Why You Might Be Finding Millipedes in Your House

It’s been raining a lot this year, and the critters are looking for new places to stay.

By Laura RiceDecember 24, 2015 9:43 am

You might find them underneath your holiday Yule log, or in that pile of dead leaves you’ve been raking up in the yard. Sometimes, you’ll find them in your house, but Wizzie Brown, an insect specialist with the Texas A&M Agrilife Extension Office, says they not harmful to humans. She tells us why millipedes aren’t sticking to the outdoors this season.

What are they?

“Millipedes are kind of a long worm-like insect. Lots of legs. They actually have four legs on each single segment of their body.”

Where do they normally live?

“They like moist habitats. So usually you’ll find them underneath rocks, or logs, leaf litter, that sort of thing. Where they’re nice and have that damp moist area.”

Why do I keep seeing them in my house?

“It’s just when that soil and leaf litter gets too wet for them, they’re really looking for new environments. Normally not a problem, but again the rain that we’ve gotten can definitely cause other issues.”