Millipede control · Southeast Michigan
Millipede Control in Ann Arbor and Southeast Michigan
Millipedes live in mulch and leaf litter. They only come inside when their own ground turns against them, usually after heavy rain. They cannot breed in your house and die in a day or two. An exterminator treats the ground outside, not the bodies inside.
Quick answers
Millipede control in Southeast Michigan: the quick facts
Millipedes live in leaf litter and damp mulch and only come inside when their own habitat turns against them, usually after heavy rain or a sudden dry spell. They cannot breed indoors and die within a day or two, so a mass indoors is an event rather than an infestation.
- Most common here
- Millipedes
- Slow, cylindrical, and they curl into a coil when disturbed. Harmless, but they arrive in numbers.
- Worst months
- Jun to Aug
- The months with the most sightings in Michigan, from public records anyone can check.
- How it gets in
- Mulch, leaf litter and damp soil
- They come in at ground level. Pulling mulch back from the foundation removes the staging ground.
- Included in
- The Honorable Shield plan
- Covered by the plan, with free re-treatment between visits. Or book one visit.
Millipedes in Michigan.
Millipedes live in damp soil and leaf litter outside. After a heavy rain they head for higher, drier ground, which is often your basement.
Sweeping them up does not stop the next wave. We treat the ground around the foundation where they cross and show you where the water is drawing them in.
Seasonal pattern
When are millipedes worst in Michigan?
This is when millipedes are actually recorded in Michigan, month by month, from public observation records rather than from a guess.
Warning signs
How millipedes announce themselves.
Watch for these signs in your Michigan home:
Millipedes on basement floor
Finding live or curled-up dead millipedes on your basement floor, especially near walls, drains, and foundation cracks.
After rain surge
A sudden appearance of many millipedes inside your home following heavy rain. They can go from zero to dozens overnight.
Crawling on exterior walls
Millipedes crawling up your home's exterior walls, foundation, or gathering in window wells, especially in the evening.
Found in bathrooms & laundry
Millipedes appearing in bathrooms, laundry rooms, and other damp areas of your home beyond just the basement.
What to look for
What a millipede problem looks like at home.
Millipedes live outside in damp soil and wander in after heavy rain. These are six of the things people notice, and what each one tells us.
Dark, shiny and slow, often curled up. Most die indoors within a day or two because it is too dry.
Heavy rain floods their soil and sends them looking for higher ground, often toward the house.
Millipedes climbing the foundation are looking for a gap. Door sweeps and sill gaps are the usual way in.
Laundry rooms and bathrooms are the dampest rooms, so that is where they end up.
They curl up when they dry out or are disturbed. Sweep them up; they do not bite or sting.
Wet leaves in a window well are a millipede nursery. Clearing them out helps right away.
How our exterminators get rid of millipedes.
We don't just sweep up the millipedes already inside. We create a barrier that stops them from ever getting in.
Find the damp and the gaps
We inspect your foundation, window wells, and perimeter to identify all entry points and moisture conditions that are attracting millipedes to your home.
Treat the ground around the house
We apply a professional-grade perimeter barrier around your foundation that kills millipedes on contact before they can enter your home. We also treat interior areas where they are currently active.
Dry it out and keep them out
We provide specific recommendations for reducing moisture around your foundation, including drainage improvements, mulch management, and sealing entry points, to make your home less attractive to millipedes long-term.
Every millipede control visit
The full Honorable TriShield™, every time.
Three layers. The house, the lawn, then the property line. Not a rushed spray along your baseboards. A cheap quote usually skips two of the three.
Foundation barrier
Three feet up the wall. Three feet out from it. All the way round the house, plus windows, doors, the garage and the roofline. That strip is the road bugs use to get in.
Measured with a tape, not eyeballed
Granular yard moat
A ring of granules across the lawn. Rain wakes it back up. So does your sprinkler. In a Michigan summer that is most weeks.
Skipped by most companies. Granular costs money.
Property line
We spray the whole property line. Bugs get stopped at the edge of your yard, not at your back door.
The layer a cheaper quote quietly leaves out
How to identify the millipedes in your house.
These are the millipedes we treat that have confirmed sightings in Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties. Each one is identified by independent naturalists, so the animal in the photo is the animal named.
Flat, brown and the one most often found indoors after rain.
Dark with yellow edges. Moves in numbers in wet spring and fall weather.
Lives in leaf litter by the foundation and wanders in when it floods.
The round, shiny one that curls into a coil when disturbed.
All of these have confirmed sightings in Washtenaw, Oakland, Wayne and Livingston counties. Records from iNaturalist research-grade observations, pulled 2026-09-25. Photos: Greenhouse millipede by Derek Hennen (CC BY); Traveling cherry millipede by Adam Kranz (CC0); Salmon cherry millipede by Leah Fulton (CC0); Furry snake millipede by Nathan T. Jones (CC BY).
What it costs
Millipede control is included in the Honorable Shield plan.
There is no special tier to buy. Millipedes are covered by the normal plan. If they come back between visits, so do we, free, within 48 hours. Your price depends on the size of your house, not on which bug you have.
| Honorable ShieldRecurring | One-time treatmentSingle visit | |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Keeping them out all year | Killing off one problem now |
| You get | All three barrier layers, every visit, on a schedule | All three barrier layers, one time |
| If they come back | We treat again, free | A follow-up is $247 |
| Other pests | Over 20 pests, rodents included | This one only |
| Price | From $61 a month | From $497 |
Prices are the starting figures: a home up to 1,000 square feet, or half an acre for yard work. What is covered is set out in the plan terms.
Millipede control, answered straight.
Why are millipedes invading my basement?
Millipedes live in moist soil outdoors. When heavy rain saturates the soil, they migrate toward buildings seeking shelter. Michigan's frequent rains drive them through foundation cracks, window wells, and gaps around pipes into your damp basement.
Are millipedes dangerous or harmful?
Millipedes do not bite, sting, or damage your home's structure. Some species secrete a mild defensive fluid that can stain surfaces and irritate skin. Their main impact is the unpleasant experience of finding dozens of curled-up millipedes in your basement.
What do millipedes look like?
Dark brown or black, worm-like creatures with many tiny legs. Two pairs per body segment. Michigan species are typically 1 to 2 inches long. They move slowly and curl into a tight spiral when disturbed. Despite the name, most have between 30 and 400 legs.
When do millipede invasions happen in Michigan?
Most common in spring (April-May) and fall (September-October) following heavy rain. They can also come indoors during dry spells. Mass migrations happen suddenly. Zero millipedes one day, dozens the next after a storm.
How do I prevent millipedes from getting in my basement?
Reduce moisture around your foundation: keep gutters clear, reduce mulch near the house, fix leaks, and use a dehumidifier. Professional perimeter treatment creates a barrier that kills millipedes before they enter. Sealing foundation cracks also helps.
Pest-Free Guarantee
They come back? So do we, free.
On Honorable Shield, see a covered pest between visits? We come back within 48 hours and treat it again. You pay nothing.
Millipede control where you live.
Old streets with big trees get different bugs than new build on cleared ground. Pick your town to see what we actually find there.
That is not all of them. See all 38 towns, or ask us if we reach your street.
Other pests we treat
One plan covers every one of these. No extra charge when something different shows up.
From our blog
Every visit includes all three barrier layers. See what we treat, or ask an exterminator.
Millipede control · Licensed and insured
Keep Millipedes Out of Your Basement
The next rainstorm will drive another wave of millipedes toward your home. Call now for professional perimeter protection.
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