Kokua Line
Kokua Line
Millipedes are more
nuisance than hazardQuestion: Several months ago, I noticed these skinny, black inchworms, with a white streak along the length of their bodies, which have appeared throughout my home in Wahiawa for the first time in 30 years. They are proliferating at a very fast rate. It seems like when they know they are being watched, they curl up into a tight "C" and don't move at all. What can be done to get rid of them, and where they are coming from? I sometimes find them crawling on the walls, but mostly they are on the floor. I've tried spraying, etc., to no avail.
Answer: Probably the best thing is to get rid of any decaying vegetation around your house.
Bernarr Kumashiro, a taxonomist with the state Department of Agriculture, says you are describing millipedes, which are common when it rains, especially in damp, shady and/or mountainous areas.
Millipedes feed mainly on decaying vegetation, he said.
With multiple legs and segments -- two pairs of legs on each segment -- they appear to be gliding, or undulating like a wave when they move, compared with centipedes (with one pair of legs per segment), which "kind of wiggle around," Kumashiro said.
They are more of a nuisance than harmful, he said, although some people might feel a slight burning if they handle certain species of millipedes. Also, some millipedes produce a yellowish liquid from their mouths, so you might notice yellow stains on your carpet, especially white carpets, Kumashiro said.
Until it was banned from being sold, the insecticide Diazanon was the recommended solution. You still can use any leftover Diazanon, Kumashiro said. Malathion is another possibility, although he said many people are put off by its strong odor.
That leaves "just sanitation" as an alternative solution, including getting rid of any accumulation of leaves, which tend to harbor millipedes.
"It's a hit-or-miss, chance thing" that the millipedes have suddenly started showing up in your home, Kumashiro said. "Sometimes you might notice a lot of them, sometimes you might not notice them at all."
Also, it may depend on how many were around before a big rain. Afterward, they may then proliferate faster because of what they find to be ideal conditions.
Where you aren't likely to find them is in the midst of concrete in the city when the sun is shining, Kumashiro said.
Q: Do you know the address of the Cost Containment Research Institute, which published the booklet "Free & Low-cost Prescription Drugs"? I believe it was in New York or New Jersey.
A: The address for the institute is 4200 Wisconsin Ave. NW, Suite 106-222, Washington, DC 20016; phone number, 202-318-0770; fax, 202-318-0769; e-mail, director@institutedc.org.
However, if you're looking to purchase the booklet, you should send $5 to the Institute Fulfillment Center, P.O. Box 210, Dallas, PA 18612-0210.
The booklet contains an alphabetical list of free or low-cost medications available from manufacturers through patient assistance programs.
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