They are important in promoting soil fertility through their digestion of organic matter. Predatory mites, Phytoseiulus persimilus , feed on other pest mites such as Red Spider and Two Spotted Mites. They are characterized as having a long, usually cylindrical, multi-segmented body, two pairs of short legs per apparent segment and a short pair of antennae on the head. When disturbed, millipedes often roll into tight coils. Many can secrete noxious fluids from specialized glands along their body to repel predators.
Millipedes cause little or no damage to our plants.
Although venomous, the toxin is rarely dangerous to humans. Centipedes are beneficial hunters. Most crustaceans live in fresh or salt water. The Sow Bug is considerably larger than the Pill Bug and has two prominent tail-like appendages. It is incapable of rolling itself into a ball.