Eliminate Millipedes: 3 Simple and Effective Methods

Are millipedes ten times faster than centipedes? While that joke got a lot of laughs on the internet, having them in your house is no joke. Here’s how to get rid of millipedes in your house, garden and more

While millipedes are very beneficial in the garden, you likely won’t be so thrilled to find them indoors.

Most species of millipedes are harmless to humans and pets, but no one likes creepy crawlies moving around their homes. 

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Especially during the rainy season, it’s not uncommon for them to leave their usual outdoor habitats and move indoors.

If you are here to learn how to get rid of millipedes, stick around and go through this article.

Where Do Millipedes Come From?

If you suddenly start finding millipedes in your home, you might wonder where they’re coming from, especially if you never noticed them around your home. 

Well, millipedes are more common than you think; they just stay out of sight most of the time. These soil-dwelling organisms typically live underground or underneath stones, logs, and mulch. 

They typically prefer dark and moist environments. They’re easy to identify – they have numerous body segments, and each body segment comes with two pairs of legs, adding up to hundreds of legs in total.

In the United States, these bugs are found in every state, including Alaska, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. Overall, out of the 7,000 species of millipedes, nearly 20% live in America.

Why Do I Have Millipedes in My House?

If you have millipedes in your house, it’s usually due to the weather. Heavy rains can fill up their living spaces under rocks and logs, forcing them to find a safer place. 

Similarly, too little or no rain can turn the soil dry and cause them to move into homes where they can find some moisture.

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How Do Millipedes Get in the House?

So, how do millipedes make their way inside your house in the first place? Well, you should keep in mind that while millipedes cannot fly, they’re great at crawling along vertical walls. 

They can simply crawl up the exterior wall of your home and look for a place to enter.

Usually, millipedes enter homes through ground-level windows and doors, air vents, crawl space vents, garage doors, and cracks or crevices. 

They’re especially drawn to your home if there are damp areas and decaying organic materials nearby.

How To Get Rid of Millipedes in House?

Let’s now explore how to get rid of millipedes indoors:

Leave them be

Usually, a millipede infestation doesn’t need any major treatments as they don’t survive more than a few days in dry indoor conditions. 

Moreover, you don’t have to worry about the millipedes multiplying as they don’t lay eggs indoors. You can just wait them out for a few days, as the infestation won’t last long.

Manual removal

If you come across millipedes crawling around, you can just pick them up by hand or sweep them out with a broom. 

However, it’s best not to touch them directly as some species of millipedes produce irritating fluids in defense and can trigger allergic reactions.

Bug sprays

Although this is more of a last resort, you may also use bug sprays. In addition to spraying the millipedes, create a bug barrier by spraying possible entry points. Make sure to use a bug spray that’s safe for indoor application.

How To Prevent Millipedes From Entering House?

Even if you get rid of the millipedes that were in your house, there’s always a chance that they can make a comeback. Here’s how you can prevent millipedes from entering your house in the future:

• Use caulk or other sealants to seal openings that aren’t supposed to be there, such as cracks in the exterior wall.
• Equip a door sweep under your exterior doors so that the millipedes can’t crawl underneath them to enter.
• Remember, millipedes are attracted to excess moisture. Use a dehumidifier or a sump pump to dry your home’s basement walls, foundation, and crawl spaces.
• Keep the surroundings of your home clean of mulch, grass clippings, wood particles, leaf litter, and other plant materials.
• Repair leaky air conditioning units, faucets, and water pipes.

How Long Does a Millipede Infestation Last?

Millipede infestations are rather short-lived and usually last less than a week, sometimes even a few hours. 

This is because the dry environment inside a home isn’t suitable for them and they can’t survive more than a few days. Moreover, as mentioned earlier, they don’t reproduce indoors either.

How To Kill Millipedes?

Although millipede infestations aren’t too severe, you might have no choice but to kill them if there are too many of them. As mentioned earlier, manual removal or the use of bug sprays is usually enough. 

However, you can also use various other organic pest treatment methods, such as using neem oil, diatomaceous earth, boric acid, etc. 

If you’d prefer to remove millipedes without killing them, you may also use traps instead.

Does Epsom Salt Kill Millipedes?

Comprising magnesium, sulfur, and water, Epsom Salt is quite useful to gardeners. 

Besides being beneficial to plant health, Epsom salt also has insecticidal properties and helps repel various pests. 

However, if you are thinking about using Epsom salt to eliminate millipedes, it won’t work. Epsom salt does not kill them; you’ll have to use other methods.

Will Vinegar Kill Millipedes?

Vinegar is another common natural insecticide and pest repellent that works well against a variety of bugs. You may use apple cider vinegar to kill or repel millipedes in your home. 

The fact that vinegar is a common kitchen ingredient also makes it an easily available solution against millipedes. 

You may also use vinegar to clean up stains left behind by crushed millipedes and get rid of their smell.

Will Baking Soda Kill Millipedes?

It’s a common misconception that baking soda can kill millipedes. 

Applying baking soda to millipede-infested places seems to work only because it eliminates the foul smell excreted by millipedes. 

However, the millipedes are still there; you just won’t smell them anymore.

Does Soapy Water Kill Millipedes?

Yes, soapy water can kill most crawling insects, including millipedes. However, keep in mind that not all soap and water solutions work against millipedes. 

Detergent wouldn’t be effective against them – you need to use dish soap. Create a 50-50 solution of water and dish soap and spray it over the millipedes. 

You may also pour the soapy water solution into infested areas and wash them to keep away the bugs.

Does DE Kill Millipedes?

Diatomaceous earth (DE) is one of the most effective natural pesticides and works well against millipedes. 

You may sprinkle this crystalline powdery substance in and around areas where millipedes are likely to hide or pass through. 

The crystals can easily pierce into their exoskeletons, causing micro punctures. Once the DE enters their body, it starts dehydrating them from the inside and eventually kills them. 

This substance isn’t harmful to humans and is safe for indoor use.

Does Boric Acid Kill Millipedes?

Working in a way similar to DE, boric acid is effective in removing millipedes as well. 

It enters the body of pests crawling over it by cutting through the exoskeleton. 

In addition to causing dehydration, boric acid also hampers the digestive system of millipedes and other pests. 

This allows it to kill them faster than the diatomaceous earth. However, boric acid isn’t as nontoxic as DE and you shouldn’t use it around kids or pets.

Does Neem Oil Kill Millipedes in Houseplants?

If you have houseplants at home, it’s quite likely that they might attract millipedes. Treating houseplants with neem oil is a great way to eliminate various bugs, including millipedes. 

Neem oil treatment is easy – just mix it with water and use a spray bottle to spray the solution over your plants. 

However, while neem oil is very effective, it works very slowly. It might take multiple treatments to get rid of millipedes using neem oil.

How To Get Rid of Millipedes Home Remedy?

Simple home remedies to make your home an unsuitable habitat for millipedes can be enough to get rid of them and eliminate the need for pest control solutions. 

Remember – millipedes are always attracted to places with excess moisture. Fixing water leaks and keeping your home dry should help keep them away.

You should be careful about areas that are usually damp, such as the basement and around your kitchen sink. 

Also, get rid of plant debris, mulch, boxes, etc. from the surroundings of your home’s foundation. Keep your compost and trash secure, and avoid over-fertilizing your lawn.

How To Get Rid of Millipedes in Soil?

Before you start working on removing millipedes from the soil, you should bear in mind that these soil-dwelling organisms are quite beneficial. 

They are natural recyclers and help decompose decaying organic matter. However, too many millipedes can pose a problem, especially if they start damaging your plants. 

You can try out the following solutions:

• DE: As mentioned earlier, diatomaceous earth is an extremely effective natural pesticide that can help you kill millipedes. Just sprinkle it over the soil, especially around your flower beds.
• Natural predators: If possible, try to attract natural predators like frogs and toads and build bird feeders to attract birds. They will help keep the millipede population in control.
• Changing the soil: If you are dealing with a heavy millipede infestation in potting soil, you may consider transplanting your plant. Alternatively, you can just empty the pot and refill it with clean soil.
• Pesticides: Of course, spraying pesticides on the soil can kill millipedes too. You should keep chemical pesticides as a last resort as they often have various side effects and may kill other beneficial organisms too.

Frequently asked questions

Wrap Up

The millipede is mostly just a nuisance pest and rarely causes any noticeable damage to plants. 

Unless you can’t stand their presence at all or there are too many of them, you don’t have to go into a lot of trouble to get rid of them. 

Maintaining adequate ventilation and a dry environment indoors should be enough to keep them away most of the time.