Can I keep a wild millipede as a pet?

If you've never cared for an arthropod pet before, a millipede is a good first choice. Millipedes are herbivorous, so they are easy and inexpensive to feed. They're fairly low maintenance pets and can be handled even by young children, with supervision, of course.

How do you take care of a wild millipede?

Can you keep a single millipede?

Giant millipedes can be handled safely; they are quite docile and slow-moving. They get along fine with others, so you can keep more than one in the same tank.

Is it okay to pick up a millipede?

It is not advisable to handle millipedes with your bare hands. Persons handling millipedes may also notice a lingering odor on their hands. After contact with millipedes, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water until the odor is gone. The solvents ether or alcohol will also help remove the noxious fluid.

Do millipedes get lonely?

They can live alone, but they also can live with others. They will be fine either way. Do two males get along in the same cage? Yes, millipedes can live together if there's enough room with no problem regardless of sex.

How To Keep Millipedes as Pets

What do you feed millipedes?

How do you give millipedes water?

Millipedes will drink from standing water – some people provide them with a small water bowl. But misting, providing a moist substrate, and providing fresh food will keep them hydrated.

What does a millipede need to survive?

Millipedes prefer to live outdoors. They need a lot of moisture, so they tend to live in damp areas. Around the yard, millipedes will be found in gardens and flowerbeds. They live under mulch, under dead leaves, or even under piles of grass clippings.

How long do pet millipedes live?

In captivity a millipede can live to be ten years old, but most specimens are wild-collected so it is impossible to predict how long one will live.

Do pet millipedes bite?

No, giant millipedes do not bite. If you pick them up and let them crawl on your hands or arms, they may attempt to “nibble” the surface of your skin a little, but this won't hurt or cause any injury.

Do millipedes need water bowl?

Although millipedes will gain much of the moisture that they need from their food, they will still drink from a water bowl. This should be shallow so that there is no danger of drowning and should be kept fresh at all times.

Do giant millipedes make good pets?

Giant African millipedes can make great pets for beginners. If you are looking for an exotic species to keep that is easy to care for, then this creature may be perfect. Millipedes can have various sizes and colors. They are arthropods best known for their large number of legs.

What can I feed my giant millipede?

They feed happily on the substrate soil or peat-free compost mixed with dead leaves. This can be added to by giving all sorts of food items from the kitchen such as potato peelings. It is worth trying numerous different types of food and seeing what your millipedes like best.

Can millipedes eat carrots?

While the majority of their diet should be composed of decaying leaves from hardwood trees (maple, oak, walnut, etc) and decaying wood, giant millipedes will eat all manner of fruits and vegetables including melons, bananas, apples, cucumbers, peaches, carrots, and romaine lettuce (but not iceberg lettuce, as it doesn' ...

Do millipedes eat meat?

A: Millipedes are omnivores and seek out both plant and animal-based sources of food. They prefer to eat mostly dead and decaying plant-based matter, but they sometimes can be found snacking away on live roots or decomposing animals when those are the only option.

What do millipedes hate?

Essential oils are more effective as repellents rather than insecticides. Tea tree oil and peppermint oil are the two most common for use against millipedes.

How old do millipedes get?

While it is difficult to provide an answer that covers all millipedes, it is probably an acceptable estimate to say that millipedes could have a lifespan of up to 10 years in a laboratory environment.

Why do my millipedes keep dying?

Millipedes will usually die fairly quickly once they get inside due to the lack of moisture. If you're wondering how to get rid of millipedes indoors, you can simply remove them with a vacuum cleaner or shop-vac.

Do millipedes have 1000 legs?

Though no known millipede species has 1,000 legs, common species of this burrowing arthropod have between 40 and 400 legs – more than enough to move the millipede forwards with impressive heft.

How do you make a millipede terrarium?

Add substrate composed of damp sphagnum moss and bark to your millipede's habitat. You can put substrate material along the bottom of the tank. Layer the substrate as deep in the tank as your millipede(s) are long. If you have more than one millipede, then use the longest millipede as your guide.

What happens when you touch a millipede?

Millipedes do not bite but may secrete a toxin that is irritating, causing burning and itching of the skin and, particularly when accidentally rubbed into the eye, causing redness, swelling, and pain of the conjunctiva or the cornea.

Does millipede burn hurt?

Although millipedes often are regarded as harmless, they are capable of causing adverse reactions through the secretion of toxic chemicals. Millipede burns cause localized pigmentary changes that may be associated with pain or burning in some patients.

Can millipedes go in your ear?

I have heard that millipede or centipede (known as kaankhajoora in Hindi) can enter into your ear while you are asleep and eat away your brain. Is this true? Can they be fatal? A:There is no evidence of insects in the ear getting into the brain although it is a popular myth that they can.

Do millipedes have a queen?

Millipedes and earwigs don't live in colonies or have queens like ants or bees, so simply taking away a space that they like might drive them out.