MILLIPEDES- THE GOOD, THE BAD & THE UGLY
Some of you may have seen them before – those worm-like critters that crawl out of mulch beds or decaying material to search for higher ground. They’re called yellow-banded millipedes and are driven indoors by rain or other weather changes.
Millipedes: What you should know
The good news is that millies are harmless. They’re arthropods, not insects, and are considered a beneficial organism, not a plant pest. The bad news is that millies can become an indoor nuisance, climbing up walls willy-nilly and just being plain ugly to look at (don’t worry; they don’t bite and they don’t breed indoors). Plus, when they die (they dehydrate within a day or two), you’ve got all those curled-up bodies to sweep out so they can decompose.
How to prevent millipedes
So how do you impede ‘pedes from coming in? Make sure you have weather stripping around your doorways, especially the thresholds. Seal around your windows and turn off outdoor lights when not in use. Also replace damaged screens. Check your potted plants, too. Sometimes millies like to hang out there as well.
Since millies don’t eat grass or plants, ArtisTree does not stock the products to treat for them. We recommend you contact your pest control company to inquire about insecticides labeled for use, keeping in mind that success may be very short-lived since more millies will most likely return after the next heavy rainfall.
Category Landscape Maintenance, News, Pests, Landscaping Tips
Tagged with: Millipedes