Posted:  07 Oct 2011 20:39
Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011	Posts:  5 Reputation: Unranked User Rank: 1 - Seedling
Has anyone had any experience with millipedes.  We have a 3rd floor office account that is finding dozens of 1/2" long, dead millipedes on the carpeting throughout the space...but only in areas where plants are located. These plants were installed in March of this year...and we have not actually seen the critters in the soil of any of the plants...the building maintenance crew is confident that our plants are the source of the pests...i'm not sure yet... kevin

Posted:  08 Oct 2011 15:29
Registered User Currently Offline Join Date: Jan 2011	Posts:  798 Reputation:  43 User Rank: 10 - Blossom
Kevin, It's very likely they're coming from plants, although whether they're from YOUR plants or from personal plants in the area is up for discussion and research.  These are saprophytes, feeding on decaying organic matter in the soil (including dead/dying roots), and they generally don't come out onto the surrounding surfaces unless there is a breach in the container (e.g., rotting wicker basket) or some other stimulus forces them out of their comfortable homes (e.g., too much irrigation water, soil becomes bone-dry, pesticide applied to soil, etc.). They usually won't persist and are fairly innocuous...they don't really harm the plants, don't bite people and curl up and die pretty quickly.  If in doubt about whether they're in the soil of your plants (and there probably are some in almost EVERY plant grown in Florida), unpot a few and check the rootballs.  That will also give you the opportunity to see whether there are root health issues that need your attention and that may be contributing not only to the presence of these critters but also to potential decline and death of the plants themselves. Clem

Posted:  12 Oct 2011 03:24
Registered User Join Date: Jan 2011	Posts:  5 Reputation: Unranked User Rank: 1 - Seedling
Thanks Clem.  We're suspecting one mass cane as the potential culprit.  We'll be heading back to swap it out...and take a closer look at it back in our shop.  The soil did look very dry and clumped to me. Best, Kevin

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