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PESTS:
MILLIPEDES
 Now
part of the Australian environment,
Portuguese Millipedes belong to a group of
animals which have many body segments,
each with 2 pairs of legs. They are
vegetarians eating soft, rotting
vegetation, so playing a part in the
formation of nutrient enriched soil.
Although various species of millipedes
occur in temperate climates, and we do in
fact have several native species in South
Australia, it is the introduced millipede
which has become a pest. They are
attracted to lights at night, invading
homes, often in plague proportions.
Because they do not breed inside, they
usually die.
Habits
and Habitats
- Millipedes
originated in Portugal and Spain and
were introduced to Australia by
accident in 1953, first appearing in
Port Lincoln.
- Millipedes
do not walk far, adults only moving a
maximum of several hundred metres a
year.
- Invasions
occur in spring and autumn, though the
autumn invasion is more intense for a
longer period of time.
- Mating
occurs during autumn, during which
time, the adults are moving around on
the surface.
- Millipedes
that invade houses, have bred within
100 metres of the house.
- Millipedes
disperse further afield when
transported in soil and
woodchips.
- For
the first year, millipedes are small
and often overlooked. They do not
invade houses until they are about 2
years old.
- Millipedes
breed in leaf litter, preferring places
where plants cover the ground
completely. Soursobs and Salvation Jane
form the perfect canopy for millipedes.
They do not like lawns, cultivated
areas or bare ground.
- Millipedes
secrete a pungent yellowish secretion
when agitated. This secretion is
composed of organic chemicals called
quinones that make it distasteful to
predators. Squashing the millipedes
will also release this chemical along
with the unpleasantodour.
What
can be done to repel
Millipedes?
- Closing
curtains at night will reduce the
attraction.
- Clearing
leaf litter and dense undergrowth will
destroy any attractive breeding
sites.
- Chemical
barriers can be applied by qualified
pest consultants. The approved chemical
treatment is harmless to humans when
applied according to regulations, and
it does not persist in the environment.
The effectiveness of the treatment
lasts for several weeks.
- Millipedes
cannot cross smooth, clean, vertical
surfaces. It is possible to build a
moat into which millipedes fall with no
way to get out. Forced to walk the only
direction possible, they fall into a
container trap.
- An
electric barrier, similar to an
electric fence, placed along the lower
part of a wall, with stun and kill
millipedes.
- Smooth
plate glass set into concrete around
the perimeter of the house prevents
millipedes from gaining a foothold in
order to enter a house. These must be
kept clean and free of litter for them
to be effective.
- A
light trap effectively reduces
millipedes by 90%. This is a box with a
5 watt globe in it, a slot opening on
the side and a base treated with the
right chemicals, effectively lures the
millipedes to their death.
- While
millipedes do not carry any known
diseases, they are a nuisance
pest.
Our 25
years' experience ... your peace of
mind
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Total
Pest Solutions
PO
Box 2083, South Plympton
South Australia. 5038.
Phone 1800 503 394
(08) 8297 4981
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