MILLIPEDE AND CENTIPEDE CONTROL

   This article is about CENTIPEDE/MILLIPEDE control.
It will explain why they are a pest and what
needs to be done for controlling infestations.
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	Millipede and centipede 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. Centipedes have been known to
do the same, but usually in much smaller numbers. This
article will try to provide some information about these
pests, why they are a problem and how you can treat for
them.
	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. 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.
	Centipedes like to live in the same environment
as millipedes. There are two common species of
centipede in the United States. The common house
centipede has long antennae and 15 pair of long legs.

CLICK HERE TO SEE A PHOTO OF THE COMMON HOUSE CENTIPEDE


And this video gives you a good idea of how them move.



They are able to move rapidly and will randomly stop
and go when on the move. The other centipede is a 
larger and longer specimen. Most common in the
south, this centipede can grow to over 5 inches
long. Like millipedes, centipedes are slow to 
develop. They like moist areas to live including
mulch, pinestraw, thatch, leaves and under rocks
or logs. The big difference is that centipedes like
to eat other insects. In fact, centipedes have
a poisonous bite. Do not handle them. Like
scorpions, their sting will hurt like a wasp or
bee sting. However, certain people may have
extreme allergic reaction to their venom so keeping
your hands off them will prevent you from finding
out if you are overly sensitive. Centipedes are one
of the few predators which feed on spiders. They
prefer to move at night, but like millipedes will
migrate under certain conditions. It is not uncommon
to have several of them migrate when water levels
rise following a rain. Centipede nests may harbor
several hundred and when they migrate they seem
to move in the same direction. This will lead 
to infestations in the home if left untreated.
	Controlling millipedes and centipedes can
involve 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. 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. 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.
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.
	Once you have done step one, you can treat
the problem. Step two is deciding which method
of control you need to employ to stop the invasion.
Millipedes and centipedes are not insects. Although
many insecticides have millipedes and centipedes on
their labels, most don't work well for controlling
a migration. If you want to stop them quickly and 
keep them from getting into your home, use a product
called CYFLUTHRIN. Although this pesticide has been
available for some time, it hasn't lost any
of it's ability to work great on either
millipedes or centipedes. It works well because
the liquid form is a micro encapsulate. This means
it is essentially a bunch of small capsules which
will open over time. Because they too big to
sink into porous surfaces they are able to
provide much longer protection than normal
liquid concentrates. The same is true with
the wettable powder form of Cyfluthrin. It
won't sink into porous surfaces so it is
able to provide much longer protection where
millipedes or centipedes are active. 
Although you can use it inside, treating outside
will keep them from coming in. Spray around
the home using one of the SPRAYERS we offer.
Be sure to treat on the foundation spraying a
deliberate swath at least three feet up from
the ground. Go as high as you have them crawling
on the home to kill what is there and stop
new ones from re infesting. It is most common 
that one or two sides of the house will have
the most activity. Be sure to concentrate your
efforts where the activity is. Since both 
pests like to live adjacent to the foundation,
it is recommended that you treat the ground
around the home as well. Pay attention to the
plants, shrubs and root systems of plants.
Spray around the trunks and the ground of any
plant you think may have a nest. Watering 
after you spray will help the product to 
sink down and work it's way deep to where 
nests may be feeding. If you simply have
too much mulch or turf area to treat with 
liquid, use BIFEN GRANULES.  This product
is a granule material which works by
killing as well as repelling these pests.
Broadcast the granules 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.  The granules
are weather resistant and will last longer
than the spray. The granules won't work as
quickly as the spray, but they will enable
you to treat large areas economically and
effectively.  If you have a lot of activity
in the home, you may use the Cyfluthrin inside.
If you believe the nests may are behind walls
or in hard to treat cracks, BAYGON AEROSOL
is designed to let you treat these areas. It
uses Baygon 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. Centipedes are most likely
to nest in the home and will thrive in moist
basements or crawl spaces. From these areas
they will move into wall voids. Use the
Baygon aerosol for neat and penetrating
applications. Having a BUG VACUUM/ZAPPER around
can help; it works very well for Centipedes
but not so good on millipedes. It will allow
you to quickly remove centipedes without getting
stung.
	Step three is the ongoing maintenance of
watching and making sure to minimize nest
locations. By stopping the nests from being
able to develop, you are stopping the invasions
which would undoubtedly follow. In most cases,
homes which experience migrations are more
likely to have it happen again. In fact, most
people believe the migration to be a "freakish"
occurrence that doesn't need to be attended to.
The fact of the matter is that millipedes and
centipedes take a long time to develop. This
period of development may be several years before
enough have matured to migrate. Once they begin
to move and relocate or die, the cycle is forced
to start again. Don't expect to see any for a 
year or more. However, next time could be a lot
worse if left untreated.
	Millipedes and centipedes are not insects
but are considered pests. They like to live in
the same area but do not eat the same food. If
left untreated, populations can build up and
lead to mass migrations. These migrations can
infest your home with messy, smelly dead bodies
that seem to get everywhere. To stop them from
coming inside, treat with Cyfluthrin. If you
have large turf or mulch areas where you think
they may be living, treat with Bifen Granules for
better coverage. If you have them in the walls,
Baygon Aerosol is easy to use and will reach deep
into the voids they like to live.

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