– Christine Gelley, Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator, Noble County OSU Extension
A typical cylindrical millipede that invades homes.
The month of July often triggers a millipede migration in our part of Ohio. These small arthropods are of the order Diplopoda and are not worms, as they are commonly described by fearful homeowners that find them inside crawling on floors and walls.
The legs are the first distinguishing characteristic. Worms (and maggots) do not have legs. The second guess is often that they are a centipede, but they have shorter antenna, legs, and more segments of legs than centipedes. It really is good that the creature they find is a millipede, because they are considered harmless to people, pets, structures, and landscapes.
It is creepy to have waves of millipedes accidently join you in your home mid-summer, but they do not breed, lay eggs, or eat items in your home. Insecticides are not considered effective control or prevention and are rarely considered necessary, because millipedes typically die of dehydration within a day of being inside.
Drought often triggers their movement as they search for humid environments of decaying plant material like leaves and are often found in the rocks and mulch of landscape near home walls. They are crawlers, so as the crawl along, they enter cracks and crevices looking for places that are more comfortable and often wind up in basements.
The easiest and most environmentally friendly way to deal with unwelcomed millipede visitors is to vacuum entry areas regularly and sweep up their crusty exoskeletons after they die.
If you find that millipedes are accidently entering your home, inspect areas around the foundation, doors, and windows that may be large enough for them to enter, and fill or repair the areas with draft sealing materials.
Learn more from this OSU fact sheet: https://ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/HYG-2067A-10