This will reduce habitat and food necessary for large populations. Some of the general insecticides also have sowbugs or pillbugs on the labels and these can be used during wet seasons when cultural controls are not effective. Millipedes Millipedes are often confused with their fast running, predatory cousins, the centipedes. Millipedes have heads with antennae and elongate trunks with 20 or more segments and two pairs of legs per visible segment. These slow moving animals are usually scavengers but occasionally feed on living plants, causing damage similar to isopods.
Centipedes have only one pair of legs per body segment, run rapidly and are beneficial predators.
Control millipedes with the same techniques used against isopods. The most common spider mite attacking bedding plants and perennials is the two-spotted spider mite. This is a common pest in greenhouses and is often transplanted into the garden with bedding plants. This mite, however, can overwinter as an adult female hiding in protected areas. You will need a 10x hand lens to see these pests.