Pete writes
I have a millipede problem. They seem to be coming out at night from my mulched areas around my in ground pool. I find many in the pool every morning.
Tempo SC Ultra is a great product for millipedes as well as many other insects. Tempo SC Ultra. It is labeled for use on plants and is not known to cause damage to healthy plants. Millipedes need moisture to survive, and they prefer hanging out in dark damp places, which is why they hang out in the mulch and are attracted to the pool and the basement. A good barrier spray around the mulch beds and around the house will help. However, the main issue is the moisture. If you can eliminate some of the moisture issues, then you will minimize the harborage areas for the millipedes. Some ways of doing this are to make sure all shrubbery and bushes are cut back from the house at least two feet. Also, rake back any mulch against the house in flower beds at least 6 inches. This will let the ground dry up against the house and there will be less likely of a chance the millipedes will want to go towards the dry area. If you re-mulch every year and don’t clean out the old mulch, then this is also a problem. You should remove some of the mulch near the pool and house, and eventually consider replacing with a ground cover that doesn't’t hold moisture down as much as mulch, such as pine straw or even better, decorative rock that stays for years and lets the ground breathe.
Answer last updated on: 07/30/2009
