# Millipede fungus cure



## Galapoheros (May 19, 2012)

I remember reading about the fuzzy fungus people were seeing on the first several segments of their millipedes.  I had never seen it before and didn't expect to, but then two of the millis were almost running, looked like something was bothering them.  I saw that fungus!  It was on their front legs, maybe the first 4 or 5 segments, don't know for sure.  It was growing on their antennae also, especially toward the ends.  Spikey looking, kind of white colored stuff.  I have some stuff for athletes foot which has a general anti-fungal, Undecylenic Acid, in it.  If that fungus was going to kill the millis, I thought I might as well try the anti-fungal.  I put one drop on the segments right behind the head at the base of the legs on each millipede, that was about a week ago.  They didn't like it of course and spent some time cleaning the area, as they were cleaning it was a good thing because I could see they were spreading it.  It looked like they were using some of their own fluid to make it more wet in the area.  This was about a week ago and they are all healthy again, there is no sign of the fungus and are eating just fine.  If it happens again, I will take a before and after pic because I know there will be skepticism about it.  There is some alcohol in it but it evaporates pretty fast.  Also, it didn't kill the mites either.  So if you think that stuff is going to kill your millis, might as well use this or something like it, maybe less strength/potent.  It worked!  It smells strong btw.  I forgot to add that this is a millipede that had the fungus, as you can see, it's gone now, can't see anything like it there anyway.

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## Gnat (May 19, 2012)

Is that a symbiotic mite in the pic? how did you get it? I have AGBs without them


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## Galapoheros (May 19, 2012)

A pet store here wanted to breed them but they didn't have time for it, or just didn't want to mess with it.  So they let me take them home, hoping that something would happen over here but, no milli plings so far.  As I said before, I'm suspicious of the pillbugs eating milli eggs but I just don't know.  Yeah that's the native sym mite there.


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## SDCPs (May 20, 2012)

My male AGB millipede has the fungus, and I'm super concerned about it. I'm not quite sure what to use on him. A book I have says a .01% solution of clotrimazole might just possibly cure the pede but mentions weeks of swabbing. I also have a flameleg pede the seems to have the very back few segments frozen (they don't mechanically move) from a fungus. I've gotten the fungus off the exoskeleton or so I think, also doing some scrapeing, but still the segments remain frozen.

One more thing. My AGB millipede has these white-like fleshy pads coming out of his legs. I don't know if that's normal...looks like a pathogen could burst out of them...maybe they are adhesive pads for mating, but they extend most of the way down his body. Maybe this pede is just really messed up...but I guess they show up in other pictures of male millipedes such as this one:







---------- Post added 05-20-2012 at 06:14 PM ----------

I obtained the anti-fungal medication you described, and applied it to my millipede. I tried taking photos, but he would not stay still, and the fungus is only on a few of the foremost legs, not visible from a spiral, so I'd have to get a direct shot of his underside. I could have put him against the glass, I guess, but I did not think about it. 

Anyway, I applied the medication, and the millipede did not like it at all as you were saying. It also produced its own fluid, spreading the medication further on its underside. It's in the shock/cleaning process right now. Hopefully--if all goes well--I will have the same results you mentioned 

I've read other posts saying swabbing can be detrimental, and yes, it is probably stressful, but there's no other way! Fingers crossed

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## J Morningstar (May 21, 2012)

The "fleshy things" you speak of are it's gonopods or sex organs, and yes they air them out and clean them like that time to time...


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## SDCPs (May 21, 2012)

J Morningstar said:


> The "fleshy things" you speak of are it's gonopods or sex organs, and yes they air them out and clean them like that time to time...


I'm not referring to the gonopods, the picture I found (not mine) shows the pads. I'll try to find another.

Please ignore the arrow pointing to the gonopod gap. Instead, focus on the pads on the ends of the legs:


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## Galapoheros (May 21, 2012)

I've never seen that before, t looks natural to me though.  It may be male feature, maybe something to do with the male being able to catch and hold on to the milli chicks lol, hmm, maybe I should get some of those.  btw as I mentioned concerning the fungus issue that stuff worked over here perfectly.  I looked up the active ingredient, it's not exactly organic imo but pretty close to it.


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## SDCPs (May 21, 2012)

Galapoheros said:


> I've never seen that before, t looks natural to me though.  It may be male feature, maybe something to do with the male being able to catch and hold on to the milli chicks lol, hmm, maybe I should get some of those.  btw as I mentioned concerning the fungus issue that stuff worked over here perfectly.  I looked up the active ingredient, it's not exactly organic imo but pretty close to it.


He's still alive! I'll wait a few days before taking a peek at the fungus.


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## Anonymity82 (May 21, 2012)

Great thread! Possibly found a breakthrough for fungus control!


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## SDCPs (May 28, 2012)

Going on the second treatment because there's still some left. He's not taking it so well


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## SDCPs (Jun 2, 2012)

Third treatment, and I released him in the cage. The fungus is not around the sexual organs. It is by the very first two pairs of legs now, right where they join. My hypothesis is the fungus can hang on there because of the fluid the pedes excrete, and the constant cleaning of that area after medication application disperses the medication and lets the fungus survive. Otherwise it's all gone! So with third treatment ( almost 4 weeks of quarantine) I've released him after holding him for 45 minutes keeping him from cleaning and making him spit all that fluid on my fingers. Don't know if it will help. I figure the isopods in the cage will get whatever's left after medication. I could always treat him again too. Just wanted to get him back in the cage.


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## EbonyKatana1664 (Jun 19, 2012)

They will make a movie about this thread and your determination to keep the pedes alive. Kudos to you sir.


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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 26, 2013)

Thanks, Galapoheros. I just bought this and put it on my female AGB. She is infected. I am hoping it works. Can you add anything to this thread (that has not been already stated) for those of use with millipedes that are infected? Was yours OK? I am hoping the anti-fungal solution does not kill her.


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## Galapoheros (Apr 27, 2013)

The ones I had seemed fine afterward.  They made chambers and hung out in there, but they finally all died, I don't think it had to do with the treatment.  But what I would have done diff is some dilution of the anti-fungal.  I'm thinking half strength would prob work, just guessing.  My speculation about not getting babies has to do with too many isopods, ...stress.


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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 27, 2013)

Galapoheros said:


> The ones I had seemed fine afterward.  They made chambers and hung out in there, but they finally all died, I don't think it had to do with the treatment.  But what I would have done diff is some dilution of the anti-fungal.  I'm thinking half strength would prob work, just guessing.  My speculation about not getting babies has to do with too many isopods, ...stress.


Thanks. I tried it and in 24 hours the fungus was not visible. Good idea. I will apply it at half strength. Yes, I eliminated all of the terrestrial isopods from my A. gigas enclosure too. 

Thoughts from a guy that has bred a lot of millipedes over the years: I have been trying to breed this species for years without success. I think it is a shot in the dark. I have all the books and have always (for years) provided the optimal environment. I have had great breeding success with these same environments with many other species. I have also tried all of the current cues to get the females to lay eggs. I have been at it for over 8 years. I have 4 females and 1 male left. 1 of my males died 6 months ago. This is my last attempt. If these do not reproduce, I will not be buying anymore. I often consider how hard it is to get these to reproduce and the common belief that they have not been imported into the U.S. since 2006 but then I see large numbers of near adults and adults for sale. Mature adults take years to reach this level. Something does not add up...

...Unless someone is illegally importing and supplying WC A. gigas to sellers. Now THAT would make sense. :biggrin:


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## 3skulls (Apr 27, 2013)

Is this a fungus only found on A. gigas or can this happen on any millipede?

Good luck Crackerpants


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## MrCrackerpants (Apr 28, 2013)

3skulls said:


> Is this a fungus only found on A. gigas or can this happen on any millipede?
> 
> Good luck Crackerpants


Good question. Orin's book states that it common with this species and one other ( I can't remember which). Thanks. : )


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## SDCPs (May 5, 2013)

MrCrackerpants said:


> Good question. Orin's book states that it common with this species and one other ( I can't remember which). Thanks. : )


Probably Epibolus


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## MrCrackerpants (Jul 24, 2013)

UPDATE: The A. gigas I treated is still alive and doing well. She has not redeveloped any type of fungal infection. Final Conclusion: The treatment worked well for my A. gigas millipede and she did not die.


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## Cavedweller (Jul 24, 2013)

That's great to hear, I'll definitely have to keep that treatment in mind if I ever need it.


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## MrCrackerpants (Jul 24, 2013)

Cavedweller said:


> That's great to hear, I'll definitely have to keep that treatment in mind if I ever need it.


FYI: I got the generic at Walgreens for $5.99. Worth every penny : )

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## Spepper (Jul 24, 2013)

Now I know what to do if my millies ever get the fungus!


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## SDCPs (Jul 25, 2013)

This never quite got rid of the fungus on mine...it kept coming back in one locality but never grew very big or very fast.

The millipede dropped dead one day less than full size and was the only one of my AGBs to do so. It was a male.

So it doesn't work every time.


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## Cavedweller (Jul 25, 2013)

Aww, sorry man. That's a terrible loss


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## SDCPs (Jul 26, 2013)

Cavedweller said:


> Aww, sorry man. That's a terrible loss


Yeah, considering I purchased it for $135 when I didn't know any better. :sarcasm:

Here's an excerpt from my webpage on the subject:

"The cause of fungus can be rather surprising. Rather than too much moisture, the cause could be too little. This seems contradictory until we consider the fact that millipedes kept in dry conditions are not in a proper environment and will be stressed and weakened. And fungus is usually a consequence of a weak immune system. I know that one retailer of African Giant Black millipedes complained of heavy losses despite the fact that AGBs are a hardy species. He admittedly kept the millipedes in a fairly dry environment, similar to the deserts of Africa (in which millipedes do not live), and advised all his customers to do the same. A male millipede I received from him and paid $135 for arrived with a small amount of the seemingly species-specific thread/hairlike fungus directly under the head on the first few front legs. After battling the fungus with fungicure with it for over half a year, the millipede died. I was not happy."


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## Cavedweller (Jul 26, 2013)

Oh man that's awful. I guess it's a warning not to trust everything sellers say.


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## SDCPs (Jul 26, 2013)

Cavedweller said:


> Oh man that's awful. I guess it's a warning not to trust everything sellers say.


Yeah, you definitely cannot do that. Even if they are reputable it is a good idea to question their views for yourself and see if they make sense based on your experience and what others say.

Back to the topic, a German author suggested a fungal medication but said that in the majority of circumstances the millipedes do not survive even with treatment. I suppose the reason is once the fungus manifests itself the millipede has been on the decline for some time already. The treatment is just more stress and can even make things worse. Also keep in mind that fungus on the exoskeleton of the millipede is probably in the body of the millipede....what is on the exoskeleton can just be the fruiting part of the fungus (someone correct me if I am mistaken here) and thus treatment may not actually fix the problem.


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## MrCrackerpants (Oct 31, 2013)

UPDATE: The A. gigas I treated is still alive and doing well. She has not redeveloped any type of fungal infection. She has molted and is about 12 inches.

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## The Snark (Nov 1, 2013)

It looks like you really hit on something there and the time duration is bearing this out. I would venture the hypothesis that there are natural chemical fungi interrupters found in their normal habitat and you have hit on a suitable readily available substitute. Living in the rain forest like we are is like living in a war zone and I have often wondered what keeps the fungi in check. Inside the house we constantly have to use powerful fungicides. So how do the animals, especially the detrivores resist being overwhelmed? And on that note I have to go water seal a door downstairs that suddenly became coated in that white fluffy fungi.


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## MrCrackerpants (Nov 1, 2013)

The Snark said:


> It looks like you really hit on something there and the time duration is bearing this out. I would venture the hypothesis that there are natural chemical fungi interrupters found in their normal habitat and you have hit on a suitable readily available substitute. Living in the rain forest like we are is like living in a war zone and I have often wondered what keeps the fungi in check. Inside the house we constantly have to use powerful fungicides. So how do the animals, especially the detrivores resist being overwhelmed? And on that note I have to go water seal a door downstairs that suddenly became coated in that white fluffy fungi.


Yes, I too am often amazed at the anti-fungal physiological properties that must exist in detritivores.


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## lagomorphette (Jan 15, 2014)

I'm grateful to have found this thread! I'm going to try this treatment on my mature adult female A. gigas. Please wish me luck! 

I'll try posting photos of the progress to help any others who may run into this issue...


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## Galapoheros (Jan 15, 2014)

The internet's our new parents haha, it knows everything, jk.  You might want to dilute it, maybe 50/50, I didn't even think to try that.


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## MrCrackerpants (Jan 15, 2014)

Update: I tried the same medicine on a few other species that had black discoloration under their exoskeleton.  This discoloration began at the legs (which in some cases had rotted off) and went on the sides and top of only one or two segment. There was no white "feathery" mycelial growth as was on my A. gigas. The application (which was applied 4 times every 3 days) did nothing. All of the millipedes died.


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## Cavedweller (Jan 15, 2014)

Oh man that's awful  My condolences.


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## MrCrackerpants (Jan 15, 2014)

Cavedweller said:


> Oh man that's awful  My condolences.


Thanks. Ya, it's a big bummer. I had a BUNCH of babies die too and my enclosures are ideal. The good thing is I am learning a lot and realizing that even under the best conditions, breeding millipedes is not easy.


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## Tongue Flicker (Jan 30, 2014)

MrCrackerpants said:


> Thanks. Ya, it's a big bummer. I had a BUNCH of babies die too and my enclosures are ideal. The good thing is I am learning a lot and realizing that even under the best conditions, breeding millipedes is not easy.


Oh my condolences..

I'll bump this thread up for future reference


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## Galapoheros (Jan 31, 2014)

Hello Cracker, that might have been a bacterial infection, not a fungal infection, if so it might explain seeing no results.  Maybe if there were some antibiotics hanging around, you could've opened a capsule and dumped it in some water and painted it on in places.  Or maybe Neosporin could've helped(?)


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## MrCrackerpants (Jan 31, 2014)

Galapoheros said:


> Hello Cracker, that might have been a bacterial infection, not a fungal infection, if so it might explain seeing no results.  Maybe if there were some antibiotics hanging around, you could've opened a capsule and dumped it in some water and painted it on in places.  Or maybe Neosporin could've helped(?)


I had not considered that. That's a good idea. I will try that in the future. Thanks again. :biggrin:


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## lagomorphette (Mar 28, 2014)

Just as a follow-up: I treated my A. gigas with several doses of antifungal cream, as described on this thread. I wore latex gloves, thankfully, because she was not stoked to be poked and prodded with a cream-tipped ear swab. 

Two and a half months later, she is still with me. The vast majority of the fungus has cleared up--the last time I checked her, there was only a small patch near her mouth that hadn't been eliminated. Unfortunately, she seems to have lost the majority of her mites during the treatment. I'm crossing my fingers that enough of them survived to repopulate, but time will tell.

I had hoped to take photos, but I soon learned that I wouldn't have a spare hand to do so while treating her. Sorry about that.

But at least I can report back and note some success. 

I'll post again if there are any changes...

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## The Snark (Mar 28, 2014)

What is the fungicide you are using?


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## SDCPs (Apr 8, 2014)

The Snark said:


> What is the fungicide you are using?


It should be 25% Undecylenic Acid as the first post describes.


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## The Odd Pet (Oct 16, 2019)

I know this thread is old but I have gigas. They don't have any fungus but would like to keep it on hand just in case. I can't seem to find this brand. Can anyone help me out with a link please. 
TIA


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## Polenth (Oct 17, 2019)

The Odd Pet said:


> I know this thread is old but I have gigas. They don't have any fungus but would like to keep it on hand just in case. I can't seem to find this brand. Can anyone help me out with a link please.


I've not seen anyone use an athlete's foot treatment and have millipedes dying from it. Get whatever brand you can find.


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## acanthocephalans (Mar 6, 2021)

hi so i have the same problem idk if its a fungus or not,ive isloted my pede for 3 days now in a less moist enclosure,and some of it is gone when he/she dig underground but its lower abdomen has it its not been removed btw heres a picture


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