Humans have an interesting way of classifying things in our minds. We see a harmless house spider smaller than our pinky nail and are terrified, but we think there’s nothing cuter than a giant brown bear looking for its next meal. Although we know that the way a creature looks has little to do with whether or not it’s dangerous, that knowledge doesn’t always help when we come face to face with the pests that get into our homes.
If you find millipedes in your Fort Lauderdale house, your immediate reaction is probably one of fear. These aren’t pests that we see all the time, and their appearance can be startling. Learning a bit about these pests can help you understand why they’re suddenly showing up in your house, whether you need to be worried about their presence, and what millipede pest control methods you should employ to get rid of them.
Understanding The Behavior And Habits Of Millipedes
Millipedes are pests you don’t typically forget once you’ve seen them. Whoever coined the term “creepy-crawly” when referring to pests was probably thinking about millipedes.
These pests have long, worm-like bodies that are typically brown or black but can also be red, orange, or a mottled combination of colors. Their length can range widely depending on the species, from as small as a sixteenth of an inch to as large as four and a half inches long.
What truly sets millipedes apart are their many legs. While their name would lead you to believe that they have one thousand legs, in actuality, the number of legs that millipedes have varies from species to species, with the lower end at 30 pairs and the highest end at 333 pairs of legs.
The house millipedes you see on your Fort Lauderdale property are nocturnal creatures that prefer to hide during the day. They are scavengers that feed on decaying plants and vegetation. Millipedes tend to migrate in large numbers each fall.
Common Entry Points: How Millipedes Invade Fort Lauderdale Homes
When millipedes get onto your Fort Lauderdale property, they tend to congregate in areas around your yard with high moisture and plenty of decaying vegetation. You can often find them under leaf litter, grass clippings, and in flower beds. Since these items often build up around the foundation of your home, it’s easy to see how millipedes make the journey from outside your house to inside.
Millipedes can utilize small openings they find around your foundation to access your house. Once inside, the millipede’s lifespan becomes very short. Most of the time, millipedes can only survive for a few days inside your house. However, in some cases, they can survive longer, especially if your home is highly humid and offers a food supply for them.
Moisture And Humidity: Attractants For Millipedes
One of the best-known millipede characteristics is their need for moisture. Millipedes don’t survive in an environment that is too dry. This can be good news for your home if you take the proper steps to ensure your home and property do not have high humidity levels or a lot of moisture.
To make your property less attractive to millipedes, do the following:
Check around all plumbing fixtures, both inside and outside, to make sure there are no leaks.
Cut back vegetation around your home’s perimeter to reduce moisture build-up.
Remove lawn debris, leaf litter, and grass clippings from your property.
Install a drainage system to divert rainwater away from your house.
Reduce humidity inside your house with the use of dehumidifiers.
By implementing a few simple moisture-control measures, you can help reduce the chances of ending up with a millipede problem around your Fort Lauderdale home.
When To Seek Professional Millipede Extermination Services
Seeing a few millipedes around your home is not necessarily an immediate cause for alarm. However, it is something you should pay attention to. Some millipede species release a fluid that can be toxic to small pets and can cause blisters in humans.
If you do find millipedes in or around your home, give the experts at GOTBUGSIKILL a call. We provide Fort Lauderdale millipede control services that will take care of your millipede problem for your peace of mind. Since millipedes sometimes move in large numbers, if you start to see a lot of millipedes around your house, it’s wise to take care of the issue before these pests have a chance to get into your house.
Millipede control from GOTBUGSIKILL is an eco-friendly and pet-friendly way to keep your Fort Lauderdale house millipede-free. Contact us today to get started.
