Perth Environmental Systems Technology

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MILLIPEDE INVASION! 🪱
Yes! We can spray for Millipedes. Mention this post for a $175 spray ☺️

PORTUGESE MILLIPEDES MARCHING THROUGH THE SOUTH WEST

Have you noticed more of these pesky little critters popping up at your place lately?

Hordes of Portugese Millipedes are on the march across the South West at the moment.

The tiny black critters are popping up in garden beds, bedrooms, bathrooms, along roads and walking tracks creating an unwelcome crunchy carpet.

Native Millipede PhD researcher Nadia Sloan says the millipedes are an invasive species from Europe with some of the first recordings of the species in WA dating back to the 1980s.

"Millipedes like to live and breed in moist, damp and cooler environments and so as we are coming into Autumn now, the temperature is cooling down a bit," she said.

The PhD student says the creatures only start to cause noticeable problems when their population grows.

"In 2002, over east their population numbers grew to such crazy levels that they actually stopped trains on the train tracks because the trains couldn't gain traction with all the squished millipedes on the train tracks," she said.

She said if population numbers grow they could become a problem for local growers.

"I think if they did grow to really high population levels they could potentially become start to become a problem in term of beginning to eat crop roots... but I don't think there are any recent recordings of them being a pest for farmers."

As for how to get rid of them?

Ms Sloan suggests covering up any holes or cracks in the house or gaps under the doors.

"Also maybe try and keep away moist compost and leaf litter where they really like to eat and reproduce," she said.

Do you have any tips or tricks for getting rid of Portugese Millipedes at your house?

The Apprentice not happy about working over time on a Friday 😆🐶