Millipedes are most active at night or in the shade. At times, millipedes appear in large numbers on lawns, gardens, and around houses. They may invade houses in cool, wet weather, or in the fall. They are especially abundant in ornamental plantings that are heavily mulched. Infestations may occur in a new house that has been built in a wooded area.
Millipedes feed on decaying organic matter, compost, and on rotten wood in forests.
Sometimes they injure soft-stemmed plants in gardens and greenhouses. They do not bite people or animals and are not associated with any human disease. Control Dryness kills millipedes. Some will be eliminated by breaking up and raking away mulch and leaf litter to expose the soil surface to air and sunlight. It may be necessary to apply insecticides for satisfactory control.