These relatives of insects have two pairs of legs on most of their similar-appearing segments. They glide over a surface with their legs moving in waves. When disturbed, a millipede may coil up like a watch spring. The common species in Delaware is about one inch long and dark brown in color.
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.