Millipede & Centipede Control in Tallahassee

After a heavy Tallahassee downpour, you open the garage and find dozens of them: millipedes curled into little spirals, or fast-moving centipedes darting for cover. They're startling in numbers, but they're what we call occasional invaders — outdoor creatures that pour indoors when conditions outside change suddenly.

Why they invade after rain

Millipedes and centipedes live in moist soil, leaf litter, mulch and under logs and rocks. When heavy rain saturates the ground, they're driven out en masse and migrate to higher, drier shelter — which often means your foundation, garage and lower walls. Ironically, a dry spell can do the same thing as they search for moisture. In Tallahassee's wet season, these mass movements are routine.

Are they dangerous?

Mostly no. Millipedes are harmless (they can secrete a smelly defensive fluid if handled). Centipedes are predators and the larger ones can deliver a painful bite if provoked, but they're not aggressive. Both are nuisance invaders rather than a threat to your home — but nobody wants dozens in the garage.

How we keep them out

Because they come from outside, control is an exterior perimeter and exclusion job:

• Treat the moist harborage zones against the foundation — mulch beds, leaf litter, ground cover.
• Seal the entry points they use — gaps under doors, garage door seals, weep holes, and foundation cracks.
• Reduce the moisture and debris that draw them: pull mulch back from the foundation, improve drainage, clear leaf litter.

Seasonal timing

Invasions cluster around heavy-rain events in the wet season. A maintained perimeter — part of a quarterly plan — means the barrier is already in place when the next storm drives them toward the house. See our seasonal pest guide.

Finding waves of them after every storm? Book a free inspection and we'll treat the perimeter and seal the gaps so they stay outside.