How Worried Should I Be About Millipedes In My Frisco Home?

When you see thousands of little, worm-like bugs getting into your home, it can seem like something out of a horror movie. But you don't need to be worried. Apart from being exceedingly disgusting, and possibly causing some skin irritation from exposure to the fluid they excrete, you don't need to be concerned about these bugs. They're not going to hurt you or your property. But here are a few things you should be aware of when it comes to millipedes.

Why Are Millipedes In My Home?

These little, multi-legged, worm-like bugs get inside when conditions outside are unfavorable. It can happen during times of drought. It can happen when we get heavy rains and the ground becomes oversaturated. It can happen when it gets too cold outside. If they're in your home, it is most likely due to bad conditions outside.

Millipedes may also get in because of water damage to your home. Millipedes hang out in damp areas and eat decaying wood particles. If the wood of your home has been rotted by ongoing conditions of dampness, millipedes simply crawl in through holes created by mice, rats, carpenter ants, and other wood-damaging pests as they search for fragments of decaying wood to eat.

Why Did Millipedes Come Into My Yard?

These bugs are drawn to organic debris and moist conditions. Their job in nature is to help break down organic material. So don't be surprised when you find them crawling around in:

• Leaf piles

• Stacks of wood

• Decaying vegetables in gardens

• Moist grass clippings

• Dying plants in your landscaping

• Compost piles

How Do I Keep Millipedes Out?

You can resist these bugs in two ways. First, you need to reduce moisture around your Frisco home. This makes it less interesting to millipedes. Second, you need to seal entry points that millipedes commonly use to get in.

Moisture Control

• Inspect your gutter system and clean any areas that are clogged or spots that are broken. Spillage from gutters can have a big impact on how much water saturation you have around your home.

• Fix any leaking spigots on the sides of your home.

• Make sure hoses are firmly attached to spigots.

• Trim tree branches in areas where there seems to be a lot of shade. The sunlight helps to dry the topsoil after it rains or after you water your plants.

Common Entry Points For Millipedes

• Gaps around pipes.

• Cracks in foundation walls.

• Broken glass panes on basement windows.

• Damaged window frames on basement windows.

• Seals around door and window frames in your foundation walls.

• Damage to door sweeps, especially on doors that lead into your basement.

• Gaps in weatherstripping around exterior doors.

• Gaps in the seal around your garage door.

The Nature Of A Millipede Infestation

Arresting a millipede infestation is fairly easy. Millipedes can't survive inside your home. They will either die off or go back outside. If you can tolerate having them in your home, you can just wait for them to die. Then, it is just a matter of cleaning them all up. But this isn't a solution to the problem. You're just going to have another infestation of those gross bugs sometime in the future. If you'd prefer to keep millipedes outside of your home, where they belong, consider looking into ongoing residential pest control. With routine visits from a pest control professional, you'll get treatments to your exterior that are designed to eliminate pests, like millipedes, before they get in. Once your current infestation has been dealt with, you'll be done with millipede infestations.

Other Benefits Of A Pest Control Program

If you invest in a residential pest control program, you'll be keeping more than just harmless millipedes out of your home. There are several pest threats in Frisco, such as scorpions, spiders, ticks, cockroaches, mice, rats, and more. Plus, a residential pest control program can protect your property from destructive pests, like subterranean termites.

Chat with us. We would love the opportunity to discuss what options are available and how you can get the protection you are looking for without breaking your bank account. At All-Safe Pest & Termite, we combine comprehensive pest control services into convenient and cost-effective pest control programs that target the pests you want to target. We look forward to helping you with this important protection for your health and property.