Help identifying these insects. And, how do I get rid of them? - Ask Extension
Hello,
I'm looking for help identifying these insects.
1. They first showed up in my garage, front of house on porch and sidewalk, and entire fi...
Knowledgebase
Help identifying these insects. And, how do I get rid of them? #925426
Asked March 04, 2026, 3:14 PM EST
Hello,
I'm looking for help identifying these insects.
1. They first showed up in my garage, front of house on porch and sidewalk, and entire first level of home (connected to garage) spring 2025. I would see anywhere from 5 to 10 a day, alive and/or deceased. I have a 3-level home, all levels above ground.
2. During late fall and winter 2025-now in 2026, their numbers went down and I mostly see deceased ones inside my home on the floor and in the sticky traps near my baseboards.
3. They were larger and dark brown in the warmer months. In the late fall and winter, they started looking pale and very small (see the ones caught in the sticky trap during the past few weeks).
4. Though I expect most insects to die off in the cold months, these did not. I saw fewer of them, but they were still showing up in my sticky traps.
5. During the warmer months, I would spot a couple on the 2nd level of my house. And saw maybe 2 on the 3rd level.
6. Home Defense spray does NOT kill them. They literally walk right into it and keep going. Whatever the pest control company I hired sprayed works, but it still means they are coming inside my home and dying once they cross the barrier. I would like to figure out what is their food source, why they appeared, etc. Also, I accidentally found out that Ozium air freshener spray kills them on contact.
7. Now that spring is on the way again, they are starting to get larger/plumper and their dark brown color is back.
Please help! I would really like to get rid of these once and for all.
Charles County Maryland
Expert Response
These are millipedes, which are arthropods but not insects. Although they can be a nuisance when numerous, they are not a structural pest in that they do not cause damage to the home the way termites, certain beetles, and a small number of other insects could. There are many species of millipede -- some have more round tube-shaped bodies and others are more flattened -- and paler individuals could be younger millipedes that molted relatively recently, as the color can darken after molting (as is the case with many insects which molt as they grow). You may have different species, or simply different maturity ages of millipedes that you're seeing.
Millipedes thrive in moist conditions and they like dark, damp, and in warm weather, also cool spaces. They consume decaying organic matter, like produce scraps (in a compost pile, for example), fallen dead leaves, and other plant debris. They might occur in houseplant pots if the pots spent time outside during the prior summer (they could crawl into the drain holes on the bottom), and could crawl under door weather-stripping if it's worn-down or needs replacement.
Using pesticides to kill them is not necessary, and since they aren't going to be attracted to a bait station (as with ants foraging indoors), a pesticide spray will only impact them if they walk into a treated area. As you noted, since they are not insects, not all insecticide ingredients will affect them. One group of broad-spectrum pesticide ingredients, pyrethroids, tends to work on most arthropods, but it also is hazardous to use around certain pets (cats, fish, etc.) and it doesn't address the reason the millipedes got inside in the first place, which is an access point that could be sealed better or a food source that they are using. If there is nothing inside (like roots dying off in a pot of an over-watered houseplant, for example) that could be feeding them, then you can check outdoors for a heavy mulch layer laid against the foundation, piles of fallen leaves that similarly could be providing them with food and shelter when the weather gets warm and dry, or a compost pile near the building.
Miri
Millipedes thrive in moist conditions and they like dark, damp, and in warm weather, also cool spaces. They consume decaying organic matter, like produce scraps (in a compost pile, for example), fallen dead leaves, and other plant debris. They might occur in houseplant pots if the pots spent time outside during the prior summer (they could crawl into the drain holes on the bottom), and could crawl under door weather-stripping if it's worn-down or needs replacement.
Using pesticides to kill them is not necessary, and since they aren't going to be attracted to a bait station (as with ants foraging indoors), a pesticide spray will only impact them if they walk into a treated area. As you noted, since they are not insects, not all insecticide ingredients will affect them. One group of broad-spectrum pesticide ingredients, pyrethroids, tends to work on most arthropods, but it also is hazardous to use around certain pets (cats, fish, etc.) and it doesn't address the reason the millipedes got inside in the first place, which is an access point that could be sealed better or a food source that they are using. If there is nothing inside (like roots dying off in a pot of an over-watered houseplant, for example) that could be feeding them, then you can check outdoors for a heavy mulch layer laid against the foundation, piles of fallen leaves that similarly could be providing them with food and shelter when the weather gets warm and dry, or a compost pile near the building.
Miri
Hi Miri,
Thanks so much for the detailed response! And thanks for replying so quickly! I really appreciate it.
You're welcome!
