Millipedes or centipedes in the potting soil: what to do?

Millipedes and centipedes in the potting soil in the flower pot are not a particularly nice idea for most people. Many are disgusted with the otherwise harmless and even useful animals. If they can be found in the potting soil, that is actually not a bad sign. Unfortunately, the sight and contact with these fascinating insects often make us completely crazy. Despite all the advantages, we do not want to have them in our apartments and get rid of them as soon as possible.

centipede

Arthropods, whose Latin name is anthropoda, are a relatively large group within insects. The millipedes and centipedes are also one of them. The majority of the 10,000 known species live in the tropics. There the animals can sometimes reach a very considerable size. Some of them are too poisonous. The species that can be found in Northern Europe can be classified as completely harmless. They pose no danger to humans or mammals. However, they mainly feed on other insects. These include many that we would classify as pests. Consequently, one should be happy about every arthropod that has taken up residence near our plants.

tip: Immerse Millipedes in the apartment on, you shouldn't just kill him. It makes more sense to catch it with a glass and a piece of paper and then to throw it outside.

Millipede in the potting soil

It is noticeable that Anthropoda can be found again and again in the soil of our indoor plants. If you notice them for the first time, it is usually associated with a great shock. However, there is no reason to panic. The animals are completely harmless to the plant. On the contrary: They even benefit her because typical plant pests such as lice belong to their prey. The question naturally arises as to where the disgusting arthropods come from. The answer to this becomes clear when one knows that the earth is something of a natural habitat for these animals. They play an important role in the rotting or Composting processes, which are the basis of nutrient-rich soil. So it is perfectly normal that this soil also contains the eggs or at least a few adult animals. So if you get earth from the garden or from the compost for your indoor plants it can be out of the question that you also bring millipedes or centipedes into your home.

tip: The problem rarely occurs with high-quality, purchased potting soil from specialist retailers. The soil contained there is hygienically prepared before packaging.

Getting rid of millipedes in the potting soil

No matter how useful these animals may be, you still want to get rid of them. There are basically three ways of doing this. Most of the time it is enough to remove the animals by hand or with the help of a glass. If you want to be on the safe side, you should subject your plant to an extensive immersion bath. This is the best way to do it:

• Fill a large bucket with fresh water
• Place the plant and its pot in the bucket
• the flower pot must be completely covered with water
• leave the plant in the bucket for at least ten minutes
• then remove the pot and let it drain well
• it is best to place it on an absorbent surface to dry
• Pour water in the bucket into the toilet or use it for watering in the garden

As a rule, neither the adult Anthropoda nor their eggs survive such a procedure. It is important that the soaked soil in the pot can dry out well afterwards. Usually you shouldn't water the plant for a few days. If millipedes or centipedes appear again on the plant or in its soil after the water bath, you cannot avoid completely changing the soil. It works like this:

• Take the plant and its substrate out of the pot
• Completely free the roots of the potting soil
• proceed very carefully so as not to cause damage
• also clean the plant pot thoroughly
• then replant the plant with fresh potting soil from the specialist store

The removed soil must of course not be used again for indoor plants. It is best to dispose of it on the compost.

Pesticides

By the way, trying to control millipedes and centipedes with insecticides is not a particularly good idea. It is true that there are certainly means that cause the animals to die. However, one should generally be skeptical about the use of these funds. Of course, home remedies for Anthropoda are not known. What would help against these insects is a room temperature that is as dry and cold as possible, as they love a warm, humid climate. However, this should not be good for most plants.