Portuguese millipedes

Portuguese millipedes (Ommatoiulus moreletii) belong to a group of animals called Myriapoda (meaning many-legged), which also includes several native Australian millipedes and centipedes. Millipedes normally live outdoors where they feed on leaf litter, damp and decaying wood, fungus and vegetable matter like tender roots, mosses or green leaves on the ground.

Description

The smooth, cylindrical body of the Portuguese millipede distinguishes it from the native species around Perth, which have a bumpy look. Native millipedes are usually found in low numbers and are widespread. Portuguese millipedes congregate in large numbers and are quite mobile, especially after the first rains in autumn.
Portuguese millipedes will curl up into a tight spiral when disturbed, or try to escape with thrashing, snake-like movements. They are 20–45mm long with 50 body segments when fully developed. The adults range in colour from slate-grey to black. The juveniles are light grey/brown, often with a darker stripe along each side.

Life cycle

Portuguese millipedes reproduce in autumn and early winter. They would probably begin mating in March or April and lay most of their eggs in April and May. This would explain why they appear so mobile and so abundant after the first rains.

Millipede control

Portuguese millipedes are attracted to lights. Turn off external lights which are close to buildings and minimise the escape of light from buildings through use of curtains, blinds and weather-strips on doors. Effective door seals will prevent the entry of these unwanted pests.
Millipedes in the house and garden will probably have resulted from eggs laid within 100m from the house, and while compost is good for gardens, it also allows higher populations of millipedes to develop. Reducing the area covered by organic matter such as compost, leaf litter and mulch, will help reduce millipede populations by diminishing food and areas of shelter.
More information go to
https://www.agric.wa.gov.au/pest-insects/portuguese-millipedes?page=0%2C2