30.11.10

Millipedes


Early in the morning, when many are still asleep...


I find the millipedes very busy...


Very soon, there would be an addition of up to 300 to this family!!!

The name, millipede suggests that it has 1000 legs, 
In actual fact, none has more than 375 pairs.

Millipedes normally eat dead plant material. 
They occasionally graze on roots and shoots of seedlings.
Frog and lizards eat millipedes.
I normally leave them alone. 
Sometimes I transfer them to the compost pile.

Do they bother you?
I think I bothered them.

22 comments:

  1. We have many black ones here but I don't bother them at all. They don't do that much damage anyway. My concern it the snail, slugs and caterpillars.

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  2. The millipedes we get here are darker than those but I don't think they do any harm. I don't bother them and they don't bother me.

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  3. Really great photography. And you are quite the little voyeur. LOL They are no problem here in my garden, but now I will watch them more closely.

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  4. We have a saying that everything is bigger here in Texas but I think your millipedes are bigger than ours! We have something in the same family that is meaner than a hornet and stings like crazy but I don't think it's a true millipede...Love that first shot!

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  5. Im a bit squimish abt creepy crawlies like caterpillar, millipedes and centipedes. But that is huge! Hope I wont see any of them in my garden!

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  6. I have this one and the black one too! The black millipedes are small. I don't bother them unless i see them in my seedling pot. Usually i just put them at compose area.

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  7. No One, millipedes don't bother me, nor I them for I seldom see any. I enjoyed your encyclopede, however. Cheers. ann

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  8. Haha you are always funny One! I love your photos and i am sure you waited long before getting those shots you like. Your text is also lovely, i am beginning to want to go to Malaysia and see my blogging friends. How is the bazaar turn-out? Lastly, i am a bit afraid of these creatures, i just don't like to look at them that long as you did!

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  9. Great pictures! We sometimes have large white millipedes. I leave them alone, and they leave me alone!

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  10. They look like giant worms with legs.

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  11. I never bother them, but they were always crushed along the hiking trail.

    They were giant millipede.

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  12. They don't bother me at all! You're right..they're ever so busy! Great pictures and lovely text!

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  13. I don't think they noticed you. They look kind of busy. Beautiful pictures!

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  14. Lovely photos! We occasionally see millipedes here, although centipedes seem more common. I just leave them be, unless they're in the house, then I take them outside!

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  15. I don't think I've ever seen one here. :( I think they look neat!

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  16. Great photos! We found a cherry millipede while we were on a hike last weekend -- they smell like cherries but it is cyanide that they release.

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  17. Never seen any in my garden.
    I wished I got them in my garden.
    I think the roll up when they get threaten?
    Those which I marvel when I was a little boy.

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  18. No millipedes in my garden, just centipedes. I don't mind those outside - they are good hunters. But they startle me should I come across one dashing across the floor inside. Yike!

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  19. Aaron, Your wish is granted. More beneficial insects are on their way to your garden. Are there enough pests for them to consume?

    Diana, Talking about slugs... I don't see them but I suspect they have been consuming the flower buds.

    Missy the lovely terrier, You don't play with millipedes and make them curl up?

    Donna, Oh! I must have given you a wrong impression. I took the photos for you and the rest. I didn't enjoy watching. :)

    Cat, You mean a centipede? When I was in Canada, I found everything to be big; the cars, people and even flies. If everything is bigger in Texas, I may have to shop at the kids' department.

    Puteri, Photos are deceiving. They always seem bigger than the actual thing. Just look at KFC ads.

    Malar, I have the black ones too. I've never thought of taking photos of them yet.

    Hi Ann, With frost around, I wonder what happens to the millipedes. Surely they cannot be very busy like mine.

    Andrea, Actually, I didn't wait to take those photos. It wasn't planned. I meant to take of sunrise but realized that the scene wasn't going to look any prettier so I looked down and snapped at any moving creature.

    Deb, I have never heard of white millipedes. Learning something new.

    Susan, It will be nice if they are earthworms with legs, right?

    Rainfield, Crushed millipedes? Please walk gently. :)

    Kanak7, You are lucky they don't bother you. Some people tell me that their plants suffer because millipedes chewed on the roots.

    Denise, You really think they didn't notice me? That's a relieve. I really didn't want to disturb them.

    Curbstone VF, Do the chickens feed on millipedes?

    Missy, You haven't seen them? We have ample here.

    Eliza, I'm learning something new. Cherry millipede that releases cyanide.

    James, You wish you got them? I can send them to you. 300 babies coming up. You prefer male or female?

    Kris, Centipedes would startle me too if the come inside the house. There are loads of centipedes here too.

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  20. The bother me quite a lot but the color is spectacular.

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  21. millipedes are harmless little crawlers, very shy most of the time. Their defense mechanism is non violence by coiling up but their friends centipedes sting like hell. ~bangchik

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  22. From young, teacher told me millipedes are harmless, so I like to touch them, just to watch them curl up and pretend dead. They are ok but I will be so scared of centipedes whose sting is very painful.

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