Millipede Control in Grand Rapids

Millipede Removal in West Michigan & Northeast Indiana

Millipedes are distinguished by their two pairs of jointed legs on most of their body segments. Most species have long, flattened-cylindrical bodies with more than 20 segments. However, pill millipedes, in particular, are usually shorter and can curl up in a ball to defend themselves when they feel threatened. Other millipedes have different defense mechanisms to ward off predators. Because of these defensive techniques, it is recommended that gloves be worn when handling them.

If you are not comfortable handling these critters on your own or would like to be sure they are thoroughly removed from your property, enlist the help of the professionals at Fortified Pest Defense. We have the knowledge and experience to locate the areas millipedes are most likely to congregate and deal with this nuisance quickly. 

Request a free estimate by calling us at (260) 529-5182 or using our online form.

Facts About Millipedes

• Millipedes are considered non-venomous and generally non-poisonous. 
• Their name in Latin means a thousand feet, although no known species has that many. 
• The species with the greatest number of legs is known as Illacme plenipes. Despite measuring less than 1¼ inches, the females have 750 legs. 
• Many people mistake them for their cousins, the centipede. The easiest way to tell the two apart is by the placement and number of pairs of legs per segment. Millipedes have two pairs of legs per segment, which are directly underneath their bodies, while centipedes have only one pair per segment, located on the sides of their bodies.
• Millipedes come in a wide assortment of colors and lengths. Depending on the species, they can be red, white, brown, orange, or black, measuring anywhere from 1/10th of an inch to over a foot. 
• They are hardy and industrious, as evidenced by the fact that they've been crawling around this planet for approximately 440 million years and are believed to be one of the first creatures to ever become land-dwellers. 
• There are about 7,000 species of millipedes found globally, but only 1,400 or so are in the United States. 
• The garden or pill millipede of the Polydesmida order is known to invade homes in Michigan and Indiana.
• They sometimes exhibit the strange behavior of going on mass pilgrimages to find new food sources and places to live, and have been found in groups of up to several million.