Magnolia Leaves safe for Millipedes

[Weaternpi]

Does anybody know if magnolia leaves are safe for millipedes? I found my Ivory love munching on them more than any other leaves but this morning I found one out of 10 millipedes not moving. It looks lifeless but not limp still solid, so my guess maybe it's molting or if it is dead could it have been from eating some leaves.

 

[Wesley Smith]

I’ve used magnolia without any issues, my guess would be the rare surface molt or perhaps it was just old. There is however the possibility of insecticide, were the leaves sanitized in some way?

 

[Weaternpi]

No all from my yard no pesticide or insecticide used my guess it might be a rare surface molt it's straight slightly curved but still feels solid not limp like previous millipedes that have died on me. I'll give it a few days. Also found one of the female laying eggs yesterday unless they die after laying eggs.

 

[Wesley Smith]

They don’t die after laying eggs but my suggestion to all keepers is to always rinse then bake your leaves. Even if they come from the middle of the woods run off tends to carry poisons to the detriment of our crawly and sometimes creepy friends. Some fungi are also not good for them so just be careful. Again, I’m not saying this is what happened but I’ve seen it too many times to rule it out. I hope your friend is just molting, keep us updated!

 

[SamanthaMarikian]

Also if you dont want to bake them, you can always microwave them which is what i do lol. Rinse n let them soak n rinse til clean, then n u k e. If you’d like, you can even use a microwave safe container or bag and steam them. No issues so far. (My grandma lives with us so she’ll nag me for ”wasting gas” or something if i use the oven)

 

[Arthroverts]

Actually, from my own experience and from several other enthusiasts sharing what has happened to them, I am finding that baking the leaves or microwaving them at high temperatures can be quite detrimental to the long-term viability of the terrarium, with major mold and pest outbreaks being much more common.
Nowadays, if I know the collection locale is safe and free of major pests, I will just set the leaves outside on a pan and allow the sun and the birds to take care of any hitchhikers. I've seen a much greater feeding response from my isopods (it is harder to judge with my millipedes), and have had less major mold issues.

@Weaternpi, depending on where you are in San Diego, you may have some good areas to go collecting for oak leaves if you need em'.

Thanks,

Arthroverts