Millipede infestation

[Jessandsprinkes]

Hi everyone!

I recently posted about sprinkles eating dirt and I took his plants out and discovered a ton of tiny millipedes. I guess he has a better eye than I do.

About 8 of his plant’s soil are covered in them )):

Any idea on how to control this? There’s a few big ones but mostly babies.

There’s mixed info online about whether they excrete toxins as a defense. I don’t want them to hurt sprinkles if that’s the case. I don’t like the idea of him eating them or the soil (risk of impaction).

Anyone have any thoughts? Plus I’m really grossed out

 

[elizaann2]

Ugh I’m so sorry you are going through this! How horrible. Have you considered taking all the plants out, repotting them in new (different) soil and washing the plants as well to remove any hitchhikers?

 

[Jessandsprinkes]

Ugh I’m so sorry you are going through this! How horrible. Have you considered taking all the plants out, repotting them in new (different) soil and washing the plants as well to remove any hitchhikers?

So I noticed them in only one plant that wasn’t even in his enclosure! I repotted that one and thought all was ok… but now they are everywhere. I am going to repot all of his enclosure this weekend. I will make sure to wash the plants as well, thanks!

 

[elizaann2]

Maybe try a different brand of dirt too. Let me know how it goes.

 

[Jessandsprinkes]

Maybe try a different brand of dirt too. Let me know how it goes.

Good idea!

They invaded plants with like 3 different brands of soil so it’s hard to know if that’s the reason or not.

I will update

 

[Ghostbirb]

Omg good luck! I’m usually ok with bugs but dang that freaky. Eeeek that give me the shivers!

 

[Jessandsprinkes]

Omg good luck! I’m usually ok with bugs but dang that freaky. Eeeek that give me the shivers!

Hahaha it gave me full body chills even taking a picture. I need a hazmat suit to deal with it

 

[Jessandsprinkes]

Omg good luck! I’m usually ok with bugs but dang that freaky. Eeeek that give me the shivers!

And of course my Cham is like- yummmm

 

[kinyonga]

This might help…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945075/

 

[MissSkittles]

i would not only replace the potting soil, I would be cleaning the heck out of the plant pots and the plant roots too, just to ensure that there is minimal risk of reinfection. I would think just some normal soapy water might be enough. The plants you can remove the soil down to bare root and dunk a few times in the soapy water and then rinse the heck out of.

 

[elizaann2]

This might help…
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3945075/

Now that is nasty.

 

[kinyonga]

I had a giant African millipede once. It was very interesting to keep and to watch. I made one mistake with it though. It had little mites on its shell segments and I put a lady bug in with it to eat them…which it did…but I found out later that the mites would not infest anything else I had as pets and that the millipede needed them to clean its shell.

 

[Jeevesieb]

I'm just finding I have the same situation! My soil in the pots in my enclosure is organic potting soil with no nitrates or fertilizers. My cham is luckily not eating them because they are in the plants at the bottom of his cage, but I'm wondering how much I should be freaking out. Ugh. So gross!!!!

 

[elizaann2]

I'm just finding I have the same situation! My soil in the pots in my enclosure is organic potting soil with no nitrates or fertilizers. My cham is luckily not eating them because they are in the plants at the bottom of his cage, but I'm wondering how much I should be freaking out. Ugh. So gross!!!!

I'm starting to find worms in mine....not super fun I tell ya.

 

[Jeevesieb]

I'm starting to find worms in mine....not super fun I tell ya.

Well tomorrow will be an obsessive plant cleaning day, I guess.

 

[elizaann2]

Well tomorrow will be an obsessive plant cleaning day, I guess.

Oh man I'm sorry . Are you going to re-pot everything?

 

[Jeevesieb]

Oh man I'm sorry . Are you going to re-pot everything?

I think so... I'm now deep diving soil research because i don't trust the one I have. If it's in one, it's in all of them because I reported them all at the same time with the same soil.

 

[elizaann2]

I think so... I'm now deep diving soil research because i don't trust the one I have. If it's in one, it's in all of them because I reported them all at the same time with the same soil.

UUUUGHHHH!!!!!! I wonder what other keepers on here use..

 

[Jeevesieb]

UUUUGHHHH!!!!!! I wonder what other keepers on here use..

Good question!!! I'm open to soil suggestions!

 

[elizaann2]

@Beman don't you use a really good soil for your plants?