How to eliminate millipedes in the house?
How to eliminate millipedes in the house?
If you find millipedes indoors, don't panic. Follow these steps to clear them.
Step 1: Find the source
- Check along walls, door edges, and window sills; any gap is an entry point.
- Inspect floor drains and drain openings, millipedes may come up from pipes.
- Seal any found openings with weather stripping or cement.
Step 2: Environmental cleaning
- Clean areas where millipedes appear.
- Focus on damp areas: bathrooms, kitchens, storage rooms.
- Move cardboard boxes and clutter away from walls to reduce hiding places.
- Keep indoors dry and well-ventilated; maintain humidity below 50%. Millipedes will dehydrate and die within days in dry conditions.
Step 3: Chemical control
- Spray bifenthrin-containing household insecticide along walls, floor cracks, and door edges.
- Millipedes crawling over the treated surface die from contact.
- Also spray a 1-meter-wide band on the ground around the house to form a protective barrier.
- Residual effect lasts about 2-4 weeks.
Step 4: Post-rain maintenance
- Rain washes away the insecticide; reapply after rain stops.
- Spring and summer (May-August) are peak seasons; increase inspection and reapplication during this period.
- After rain, millipedes emerge in large numbers, an ideal time for concentrated treatment.
Precautions
- Wear gloves and a mask during spraying; avoid inhalation.
- Keep pets and children away until the spray is dry.