 pm
I have lived in my house 6 years. I work nights. I came home the other morning and when I was pulling up I thought I had black spots on the side of my house. When I pulled into the driveway I noticed more spots on my garage door. When I got close I realized it was hundreds of millipedes. I am only finding like 10 a day in the house but I’m really worried about the number on the outside of the house. They seemed to be even making it on the room. HELP!
Tech Support @ 7:45 am
If you read the article above, you’ll learn that if left untreated, millipede populations around the home can get huge. And once they get huge, they’ll start migrating throughout the property every spring and summer.
During these mass migrations, anything in their way will get covered and ultimately, infested. So if you don’t start treating the outside area of your home as explained in our article above, it will only be a matter of time before you’re seeing a lot more than just 10 a day inside the structure.
Fortunately, the treatments we’ve highlighted above can be very effective. Basically it’s a combination of Bifen Granules and Bifen XTS. Apply the granules around the home treating mulch, flower beds, grass and basically, any kind of exposed ground you have on the property.
Bifen Granules: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/granule/bifenthrin-g-25-lb
Next, spray the same areas with Bifen XTS. Be sure to saturate the ground and the homes exterior too.
Bifen XTS: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen-xts-concentrate.html
Lastly, repeat whenever you see them come back or at least once a month for the first year. With any luck, this pattern will kill off enough in the ground so the local population will drop to levels which prevent future migrations of this magnitude. And after the first year, if you’ve reduced them enough, you should be able to go 2-3 months in between treatments without having them get re established.
Bruni @ 8:07 pm
We have a houseplant that is infested with millipedes. How can we treat the problem without killing the plant? Are these chemicals safe indoors in an apartment setting? Thank you.
Tech Support @ 11:13 pm
Most all of the products we have listed above can be used inside the home without undue risk or hazard to people, pets or any house plants. That being said, you won’t need much to do the job. Nor will you need a sprayer.
And since Bifen XTS has a slight odor, go with the water based Bifen instead. The regular Bifen is odorless and better suited for indoor planters.
So to treat, mix 1/2 oz of Bifen to a gallon of water and then water your plants with the mixture like you would normally water them. The bifen won’t impact the plants but it will take care of any insect pests like millipedes. This will be done as it percolates down through the soil.
I have used Bifen on my indoor plants to treat for aphids, fungus flies, mealy bugs and scale. And in most cases, the problem can be solved with just 1-2 waterings.
Bifen IT: http://www.bugspraycart.com/insecticide/liquid/bifen
Bifen can also be used outside so if you find any nesting around the structure, be sure to treat them in these key locations. In most cases, indoor problems arise because the pest is getting inside so stopping them outside can really help.