Spotting millipedes in your house scuttling around is enough to send a shudder down your spine.
No one wants their home to be invaded by these worm-like bugs with hundred tiny legs.
Small worms in our house that curl up are not a pleasant sight in anyone’s home.
You’d either want to get out of your own house or make sure that each of these wiggling insects is driven out of your home.
Unfortunately, millipedes are a pretty common sight in our modern homes.
They tend to be more visible, especially during the monsoon or when it becomes cooler than usual.
It makes them seek out shelter — which turns out to be your home.
Do I have your attention?
Good! Keep reading to learn why millipedes become your uninvited guests and how you can get rid of them!
Reasons Why Millipedes Are In Your Home
In their natural habitat, you’ll typically find millipedes under piles of wood, rocks, flowerpots, and flowerbeds.
Millipedes are almost always burrowed into a damp place where they won’t be disturbed.
So, how did they end up in your home?
Out of a need to survive!
If their current outdoor home is no longer conducive, these arthropods are left with no choice but to migrate.
Here are a few major reasons why millipedes decide to make themselves at home in your home:
#1. Too Dry Outside
When there is drought, the living conditions, especially the earth, become extremely dry, and millipedes have to venture out of their hiding spaces in search of water.
They follow dampness and thus may end up in your laundry room, basement, or crawl spaces.
#2. Too Wet Outside
Millipedes don’t like it when the ground is too wet.
They typically thrive in an environment that provides the perfect moisture.
Usually, the ground is too soft after the rainy season, and most would associate this with worms crawling out of the earth.
In reality, the submerged earth is not to the millipedes’ liking, so they find another habitat away from the wet area.
And if your place is accessible nearby, they’ll take refuge in your home and become indoor house millipedes.
#3. It’s Too Cold Outside
These thin brown worms in our house also can be spotted when the temperature is too cold.
So, you can expect a possible millipede infestation from the beginning of fall until the end of winter.
How to Get Rid of Millipedes in a House
Before we get into the different ways to get rid of the millipedes, we must first understand how they’re getting in.
So, how are millipedes getting into your house?
Just like with flies (who bring maggots into your house) or when you find attic spiders in your house, millipede infestations are not different.
Through Cracks and Crevices
Millipedes are long bugs, but their bodies are narrow.
So, it is easy for them to slither their way inside your home through the tiniest space.
A tiny crack is invitation enough for these critters to get in.
Through Your Windows
Even if you’re someone who is meticulous about keeping their windows shut, that doesn’t mean that your screens have no holes.
Millipedes just need a tiny window opening to crawl inside your home.
Through Your Basement and Garage Doors
Your basement and garage can provide the perfect environment for millipedes to thrive.
More often than not, there’s a gap between the floor and your garage door, and no matter how slim that opening is, it’s more than enough for millipedes to enter.
Now that we know how these bugs are getting in from the outside, let’s explore the different ways to get rid of millipedes in-house.
#1. Close All Cracks and Possible Entryways
Thoroughly examine your doors, windows, and walls inside and outside your home, so you can fix all the gaps and cracks.
Should there be any holes, even the smallest tiniest one on your screen, make sure to close them at once.
#2. Get Rid Of Dampness And Reduce Any Excess Moisture
Moisture is the primary reason for millipedes to enter your home.
Remove this factor, and they’d find your house uninviting.
Make sure there are no damp spots or leaks, especially in areas like your basement or laundry room.
Look into your pipes and plumbing system to ensure no leaks.
You may also want to consider using dehumidifiers to remove unnecessary moisture from your home.
#3. Proactive Lawn Or Yard Care
Millipedes love moist places. So, regular maintenance and cleaning of your front yard or garden beds are highly recommended.
Especially if there’s a significant amount of accumulated yard debris or mulch, millipedes will love taking up residence there.
Pay attention to lawn care and ensure that there are no damp spot on your walls.
You may also want to use gravel to promote drainage.
#4. Use An Insecticide
Pest control using insecticides is an option you can always consider.
It allows you to create a protective barrier around your backyard or home perimeter to keep the millipedes and other tiny millipede looking bugs away.
Alternative DIY Home Solutions to Try
If you want to resolve your millipede infestation without having to use chemical solutions or exert too much physical effort, you can try the following recommendations:
#1. Extensive Vacuuming
Yes, this works.
Widespread and frequent vacuuming can remove millipedes.
After a thorough vacuum, ensure the bag is sealed properly and disposed of the bugs correctly.
#2. Mow Your Lawn Regularly
Be more attentive to your garden or lawn.
Trimming the shrubs and using your lawn mower regularly will ensure there are no small critters invading and settling in your tall grasses and mini-marshes.
#3. Adjust Your Sprinkler System
You may not realize it yet, but water pooling on your lawn and garden due to your sprinkler system also extends an invitation to millipedes and other bugs to crawl their way closer to your home.
#4. Use Natural Pest Control Solutions
Diatomaceous earth is a jack-of-all-trades for pests, and it works just as effectively to get rid of millipedes from your home.
Watch this simple video on how to use diatomaceous earth and shredded paper for your millipede problem:
#5. Wait Them Out
Millipedes do not have a long lifespan.
So, just let the millipedes go through their natural life cycle without any intervention.
They will typically stay in your home because they don’t know how to return to their natural outdoor living space.
Reproduction is usually not a problem, unless you see multiple millipedes togetherin your house, which would assume are made up of both male and female.
And because of their short lifespan, you only have to share your home with them for a few days and let them die a natural death.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can millipedes damage your house?
Millipedes are completely harmless to you and your house.
These pests just want to be more comfortable inside your house when the outdoors becomes too dry and hot.
And although they do come in large numbers, they do not pose any danger and won’t touch your food or get into your clothes.
These arthropods don’t even care for your wood or any house structure.
They’re just looking for a safe home to stay in while the outside environment is too rough on them.
What attracts millipedes to the house?
Millipedes are avid fans of damp and cool places.
So, if your home has a basement, garage, or crawl space with minimal to zero footwork, millipedes will invite themselves and use these spaces as their new homes.
How long do millipedes live in a house?
Take comfort in the fact that millipedes don’t live in a house for too long.
If a group of millipedes cannot find living conditions similar to their outdoor habitats, complete with the environment and food sources, they will simply perish.
Millipedes will realistically live in your basement or crawl spaces for only about four weeks.
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Finding millipedes in a house can be a complete nuisance. Seeing them crawling in any part of your home is not a pleasant sight. However, millipedes are completely harmless.
Resolve the root source of why they end up inside your home, and you’ll never have to deal with a millipede infestation again!