What Do Millipedes Eat?
Understanding what millipedes eat allows you to predict where they are likely to congregate. Millipedes primarily feed on decaying organic matter such as leaf litter, mulch, and compost. Knowing this helps in identifying hotspots around a property and informs strategic interventions, such as reducing mulch thickness or removing excess organic debris, to limit food sources and reduce infestation risks.
Prevention Strategies: If you know the diet of millipedes, you can implement environmental controls that make an area less hospitable. For example, keeping garden beds free of excessive decomposing vegetation, minimizing damp areas, and properly maintaining irrigation can reduce the organic matter and moisture they rely on, thereby decreasing the likelihood of millipedes entering buildings.
Improved Baiting and Treatment Approaches: While millipedes are generally not attracted to chemical baits like some insects, knowledge of their feeding preferences can aid in designing more effective traps or natural deterrents. For instance, removing food sources makes them more likely to leave an area rather than remain hidden in organic matter.
Distinguishing Damage Causes: Millipedes feed mainly on decaying matter, not living plants. Knowing this helps differentiate millipede presence from other pests that damage crops or ornamental plants. Misidentifying the pest can lead to unnecessary or ineffective treatments, so understanding their diet ensures accurate diagnosis.
Environmental and Ecological Insight: Recognizing that millipedes consume decomposing organic matter highlights their ecological role as decomposers. This knowledge can guide decisions about whether intervention is necessary at all, or whether their presence is beneficial to soil health in certain outdoor areas.
Properly targeting control measures based on diet reduces the need for indiscriminate pesticide use. This not only saves money but also limits exposure of non-target organisms and humans to chemicals, aligning with integrated pest management principles.
What Millipedes Eat
Millipedes primarily feed on decomposing leaves, wood, bark, and other dead plant matter. They are detritivores, meaning they play a key role in breaking down organic material in soil and gardens.
Leaf Litter and Mulch: Piles of leaves, grass clippings, and mulch provide both food and shelter, making these areas highly attractive to millipedes. Thick, moist mulch layers are particularly appealing.
Compost and Humus: Rotting compost and nutrient-rich soil with high organic content are ideal feeding grounds. Millipedes help accelerate decomposition in these environments.
Soft, Decayed Wood: Fallen logs, rotting stumps, and decayed wooden structures can be consumed, especially when highly moist.
Occasionally Live Plant Matter: While millipedes prefer decaying material, they may nibble on tender seedlings, soft roots, or decaying fruits if other food is scarce. However, they rarely damage healthy, mature plants.
Essentially, any damp, decomposing organic matter—whether from leaves, garden waste, or mulch—can serve as a food source. Dry or freshly fallen material is less attractive unless it begins to decompose.
Are Millipedes Scavengers?
Yes, millipedes are primarily scavengers.
Diet Focus: They feed mostly on decaying organic matter such as dead leaves, rotting wood, and decomposing plant material. This makes them detritivores, a type of scavenger that recycles nutrients back into the soil.
Ecological Role: As scavengers, millipedes help break down organic debris, improving soil structure and fertility. They are an important part of the decomposition process in gardens, forests, and agricultural areas.
Behavior: Millipedes are not predators—they do not hunt live animals. Instead, they actively search for areas rich in organic matter, often hiding under mulch, leaf litter, or damp logs where food is abundant.
Occasional Exceptions: While rare, if decaying material is scarce, millipedes might nibble on tender plant roots or soft fruits, but this is secondary to their scavenging diet.
Their scavenger behavior is key to both understanding their ecological benefit and controlling them when they become a nuisance indoors or in heavily mulched landscapes.
Do Millipedes Eat Plants?
Millipedes are not typically plant pests, but under certain conditions they will nibble on living plant material. Their feeding is opportunistic and usually targets soft, decaying, or stressed plants rather than healthy, vigorous ones:
Seedlings and Young Plants: Tender seedlings and newly sprouted plants are most vulnerable because the tissue is soft and easier for millipedes to chew.
Decaying or Damaged Plants: Plants that are already stressed, damaged, or partially decayed may attract millipedes. This includes leaves, stems, or roots that have begun decomposing.
Soft Roots and Tubers: Bulbs, tubers, and root crops—especially those that are cracked, damaged, or exposed—can occasionally be eaten.
Fallen Fruits and Vegetables: Rotting or overripe produce lying on the ground, such as tomatoes, squash, or apples, can serve as a food source.
Moist, Mulched Areas Around Plants: Millipedes are attracted to thick, damp mulch near garden beds. While they feed mostly on the decaying mulch, they may incidentally nibble on the base of plants growing through it.
Healthy, mature plants with intact roots and foliage are rarely harmed. Millipede “damage” is usually superficial and limited to seedlings, damaged plants, or decomposing matter nearby.
Do Millipedes Eat Fruit?
Millipedes generally feed on overripe, rotting, or decaying fruit rather than fresh, healthy fruit. Their feeding behavior is opportunistic and favors moisture-rich, soft organic matter:
Soft, Overripe Fruits: Fruits that have started to soften or ferment, such as bananas, peaches, pears, and plums, are highly attractive because the tissues are easy to chew and digest.
Fallen or Damaged Fruit: Fruit that has dropped to the ground or been damaged by birds, insects, or weather is more likely to be consumed. Apples, tomatoes, melons, and berries are typical examples.
Fermenting or Decaying Fruit: As fruit decomposes and sugars break down, millipedes are attracted to the high moisture and nutrient content. Citrus, mangoes, and grapes may be eaten in this state.
Moist Fruit Piles: Compost heaps or piles of discarded produce create an ideal environment for millipedes because they provide both food and shelter.
Rarely Fresh Fruit: Healthy, intact fruit on plants or trees is usually ignored because millipedes lack strong mandibles for cutting through firm, living tissue. Damage to such fruit is generally incidental rather than feeding-driven.
Millipedes are scavengers, so they prefer fruit that is soft, moist, or decaying rather than fresh or healthy produce. Managing fallen fruit and decaying debris is crucial for controlling their presence in gardens or orchards.
Do Millipedes Eat Grass?
Millipedes are not major grass pests, but under certain conditions they may feed on grass—usually damaged, decaying, or very young turf:
Decaying or Thatch-Rich Grass: Millipedes are attracted to grass that has accumulated as thatch, clippings, or dead blades. They feed on the decomposing organic matter rather than living, healthy grass.
Seedlings and Young Grass: Newly germinated grass seedlings with tender shoots can be occasionally nibbled, especially in moist, shaded environments.
Water-Logged or Damaged Grass: Grass suffering from overwatering, fungal disease, or mechanical damage may become soft and partially decayed, making it more palatable to millipedes.
Mulched Grass Areas: Turf areas with thick, damp mulch or decomposing organic matter can attract millipedes. They feed more on the mulch and decomposing material than the grass itself but may incidentally damage blades at the base.
Rarely Healthy Mature Grass: Established, healthy lawns are generally ignored. Millipedes lack the mandible strength to chew tough, fibrous grass blades, so significant feeding damage is uncommon.
Millipedes primarily target moist, decaying organic matter within grass areas rather than the grass itself. Turf damage usually signals other underlying issues (thatch buildup, excessive moisture, or disease) that are more attractive to millipedes.
Do Millipedes Eat Leaves?
Millipedes feed primarily on decaying leaves rather than fresh, healthy foliage. Their diet is opportunistic, focusing on moisture-rich, decomposing organic matter:
Fallen and Decaying Leaves: Leaves that have fallen to the ground and started decomposing are highly attractive. They provide moisture, shelter, and nutrients, which millipedes need to survive.
Thick, Moist Leaf Litter: Dense layers of leaf litter, especially in shaded or damp areas, are ideal habitats. Leaves from oak, maple, elm, and other broadleaf trees often accumulate and decay, making them particularly appealing.
Partially Decomposed Mulch Leaves: Leaves incorporated into mulch or compost piles become easy food for millipedes, as the decay process softens them and increases nutrient availability.
Damaged or Soft Leaves: While millipedes rarely eat living plants, leaves that are damaged, wilted, or rotting may be nibbled. Tender seedlings or stressed plants can occasionally be affected.
Avoidance of Fresh, Healthy Leaves: Millipedes lack strong mandibles for chewing tough, intact plant tissue, so healthy leaves are generally ignored. Their feeding is mostly restricted to dead or decaying material.
Millipedes are detritivores, meaning their main role is decomposing organic matter. Fallen, damp, and partially decayed leaves are far more attractive than fresh foliage, making leaf litter management an important part of controlling their populations.
Do Millipedes Eat Seeds?
Millipedes are primarily detritivores and scavengers, so seeds are generally not their preferred food. However, under certain conditions, they may feed on seeds, especially if the seeds are damaged, decaying, or in a moist environment:
Decaying or Damaged Seeds: Seeds that have been cracked, chewed by other pests, or partially rotting may attract millipedes because they are easier to consume.
Seeds in Moist Soil or Organic Debris: Seeds lying in damp, decomposing organic matter (like compost, leaf litter, or mulch) are more likely to be eaten than seeds in dry, healthy soil.
Soft or Large Seeds: Seeds with softer coatings, such as pumpkin, squash, or sunflower seeds, are more susceptible if they are exposed and moist. Hard-coated seeds like acorns are generally avoided unless they are partially decayed.
Seedlings Rather than Seeds: Often, millipedes cause apparent “seed damage” not by eating the seed itself but by nibbling the germinating seedling or sprout once it emerges. Tender, newly sprouted plants are much more vulnerable than the intact seed.
Avoidance of Fresh, Intact Seeds: Healthy, dry seeds are almost never eaten because millipedes are not equipped to crack hard seed coats.
Millipedes are only likely to eat seeds that are damaged, decaying, or germinating in damp organic matter. In most cases, seed predation is incidental rather than a primary concern.
Do Millipedes Eat Vegetables?
Millipedes are generally not major vegetable pests, but they will feed on vegetables that are decaying, damaged, or soft, particularly in damp environments:
Root Vegetables: Soft or damaged roots such as carrots, potatoes, beets, radishes, and turnips can be nibbled, especially if they are partially rotting or exposed above the soil.
Leafy Greens: Tender or wilting leaves of spinach, lettuce, cabbage, or kale may be eaten if they are in contact with moist mulch or decaying matter. Healthy, vigorous leaves are typically avoided.
Fruiting Vegetables: Overripe, fallen, or damaged produce like tomatoes, squash, cucumbers, and peppers may be consumed. Millipedes are attracted to moisture and softened tissue rather than firm, healthy fruit.
Seedlings and Young Plants: Newly germinated vegetables with soft shoots are vulnerable to minor feeding, especially in damp, shaded garden areas.
Compost or Mulched Vegetables: Vegetables in compost piles or thick, damp mulch may be eaten incidentally as millipedes feed on the decomposing organic material surrounding them.
Millipedes feed primarily on moist, decaying organic matter rather than healthy vegetables. Damage is usually minor, superficial, and restricted to seedlings, overripe produce, or vegetables in decomposing conditions.
Do Millipedes Eat Wood?
Millipedes primarily feed on decaying and moist wood, rather than fresh or hard wood. Their diet is focused on organic matter that is breaking down, because it’s easier to digest and rich in nutrients:
Rotting Hardwood: Millipedes are especially attracted to decayed hardwoods such as oak, maple, or elm once the wood has softened and begun decomposing. The lignin and cellulose in decayed wood are easier for their digestive system to break down.
Soft, Decayed Softwood: Pine, cedar, and spruce are less preferred when fresh but can be consumed when rotting or water-damaged. Softwood decomposes faster when moist, making it suitable for millipedes.
Fallen Logs and Stumps: Any fallen or dead trees, particularly those in shaded and damp areas, provide both food and shelter. Millipedes will burrow into the decaying wood to feed and stay protected from drying out.
Compost or Wood Chips: Wood chips, bark mulch, or compost containing decomposing wood are attractive because they provide both organic matter and moisture.
Partially Decayed Structural Wood: Millipedes may occasionally nibble on damp, decaying lumber in outdoor structures (e.g., fence posts, decking) if it is soft enough, but they rarely damage sound, dry wood.
Millipedes are scavengers of decayed wood. Fresh, solid wood is usually ignored—they require moisture and partial decomposition to feed effectively.
Do Millipedes Eat Mold?
Yes, millipedes can and do eat mold, but it’s usually mold growing on decaying organic matter, rather than mold growing on living plants or structures:
Primary Food Source: Millipedes are detritivores, meaning they feed on decaying plant material. Mold growing on decomposing leaves, wood, or mulch provides both nutrition and moisture, making it a natural part of their diet.
Fungal Consumption: Some millipedes actively graze on fungal hyphae and spores. Mold and fungi are rich in nutrients and can supplement their diet when decaying plant matter is abundant.
Moist Environments: Mold thrives in damp areas, which are also ideal habitats for millipedes. This overlap means millipedes often encounter and consume mold while feeding on leaf litter, compost, or decayed wood.
Indirect Benefits: Eating mold helps millipedes digest tough plant material. Fungi partially break down cellulose and lignin in decaying matter, making it easier for millipedes to extract nutrients.
Limitations: Millipedes do not eat mold on dry or solid surfaces, painted wood, or synthetic materials. Their feeding is confined to natural, moist, decomposing substrates where mold is part of the organic matter.
Millipedes can consume mold, but it is generally incidental to their main diet of decaying plant material. Mold acts as a nutritional supplement and is part of the decomposing ecosystem they inhabit.
Do Millipedes Eat Insects?
Millipedes are not predators and do not actively hunt or feed on insects. Their diet is almost entirely detritivorous, meaning they feed on decaying plant material, fungi, and other decomposing organic matter:
Primary Diet: Millipedes feed on dead leaves, rotting wood, decaying fruits and vegetables, and other decomposing plant material.
Occasional Opportunistic Consumption: While extremely rare, some millipedes may accidentally ingest tiny organisms, like soil-dwelling microarthropods or eggs, while feeding on decomposing matter. This is incidental and not active predation.
No Insect Hunting Behavior: Millipedes lack the mandible strength, speed, and digestive specialization to capture or consume live insects. They do not eat ants, beetles, flies, or other insects under normal conditions.
Ecological Role: Instead of controlling insect populations, millipedes contribute to soil health by recycling nutrients from decaying plant material, indirectly benefiting insects that rely on rich, organic soil.
Millipedes are scavengers, not carnivores, and they do not actively feed on insects. Any ingestion of insects is purely accidental while consuming decomposing organic matter.