Are millipedes poisonous? A detailed guide

The millipede, also known as baijiaolu, qianjiaochong, bizichong and so on, has a long and slightly flattened body, dark brown, with reddish-yellow sides on the back and walking legs. It lives in moist farmland or under stone piles and in the shaded spots of trees, likes to live in groups, feeds on humus, and has also been recorded damaging crops. It is distributed throughout China. Let us take a look below at whether millipedes are poisonous!

Are millipedes poisonous?

Millipedes are not poisonous. Although millipedes have no venomous jaws, they have stink glands on their body segments that can secrete a toxic, foul-smelling liquid, which makes poultry and birds afraid to peck at them, and humans who accidentally eat millipedes may develop allergic swelling of the lips and other symptoms. Moreover, many species of millipedes have numerous inclusion glands that can produce toxic chemicals to deter predators.

Do millipedes bite people?

Millipedes do not bite people, but when touched or handled they can secrete toxins that cause local irritation, and in severe cases can cause obvious erythema, blisters and necrosis. Wash with plenty of soap and water, but be sure not to use alcohol. If the skin reacts, a topical corticosteroid can be applied locally; if the eyes are affected, they must be rinsed immediately, and corticosteroid eye drops or ointment should be applied.

How do you get rid of millipedes?

Millipedes live in moist farmland or under stone piles and in the shaded spots of trees, like to live in groups, and feed on humus, so they easily carry bacteria. After scattering quicklime in places where millipedes frequently appear, their moist living environment will become dry, and millipedes will no longer breed there. You can also spray with “triazophos”, but people with skin allergies had best not use it.