The weather is changing, and the bugs, pests, and wildlife outside of your home are looking for a warm place inside to spend the winter months. Sowbugs, centipedes, and millipedes enter your home from the soil, mulch, and the fallen leaves that surround your home and often times lead right up to your doors and basement windows. They love damp and moist areas. If there is too much moisture such as heavy rainfall or standing water, they will look for a better place to live, and often times it is your basement.
What are sowbugs?
Sowbugs are often called roly-poly bugs. They are related to crabs and crayfish and have that hard shell look to them. They are about an inch in length and have 14 legs! They best survive in damp places.
What are centipedes?
Centipedes are quick and about 1 inch in length. They have over 30 legs and feelers on their head. They eat other insects and pests such as spiders and often time millipedes and sowbugs.
What are millipedes?
Millipedes are more worm-like with up just over 400 tiny legs. They are super slow-moving and are mostly nocturnal. When they are scared or touched, they roll into a ball, just like the sowbugs.
Fun facts on sowbugs, centipedes, and millipedes.
According to the University of Minnesota Extension?:
- Sowbugs, millipedes, and centipedes are not actually insects but are arthropods related to insects.
- They are NOT harmful to people, food, clothes, furniture, or other items within homes.
- They are found in moist, decaying leaf litter or other organic material found around building foundations.
- Outdoors, are beneficial as they feed on other insects and recycle decaying organic matter.
What do I do if I find sowbugs, centipedes, and millipedes in my home?
First, let’s find the source. The pests love moisture so if they are in your home, do you have a moist, humid, or damp basement or area that could be troublesome? You could also have mold as a result of extended damp floors and walls.
Then let’s look outside. Look for standing water or darker areas that remain wet and damp without sufficient sunlight to dry leaves and landscape beds. Never place firewood inside or near your home or garage.
Close up entry points. Seal around your doors, screens, and windows, especially if they are at ground level. These tiny bugs can make their way through the smallest of areas.
Good news? They do not live a long time indoors as they need that wet, damp, and darker environment to survive. Look closely in your basement and you may see some dried up and curled up dead sowbugs and millipedes.
Can you treat my home for sowbugs, centipedes, and millipedes?
We certainly can but more importantly, we want to work together with you to stop the entry into your home and remove all harboring areas outside and around your home. We spray to provide barrier protection and also lay down monitor boards to catch them and monitor the activity and success of the treatments.
While sowbugs, centipedes, and millipedes are basically harmless, they are still in your living space and do not belong there. Contact us to schedule an inspection and we can discuss the best course of action to protect you and your family from pests and nuisance wildlife.
Ask about our annual agreements and protect your home or business with scheduled regular treatments!
