The Ultimate Guide To Millipede Control In Sugar Land

What is a millipede? Let's take a look at this word in Latin. Milli means one thousand, and pede means to go "on foot" to someplace. You could also break pede down to just the word ped, which means foot. So, as you can see, a millipede is a critter that looks like it is going around on a thousand feet. Is this the case? Do we have bugs in Sugar Land with a thousand feet? No. Far from it.

The millipedes you may see in your home or yard will have only a fraction of that number. The legs of a millipede are in pairs. These pairs range from about 25 to 100, depending on the species. In the United States, no millipede even comes close to having 1000 legs, but there are millipedes that do. Currently, the world record for most legs on a millipede stands at 1,306 legs. It was found in Australia by Bruno Buzatto, a biologist in Perth. But this is where the fun facts end.

Today, we're here to talk about how you can control millipedes when they start to cause trouble on your Sugar Land property. Join us as we explain why they're common household pests for some homeowners in our area, how they find their way indoors, what attracts them, and what steps you can take to keep them out of your house.

If you need help with pest control in Sugar Land, you can always count on the Modern Pest Control service team. We are your resource for pest advice and service options. You can connect with us through our contact page or by phone for quick answers. With that said, let's take a look at millipede control in Sugar Land.

Why Millipedes Are A Common Household Pest For Sugar Land Homeowners

When you find a millipede in your home, is it a house millipede? No. There are no millipedes that prefer to live inside our homes. They are definitely outdoor bugs. But they can come in when exterior conditions drive them inside. If you're currently dealing with an infestation, here are a few reasons why they are now in your house:

Dry Conditions: Millipedes need moisture. It isn't surprising for a critter that is a close cousin to the lobster and crayfish. When they come into your yard, they look for damp soil and moisture from organic clutter. During times of drought, the moisture in the soil can dry up, and the organic clutter can become dry and brittle; this is not a habitat millipedes can handle. Millipedes will try to head indoors, and in large numbers, when it is dry outside.
Hot Conditions: On a hot day, a millipede will want to hide in a moist, shielded location. It does this to prevent dehydration. Millipedes can crawl inside to escape the heat when they are close to a structure. When they do, they don't last long. Millipedes can't survive inside for more than a few days. That's the good news if you're looking for a way to end your infestation. Unfortunately, the bad news is that infestations can happen over and over if you don't take measures to stop these little critters.
Heavy Rain:During times of heavy rain, you might think millipedes are happy, but they don't have the ability to breathe underwater, like a lobster or crayfish. When groundwater levels rise, it can drive millipedes out of the soil and into your house.

Millipedes act out of instinct and respond to stimuli. When conditions outdoors are unfavorable, these thousand-leggers will make an attempt to come inside. Perhaps you've noticed—or you're currently experiencing this. Infestations come and go. It isn't great when they come because millipedes will crawl all over floors, walls, ceilings, and more. It is equally bad when they go because they leave you with a mess to clean. Most millipedes won't find their way back outside. They're just not smart enough.

If you're tired of cleaning up millipedes, it's time to consider how these multi-legged pests get into your home in the first place. You also need to understand the conditions that attract them to the perimeter of your house. They get into your home primarily because they live close by. Let's take a look at these two factors.

How Millipedes Get Inside Homes And What Attracts Them

How does a tiny millipede find its way into your home? It finds its way indoors the same way other bugs do. But, with their incredible climbing skills and little bodies, they can access many entry points other bugs can't. If millipedes are the only insects you have trouble with, there is a good chance they're accessing your house through a high entry point.

But let's start low and work our way up:

Millipedes often enter through small spaces around pipes and plumbing fixtures, particularly if moisture is present.
Millipedes are strongly attracted to decaying wood and moisture-damaged areas of your home.
Millipedes crawl through cracks in foundation walls and gaps around the frames of foundation windows because they're close to the ground.
Millipedes crawl right underneath exterior doors where sweeps are damaged or missing.
Millipedes squeeze through the tiniest of openings in weatherstripping.
Millipedes can scale interior walls and the support beams of an open deck to get into the ceiling.
Millipedes can scale the shaded side of a home and get in through tiny gaps in eaves, soffits, fascia, and rooflines.

When conditions are favorable for millipedes in Sugar Land, they can create a large population in the soil near your house. If you have a ton of millipedes in your yard, you have an infestation waiting to happen (repeatedly).

Here are a few factors to consider:

Millipedes are attracted to landscape vegetation and prefer plants that are kept wet.
Millipedes feed on detritus. If you trim your exterior plants and don't put the scraps in the trash, you could invite millipedes.
Millipedes love leaf litter and piles. They offer many food options and also a moist place to hide.
Millipedes are attracted to pools as they seek the moisture.
Millipedes climb inside and hide underneath logs, scrap wood, firewood, brush piles, and other wood sources.
Millipedes are commonly found in landscaping that has a heavy layer of mulch.

If you want to reduce the population of millipedes near your home, you have to consider these factors. Let's take a look at some practical tips that draw upon all we've talked about so far. We'll also tell you what you can do to block these pests from entering your home.

Comprehensive Guide To Millipede Prevention In Sugar Land

When dealing with a millipede problem, the best solution is one that targets the source of the problem. Many Sugar Land residents look for pest control products or search the internet for DIY tips on how to make a millipede trap. These products and suggestions don't work well. Over-the-counter control products are often toxic and can cause harm to people and pets, and traps don't stop the problem; they only collect millipedes for you to put in the trash. Believe us when we say millipedes can replenish their numbers a lot faster than you can trap them.

Instead, try these tactics to control them:

Maintain A Dry Exterior: Keep your perimeter and landscaping dry. You don't have to have damp vegetation to have healthy plants. Keeping your plants wet continuously is actually bad for them. We recommend watering your plants in the early morning to allow the hot sun to dry the moisture off the plants. Along with this, maintain a clear gutter system to avoid perimeter saturation. When clogged gutters allow your perimeter soil to become saturated, the ground is nice and moist for millipedes.

Maintain Your Plants: Millipedes will thrive in the shade provided by overgrowth and the high humidity created by weeds and unwanted grass in your landscaping. They're also looking for decaying plant matter, which is more abundant in overgrown vegetation.

Remove Organic Debris: Leaves, plant clippings, grass clippings, sticks, and other organic debris will attract millipedes to your property. Move them away from your exterior perimeter to keep millipedes away, or put them in a receptacle to get the materials off the soil.

Avoid Applying Too Much Mulch: We pointed out that a thick layer of mulch will attract millipedes. The solution is to apply just the amount you need.

Weatherproof Your Home: Check all your weatherproofing to ensure you have good seals so millipedes can't access your home through small vulnerabilities.

Pay attention to the following:

Check your weatherstripping around exterior doors.
If you can see any light leaking in during the day or leaking out at night, pull the old weatherstripping off and replace it.
Check your sweeps in the same way as your weatherstripping.
Pull off damaged door sweeps and install new ones.
Use caulk to seal around windows, door frames, and gaps in wood.
Plug holes in wood frames.
Fill in wood cavities and voids using expanding foam.

Make Home Repairs: Along with weatherproofing, it is critical to address any required repairs. A few common trouble spots are:

Window and door screens.
Broken glass panes.
Cracks in your foundation.
Uneven double doors.

Keep Your Home Dry: When millipedes come into your home, you want them to find it dry. If they do, they may stop and go back out. Try these strategies:

Install a dehumidifier in any space that tends to stay humid.
Install fans to vent moist air out.
Use existing fans like the one in your bathroom.
Repair any plumbing leaks and address areas of moisture damage.

Diligent yard work, home repair, and weatherproofing will go a long way toward keeping your home free of millipedes. These steps may be all you need, depending on your home and the conditions present. When more control is necessary, or you're unable to address vulnerabilities yourself, a pest control service provider like Modern Pest Control can help you keep millipedes and other pests out of your house.

Got Millipedes? Modern Pest Control Can Help

Whether you currently havea millipedeproblem in your Sugar Land home or want to prevent millipede problems before they start, your Modern Pest Control team can help you sort things out. We can address a persistent infestation when it seems as though these pests are never ending, and we can also manage a recurring issue where you keep getting millipedes over and over. The solution is the same. In fact, our solution even works for proactive millipede prevention.

Here are a few of the steps we take:

We evaluate your property and help you better understand your pest pressures and conducive conditions.
We make suggestions for ways you can counteract pest issues naturally.
We spot-treat areas in your yard to reduce pest activity.
We apply exclusions in critical areas to create a physical barrier that keeps pests out.
We bolster your defenses by applying a perimeter treatment. The treatment we use is appropriate to keep insects and multi-legged critters out of your home but will not cause harm to your pets or any wildlife in your yard.

If you want to deal with a millipede infestation inside your Sugar Land home, Modern Pest Control is the company to call for millipede control near you.Jump to our 'Contact Us' page and speak with one of our agents. We'll get you on the right path.

Keep in mind that routine service visits are a great way to gain control over a long list of pests, not just millipedes. If you're tired of unwanted pests stealing your peace, connect with us to request an initial service visit. We'll help you find the right plan to deal with pests of all kinds.

You can also check out our 'Residential' pest control page and learn about Modern Plus, Signature, and Signature PLUS pest control plans. These service packages contain everything you need to address common Sugar Land pests like millipedes, roaches, silverfish, earwigs, crickets, ants, termites, fleas, ticks, mosquitoes, and spiders.

Reach out today to get started and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Sugar Land.