For the past few weeks, we have had millipedes come into the basement area
of our house. They congregate on the bathroom floor, then curl up and die.
We have tried to trace their path to see how they come in....no luck. How
do we solve this problem? Thanks.
Are you on the U.S. east coast, by any chance?
Glad you asked the question, I'm suddenly having problem too, awaiting the
responses. In the meantime, the best 'net source I found after a quick search
is:
http://www.ncsu.edu/news/dailyclips/0804/081604.htm
Banty
snipped-for-privacy@earthlink.net says...
:) For the past few weeks, we have had millipedes come into the basement area
:) of our house. They congregate on the bathroom floor, then curl up and die.
:) We have tried to trace their path to see how they come in....no luck. How
:) do we solve this problem? Thanks.
:)
:)
:)
They are more of an environmental issue...when I get calls on them this
time of year is usually homes near undeveloped land..doesn't seem to
matter if it is a field or woody area. We start to get day after day of
95+ degree weather and the populations get put on a migration. Same
happens in the Fall when we start to get some heavy rains. Basically a
residual around the entryways of the home and treating into the grass
around the home will slow them down. Depending on the numbers on the
move may determine if I get a call for a retreat. They will feed off of
rotting wood so if there is a wood pile or stacked lumber or even an old
stump near the home could be the source.
says...
:) Is there a non-insecticide cure? It this something that the homeowner can
just
:) wait out while the migrations run their course?
:)
:) Banty
:)
Non chemical means will be cleaning up debris and harborage areas from
the property...making sure the weather stripping around the entry doors
are tight...caulk gaps...use plastic brillo type product on weep holes
(not steel wool).
die.
If you'd like to avoid spraying chemicals around your house, I recommend
using glue boards. Here in Virginia, you can find them at almost every
grocery store. They are basically a piece of cardstock (thick paper) with
one side coated with a clear, VERY sticky substance.
I use them for the crickets that flock to my garage every fall. I've
captured two dozen on a single glue board before. Poke a hole in the edge
of the glue board and tie a string through the hole, if you want a way to
pick up the board after all of the bugs get stuck to it. It has no poison in
it, but it does seem to have some kind of insect-attracting properties.
I've captured ants, a couple of mice, crickets, spiders and even a few fruit
flies with them. Very effective and functionally simple. That's the way I
like products to be.
By the way, these things are really sticky. Try to keep them away from cats
or dogs. My dog doesn't bother them since he got his face stuck once.
There may be an application here for the party who wanted to
keep dogs out of his yard. Tie one of these to a rock or
board, and rub a bit of meat by it. Dog takes a crap,
sniffs the meat, gets stuck, and goes home dragging the
anchor, thus creating an aversive memory about that
location. I wonder if this would work?
==========
LOL! It'd sure teach the owner to wonder about letting the dog run free
anymore. But I'd wonder about running afoul of animal cruelty laws for
deliberately setting it up. Still, it'd be funny as hell.
I'm near DC, use glue boards and have both crickets and millipedes. The
boards trap plenty of crickets but I've never seen a millipede on one. Not
in three years of using them and having trapped PLENTY of crickets. I see
the occasional spider, beetle and ant but as yet no millipedes on the traps.
No idea why. Maybe whatever attracts the other insects doesn't work with
millipedes or they learn to avoid it (losing a leg for a millipede ain't a
big deal)
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