As their common name implies, they have many legs, from 100-400, with two pairs on all but the first three and last body segments. Millipedes feed on both living and decomposed plant material and occasionally on dead insects, etc. Although generally not a problem in home gardens, they do sometimes feed on plants. In drought periods especially, they are found boring into fleshy stems of plants or feeding on bulbs, they are usually not the primary pest involved. In greenhouses, injury is most severe in soils rich in organic matter.
Millipedes have high moisture requirements in general.
They are often a nuisance around homes in damp wooded areas with undergrowth and stone walls. When abundant they may wander in large numbers and enter the basement or ground floor of the house where they are a harmless nuisance. They are often found invading new homes and buildings a few years after construction. Periodically they may migrate in incredible numbers. Millipedes have been reported attacking corn, potatoes, parsnips, carrots, beets, turnips, radishes, lettuce, cabbage, cauliflower, beans, peas, tomatoes, cucumber, squash, melons, etc., especially in the northeastern states.