They usually go unnoticed because they live in these relatively hidden habitats. Millipedes are attracted to dark, cool, moist environments that are rich in organic matter such as compost piles, heavily mulched shrub or flower beds ( Figure 3), rotting logs, or the soil under logs and stones. Millipedes pass the winter primarily as adults and lay their eggs in moist organic material in the spring. Life Cycle and Habits Skip to Life Cycle and Habits Centipedes also tend to move about more quickly than millipedes. Centipedes have only one pair of legs per body segment ( Figure 2) and the legs are usually longer than those on millipedes. Some people confuse millipedes with centipedes, which look somewhat similar. They crawl slowly and protect themselves by secreting cyanide-like compound that has an unpleasant odor. When disturbed, millipedes often curl up into a "C" shape and remain motionless. Although millipedes are often called "thousandleggers," they actually have far fewer legs, but each body segment has two pairs of very short legs. The most common species that invades buildings is the" garden millipede," which is brownish-black in color and about one inch long ( Figure 1). While millipedes sometimes enter in large numbers, they do not bite, sting, or transmit diseases, nor do they infest food, clothing or dry, structurally sound wood. Millipedes are common occasional pests that sometimes invade buildings particularly when the weather turns hot and dry.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply.AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |