Much like leaf litter, mulch is a prime habitat for centipedes and millipedes. Try not to apply mulch too close to your foundation.Inside, use dehumidifiers to lower humidity levels.Their legs are long, away from the body and hind legs longer than the front. Place door sweeps on all exterior doors - especially sliding glass doors. Movement: Centipede can move very quickly and also can travel vast distances.Seal the cracks, gaps, and holes on the exterior of your home.Store trash cans and recycling bins up off of the ground.Remove fallen trees, logs, and tree stumps from your yard.If possible, replace wood mulch with another material like a crushed rock that is less attractive to millipedes and centipedes.Make sure gutters are clear of debris and directing rainwater away from your home’s foundation.Watering in the afternoon or at night will cause water to sit on your property longer, which will make the area more hospitable to centipedes and millipedes. Remove decaying organic matter such as leaf debris on your property to make the area less habitable to these pests.When swept or vacuumed up, they may easily break apart and may sometimes have an odor. Their antennae are also much shorter than that of a centipede. Millipedes are dark brown or black, and some species have orange or red markings. You will often find them curled up in your home or near your sliding glass doors. Therefore, if you see one millipede, chances are there are more. The biggest and most interesting difference between these two insects is that millipedes travel or migrate together in large numbers. Despite their many legs, millipedes move very slowly compared to centipedes. Millipedes differ, however, in the sense that they do not bite, and generally hide during the day. Unlike centipedes, millipedes have two sets of legs per body segment. Millipedes are much like centipedes in the sense that they are long, multi-legged insects, but what sets them apart is their body segments. They are yellowish-brown and have long antennae. Centipedes have an elongated body that is flattened from top to bottom. They are usually larger than millipedes, but they are much less common to see in South Florida than millipedes. The first pair of legs end in sharp claws that contain venom glands and are what they use to capture prey. Centipedes are generally solitary bugs, meaning that unless you see many centipedes, you might be dealing with an isolated incident rather than an infestation.Ĭentipedes have anywhere from 15 to 300 legs. By nature, centipedes prey on other insects, using their potent venom to subdue and consume other pests. They use their legs to move very quickly.

Centipedes are multi-legged pests that are distinguishable by their body segments that retain one set of legs each.

Centipede and millipede differences