Millipede Management Guide

Millipedes are nocturnal pests that like to hang out in yards. Environmental factors can cause them to occasionally head indoors, which is why they’re considered an occasional invader. Taking steps to keep them out of your yard will help to prevent them from becoming a problem in your home. We’ve gathered information to help you eliminate a millipede infestation. 

Millipedes are active at night and prefer to be outdoors in damp areas. They invade yards looking for food, moisture, and shelter. Outside, you are likely to spot them under mulch and leaves or in flowerbeds and gardens. When temperatures become too high or too low or they can’t find the water they need, they will head indoors. Basements and crawl spaces are common hiding spots because they are cool and damp. Indoors, they will hide under items like boxes and furniture. Minimizing their attractants and using pest control products can help to keep your yard and home free of these pests.

Reducing Attractants

• Remove Food Sources: Millipedes eat decaying plant matter such as leaves, grass clippings, and rotting produce. They will also feed on damp or rotting wood. Keep your yard clean and remove yard debris to help prevent millipedes. You’ll also want to pick up fallen fruit or vegetables from your garden.
• Minimize Moisture: Millipedes are attracted to water in yards and houses. In your home, check for and repair leaky pipes, faucets, and other plumbing issues. You can use a fan or dehumidifier in damp areas of your home. In your yard, you’ll want to make sure your gutters are working properly, and repair leaky spigots. Avoid overwatering your plants, lawn, and garden. Remove or empty items, such as flowerpots, buckets, or toys, that collect water.
• Remove Sources of Shelter: These pests like to hide under items in your home and yard. Reducing clutter and storing items in sealed bins can minimize potential hiding spots. Removing yard debris, like leaves and rocks, will help to reduce sources of shelter too. Pick up unused items such as empty flowerpots, and store woodpiles off the ground.
• Minimize Light: Millipedes are attracted to light and are often seen gathering on porches or patios at night. Minimizing the amount of light in your yard can help to deter these pests. Installing motion detector lights can help with this. You can also swap your white light bulbs for yellow bulbs since these are less attractive to millipedes and other bugs.
• Seal Entry Points: To keep millipedes out of your home, you’ll want to seal potential entry points. Seal cracks in walls, your home’s foundation, and cracks in frames. Repair or replace torn door and window screens. Make sure your weather stripping and seals are in good condition.
• Vacuum or Sweep: If millipedes invade your space, you can physically remove them from your home by vacuuming or sweeping. You’ll want to place the into a sealed bag. Then place the bag in an outdoor trash bin that has a tight-fitting lid.   

Maggie’s Farm offers several products that can help you control a millipede problem, including sprays and dusts.

Plant-Based Insecticide Sprays

Our Home Bug Spray, Yard Bug Spray, and Vegetable Garden Insect & Disease Control spray are labeled to control millipedes. Our Home Bug Spray and Yard Bug Spray are formulated with plant oils as the active ingredients, providing contact kill and residual repellency protection. Our Home Bug Spray is effective for spot-treating millipedes. To create a repellent barrier around the exterior of your home, you can use our Yard Bug Spray. To control millipedes in your garden, our Vegetable Garden Insect & Disease Control can help. It provides contact kill and can be used on vegetables, roses, flowers, ornamental trees and shrubs, and fruit and nut trees.

Application Tips

Before using the products, shake them well before use and periodically during use. Spray our Home Bug Spray, contacting as many millipedes as possible. You can also spray near common entry points to help keep them from entering your home. For millipedes in your garden, you will want to use our Vegetable Garden Insect & Disease Control. Millipedes need to be sprayed directly to kill them. Before applying to the entire plant, it’s best to treat a small area of the plant first. Applications can be repeated every to 7–10 days. To create a repellent barrier around your house, spray the perimeter and the lower portions of the foundation with our Yard Bug Spray. The repellent properties will help to deter millipedes from entering your home.

Insecticide Dusts

Insecticide dusts can also help to control a millipede problem. Our Spider & Insect Dust is formulated using plant oils. It kills and repels millipedes and other common household pests. When left undisturbed, it will remain effective for up to 6 months. Our Bed Bug Killer dust is a non-repellent, desiccant dust that provides long-lasting control. It will remain effective for up to 10 years when left undisturbed.

Application Tips

To control millipedes, you will want to apply the dust in areas where you have seen millipedes or where they are likely to hide. The dust can be applied via the puffer bottle or using a paintbrush. The paintbrush will make it easier to apply the dust in cracks and crevices. You only need to apply a light, visible film.

Having these creepy crawlies hanging out in your space can be an unsettling sight. To keep millipedes out of your yard and home, you’ll want to implement preventative measures and use the right pest control products.