Millipede
Category: Miscellaneous
Scientific Name: Oxidus gracilis
Identification:
Color: Mottled black, brown, red, or orange
Size: 2-155 mm long
Region: Found throughout the world
Lifespan: 7 years
Important Considerations:
- Thankfully, millipedes do not often survive long inside homes. However, they can occasionally live in very moisture-rich indoor areas such as crawlspaces, cellars, and basements.
- Millipedes are detritivores. They feed on dead plant matter and insects.
- Some millipede species secrete a foul-smelling liquid. This fluid is not only an irritant, it can also be toxic to pets and cause blisters on humans.
Where to Find Them on Your Property?
Because they are detritivores, millipedes are found where dead plants or animals are: in grass clippings, trash piles, mulch, leaf piles, compost bins, etc. There is little risk of millipedes entering your home, and, even if they do, they will die within a few days.