Millipede/Centipede?
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  #1  
Old 03-03-2015, 06:31 PM
JKeys JKeys is offline
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Join Date: Nov 2012
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Millipede/Centipede? Male
Default Millipede/Centipede?

As I stumbled out of bed this morning, I stopped by my quiet friends (orchids) to perform the usual morning check-up. I saw some brown thing moving in a water dish under one of my phrags, which I assumed was floating potting media until I bent in closer... I had just woken up and wasn't prepared for creepy-crawlies, so it is with the deepest sorrow that I confess: I killed it.

I had just repotted this phrag. Is this bug anything to be worried about?
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  #2  
Old 03-03-2015, 07:29 PM
Stray59 Stray59 is offline
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Millipede/Centipede? Male
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Hey Jkeys! Had a critter in your garden, Huh? If it was brown and flat bodied, with a lot of legs, I am guessing it is a common centipede. They are insectavores, thus he was looking for a bug to eat. If you just repotted the plant, you may check the potting mix to make sure you haven't brought some "guests" in with it. I think that if it had been in the pot or the soil when you repotted it, you would have seen it as they usually are really active in trying to get away. Could it have just been in your house and attracted to the water? It's hard to say.
From what I have read the only time centipedes eat vegetable matter is when they are starving, so I doubt it would hurt your orchids, and if you don't mind such, he would take care of soil dwelling bugs like worms, woodlice, etc.
Hope this helps some....
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  #3  
Old 03-03-2015, 08:01 PM
MrHappyRotter MrHappyRotter is offline
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Short answer, while I would recommend you rid yourself of your millipedes or centipedes, which ever they are, these things aren't in and of themselves a danger to your collection.

I don't personally like centipedes indoors. Some of them can give you a pretty painful bite, others like the long-legged house centipedes aren't likely to bite you, but they creep me out. When these kinds of predatory creatures make it indoors, there's always a risk they'll end up in bed with you, and how would you explain that to your family?

Millipedes are completely benign, detritivores, though some people swear they'll nip at root tips. Either way, even the smaller sized species are big enough and can form big enough colonies that I generally don't let them stick around long.

In both cases, it's easy enough to flood them from the pots if you don't have large amounts of plants. Otherwise, you'll need to treat with pesticides, generally anything that works on insects/spiders/mites will work on centipedes and millipedes.
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