Tell millipedes from centipedes, dry out the moisture that draws them, and keep them out with exclusion and low-pesticide methods.
Call (619) 421 - 2101Millipedes are small, many-legged creatures that live in damp, dark places and occasionally invade homes — usually in large numbers after rain. They are harmless: they do not bite, sting, or damage your home. This Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan focuses on reducing the moisture that attracts them, sealing them out, and using chemical controls only when they are truly necessary.
Because millipedes are driven almost entirely by dampness, the fix is less about pesticides and more about drying out the ground right around your foundation.
Want a tailored millipede IPM plan for your property?
Call (619) 421 - 2101 →The two are constantly mixed up — here is how to tell which many-legged visitor you have.
Slow, round-bodied, and moisture-loving. Millipedes are occasional invaders that wander indoors in large numbers after rain, but they do not bite or damage your home.
The pest most often confused with the millipede. Centipedes are flatter, much faster, and are predators — see our separate centipede plan.
How GC Termite Control manages millipedes — from moisture control to a judicious chemical last resort.
Millipedes give themselves away by where they gather and how slowly they move.
Millipedes are all about moisture, so drying things out is the whole game.
A few landscaping changes make the area next to the house much less inviting.
Natural predators quietly keep millipede numbers in check outdoors.
Sealing and simple removal handle the millipedes that reach the house.
If moisture control and exclusion are not enough, targeted professional treatment can help.
Dry out the perimeter and close the ground-level gaps they crawl through.
Fix leaks and improve drainage to dry out damp areas
Direct downspouts and irrigation away from the foundation
Avoid overwatering lawns and garden beds
Keep leaves, mulch, and debris off walls and foundations
Replace wood mulch near the house with gravel where possible
Seal cracks and gaps and add door sweeps
Water in the morning so soil dries by evening
Sweep or vacuum any millipedes that get inside
GC Termite Control will pinpoint the moisture and entry points behind a millipede problem and build an integrated plan that keeps them outside where they belong.
Millipedes are slow, round-bodied, and have two pairs of legs per segment; they eat decaying plant matter. Centipedes are flat, fast, and have one pair of legs per segment; they are predators. The easy tell: if it crawls slowly and curls into a spiral when disturbed, it is a millipede.
They are moisture-driven. After heavy rain or during fall, millipedes migrate in large numbers and wander indoors — usually through ground-level gaps — seeking or escaping moisture. It is almost always a sign that conditions right around your foundation are too damp.
No. Millipedes do not bite and do not damage your home. Some species can secrete a harmless but smelly, mildly irritating fluid if handled or squashed, so it is best to sweep or vacuum them rather than crush them.
Reduce moisture around the foundation, cut back mulch and vegetation, and seal ground-level entry points with caulk and door sweeps. Because they are drawn by dampness, drying out the perimeter does more than anything you spray.
