Millipede Madness

[Trekhawk]

Ok so nobody told me that living in the Perth Hills I would be having a lot of lovely visits from the resident Millipede population.

Now I have nothing against Millipedes but I would rather they stayed outside. Last night when putting my three sons to bed we walked past the back door and a dozen or so were on the floor. I got rid of those but opened the back door to investigate and holly crap they were everywhere. I don't think I have ever seen so many bugs in one place.

After talking to some locals they laughed and said welcome to the hills. Apparently after the first rain they are pretty bad and yes it rained hard yesterday but even at drier times are still around in large numbers.

I don't want to spray any nasty poison around and from what the internet tells me that does not work well anyway. So girls if you have any other tips for me I would really appreciate it.

Im going to the hardware store today to get some better seals for around the doors so hopefully that will help keep them out.

[jobob]

Oh, yech! You poor thing!

Don't post pictures, m'kay???

[maillotpois]

Oh no - do post pictures!!!

I posted my turkeys! And we get some millipedes here. I'd like to compare.

[yellow]

Aw, c'mon TH, you could keep them as pets! They like watermelon! Just think, you could all sit around together and spit seeds!

But perhaps you should take the test to determine if a millipede is the right companion animal for you.

[aka_kim]

Oh. My. God. Four to 11 inches!? Live 3 years!? 200+ legs!? That's what you have inside??

Welcome home, mate.

[crazycanuck]

Who says the wildlife in Australia isn't exciting

Do you have any bandicoots in your area? I've always searched for them when visiting friends in Roleystone..

I don't like buggies..

[Trekhawk]

Aw, c'mon TH, you could keep them as pets! They like watermelon! Just think, you could all sit around together and spit seeds!

But perhaps you should take the test to determine if a millipede is the right companion animal for you.

Ok yellow now I feel a little ill. That is just wrong and very creepy.

Kim - the Millipedes at our place are nowhere near as big as that. If I had something as big as that coming inside I would be moving tomorrow.

CC - I am told they are around but I am yet to see one.

I went for a ride today and they were all over the road. Pretty much the entire ride had lovely squishy sound effects. My poor bike will never be the same. Just to add another dimension to this gross story they stink when you squish them.

[bouncybouncy]

just....ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww!!!!!!

[Starfish]

A couple of weeks ago on the Discovery channel, there was a show about critters in Australia. Something sensational like the top 10 poisonous or dangerous or something. Various spiders, snakes, ocean things, etc.

I went to bed wondering how anyone in the whole of Australia ever goes to sleep at night?

I kinda mean it. I mean, some spider that has teeth/prongs/whatever that stick into your leg so hard you have to pull the thing off your leg before you rush to the hospital? In the house?

I would be a friggin' basket case. You folks are tough.

Are the millipedes poisonous?

[Geonz]

Hopefully this is just a seasonal thing. I don't like those particular critters either. Blleeccch.

[SadieKate]

Are the millipedes poisonous?

Only centipedes, and then only mildly.

Editing: actually millipedes are poisonous if you eat them. I think I'll pass.

You should read Bill Bryson's In a Sunburned Country. He had pretty much the same reaction to Australia's flora and fauna as you do (and I would).

Put this on your itinerary for your next trip down under: Australian Venom Zoo.

[jobob]

So girls if you have any other tips for me I would really appreciate it.

I think this is where snap would say "poke 'em with a stick and run like hell"

[Tuckervill]

I live in Arkansas. Know what people not from Arkansas are afraid of when they come here? Chiggers, ticks and snakes.

Like we're swimming in them. My mother used to make me cover my head on Brownie outings, because she, being from Chicago, told me that ticks are sitting in the trees just looking for a warm blooded mammal to jump into your hair. I've always had this picture of ticks with tiny parachutes waiting for just the right moment to jump on my head.

We just don't go where the chiggers, ticks and snakes are. It's not like they can't be avoided!

Karen

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

You guys are a bunch of BABIES!! afraid of mole crickets and lowly poor potato bugs? PFFFFTT!! BABIES!!

Here I posted a picture of one of my old tarantula mountings, from when I used to keep several:
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showt...ight=tarantula

When I was about 12 I had a huge millipede named Oscar. He was beautiful and fascinating...a very gentle vegetarian too. He was the size of a hockey puck when curled up. He was significantly bigger than this:
http://www.bugguy012002.com/african-millipede.jpg
Very fun little pet- no noise, no smells, no demanding traits, easy to feed and clean, gentle, interesting.
Now hissing cockroaches....hmmmm...I draw the line there. I grew up with roaches and just can't get into really huge ones as being appealing in any way.

[SadieKate]

You guys are a bunch of BABIES!! afraid of mole crickets and lowly poor potato bugs? PFFFFTT!! BABIES

Who said we were afraid of them?????

Creep and fear -- two different emotions.

-- SK who grew up with tons and tons of captive snakes