Millipede Facts & Information
Protect your home or business from millipedes by learning techniques for identification and control.
Millipedes Treatment
How do I get rid of millipedes?
What Orkin Does
In an emergency, a vacuum cleaner or a shop-type vacuum can be used to remove millipedes from walls and floors. When the situation gets bad, many homeowners call for help to get rid of millipedes.
Orkin Pros are trained to get rid of millipedes and manage their recurrence. The Orkin Pro Process is a continuing cycle of five critical steps.
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Inspect: We begin with a thorough inspection to identify millipede activity, locate moisture‑rich areas they rely on, and uncover the entry points that allow them inside.
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Diagnose: Using expert knowledge of these pests’ behavior, we determine the severity of the infestation and pinpoint environmental factors, especially moisture and structural gaps, that support their presence.
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Protect: We implement targeted treatments using safe, appropriate materials while sealing cracks, gaps, and moisture‑harboring areas to keep millipedes from re‑entering.
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Monitor: We install monitoring devices in key interior areas like kitchens, bathrooms, utility rooms, and garages to track activity and make adjustments as conditions change.
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Report: After every visit, we provide a detailed report outlining findings, treatments applied, and prevention steps, such as reducing moisture, to help keep millipedes out of your home.
For help getting rid of millipedes, contact your local Orkin branch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Behavior, Diet & Habits
Understanding Millipedes
What do millipedes look like?
Illustration of Common North American Millipede
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Size: 2.5 to 4 cm long
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Color: Common North American species are brownish in color.
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Body & Legs: Long and slender, millipedes look like worms with legs. They are segmented, with two pair of legs per segment.
Where do millipedes live?
Millipedes normally live outdoors in damp places. Around homes they live in flowerbeds and gardens. People often find millipedes under:
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Mulch
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Piles of dead leaves and grass clippings
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Structures like dog houses and storage sheds
Crawlspaces are excellent millipede habitats. There are often boxes of stored items and pieces of lumber on the ground under a home. The millipedes can feed on dead leaves that have blown into the crawl space or small pieces of damp or decaying wood.
Do millipedes migrate?
In the fall, millipedes often migrate. They move out of their normal habitat. Scientists suspect they may be trying to get ready for winter. However, millipedes have also been seen migrating after a heavy rain has flooded their habitat. During these migrations, millipedes often find their way into homes.
What do millipedes eat?
They eat dead leaves and decaying wood particles that they find.
What is the life cycle of millipedes?
Millipede eggs are deposited in the soil. Most species of millipedes reach sexual maturity in the second year and live several years after that.
More Information About Millipedes
Are millipedes poisonous or venomous?
While most millipedes are harmless, some can excrete a defensive fluid when threatened which can cause skin irritation.
Although millipedes don't bite humans, they can produce a toxic fluid to defend themselves.
Although their lifespan may vary depending on the species of millipede, most millipedes are estimated to be able to live for several years.
What causes millipede infestation in houses?
Millipedes may enter homes during seasonal migrations or when heavy rain floods their normal habitats.
Scientists have identified almost 1,000 species of millipedes in the United States alone.
Millipedes usually eat damp or decaying wood but will eat living plants if decaying plant material is scarce.