Millipedes

Simply, most millipedes look like worms with a whole bunch of legs. They are usually brown or black. Millipedes can range in size from less than an inch to well over five inches long. In spite of their name meaning "thousand legs", millipedes fortunately don't have quite that many. In fact, most millipedes have less than a hundred legs. Their legs come in two pairs of jointed legs along most segments of their body.

 

Millipedes generally live in places that have decaying organic material, such as wood piles, under rocks or mulch, and on floors of wooded area.

 

In your home, millipedes prefer cool, dark spaces, so you'll usually find them in basements or similar areas. In the summer, millipedes will seek shelter from the heat and summer rains by finding their way into your house. In the winter, millipedes will be drawn to the warmth of your home, as they cannot survive in extreme cold temperatures. Millipedes also require moisture, meaning that if they make it inside but can't find a damp place to live, they won't survive long.

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To learn even more about millipedes in Virginia, check out our blog post