I have millions of these ... - Ask Extension
I have millions of these worms on the cement surrounding my house. They are about 1" long and have a hard shell. They are as wide as a piece of grass....
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I have millions of these ... #152534
Asked September 13, 2013, 1:28 PM EDT
I have millions of these worms on the cement surrounding my house. They are about 1" long and have a hard shell. They are as wide as a piece of grass. The underside is a lighter brown. I sweep them up into a bucket and dump them across the road about every other day. They keep coming. I sprinkled Saven poison dust on all the cracks and around the perimeter of my house. They get in the house through door jams and foundation. What are they and how can I get rid of them. I get them every year about this time and they stay until frost. There are literally millions of them. I live on the Mississippi River and water our lawn from the river. My neighbors have a few but not as bad as me.
Please help me get rid of these worms. They are gross and I am embarrassed to have people stop by my house because of them. I can't keep up with them.
Benton County Minnesota
Expert Response
This looks like a millipede. Check the web links below and see if this is consistent with what you are seeing.
If these are indeed millipedes, they generally feed on decaying matter in our landscapes and generally stay in moist areas. Do you have a lot of damp decaying material in the your yard or around the outside of your home near where you are seeing them? If yes, one method of control would be removing what you can of this material, or at least from areas immediately near your home where it matters most. If you are watering your lawn regularly - does it have time between to dry out or is it regularly damp around the perimeter of your home? Allowing it to dry some between waterings, particularly near foundation can help. It is likely that the river water contains organic material as well but I am unsure whether this impacts your insect situation or not.
To keep milipedes from your home, sealing gaps or openings can help, in addition to the removal of extra decaying material near your home (leaves, plant materials, mulch etc). A dehumidifier in your home may be useful if the millipedes are being drawn to a damp space once in your home. Otherwise, they will tend to die relatively quickly in dry indoor conditions. If you choose to use chemical controls, review the linked websites for information for choosing one that is suited for the outside foundation of your home. Your current product may not contain the necessary ingredients for millipede control.
http://www.ipm.iastate.edu/ipm/iiin/mmilliped.html
http://www1.extension.umn.edu/garden/insects/find/sowbugs-millipedes-centipedes