Too many baby millipedes

[ibisbias]

Hello all!
I got some bumblebee millipedes early this year, and they were thriving! So much so that they had babies… lots and lots of babies.
I knew that the millipedes would breed but… I deeply underestimated these little guys. Now I have a ten gallon full of just babies. And as they get bigger, I’m starting to realize that I’ve got nowhere to put all of these guys! Nor do I have a good enough supply of wood/leaves to provide for all of them. I’m totally lost as to what I should do with them, and I can’t find any resources on what to do when you have too many.

What do you guys do with baby millipedes when you can’t keep them all? Also, I have another species which is native to my state: if some of the babies turn out to be from that species, can they be released? Or would that be bad?

Thanks for any advice/answers, this novice appreciates it!!

 

[Smotzer]

You can sell them off here in the classifieds.

You just to pay a small fee or have active member status to do so, if I remember correctly.

 

[Malum Argenteum]

Also, I have another species which is native to my state: if some of the babies turn out to be from that species, can they be released? Or would that be bad?

Were these housed with the other, non-native, species? If so, I think the answer is no they should not be released. That contact could easily be an exotic pathogen vector.

 

[Arachnomum]

I took a long time to convince Insect Sails to give me ONE Ivory Millipede they gave me one, but sadly it (Mira, short for myriapoda) came VERY pregnant. ...So now I have "up to a hundred" baby Ivory millipedes (native to Florida, I live in Arkansas)
Should I try to sell them? Dose any of you want a bunch of baby Ivory millipedes?
please help,
arachnomum

 

[Arthroverts]

I took a long time to convince Insect Sails to give me ONE Ivory Millipede they gave me one, but sadly it (Mira, short for myriapoda) came VERY pregnant. ...So now I have "up to a hundred" baby Ivory millipedes (native to Florida, I live in Arkansas)
Should I try to sell them? Dose any of you want a bunch of baby Ivory millipedes?
please help,
arachnomum

Sure, selling them or giving them away is usually the best option, though if you are going to sell them my personal recommendation is to wait until they are about an inch in length as such specimens ship better than very young specimens.

Thanks,

Arthroverts

 

[Arachnomum]

Okay, thanks for the advice! I have some more questions:
Do I have to put them in another cage because Mira looks crowded?
Do they have to have a different substrate than a grown-up millipede?
How old do they have to be to mate with eachother?
Do you have any other a advice for baby millipede care?

arachnomum

 

[Matts inverts]

I used to sell off a ton of millipedes. I would keep a few but I would find a shop and sell to them or just sell online like on here or Craigslist. I made 80 selling my babies to shops. You can always get a bigger tub and just collect more leaves or buy more.

 

[ibisbias]

Sorry for such a late response. I appreciate all of the advice! The little babies are still doing great and most are an inch or more in size now. I think I’ll look into trying to sell them, because I just wasn’t planning to keep 100+ millipedes. I’m not really sure how that’ll go since I know very little about insect sales but I can certainly try! Thank you guys for the advice!

 

[mickiem]

Selling millipedes can be very time consuming. Unless you are really interested in being in the millipede business, I would suggest selling high quantities at low prices. Ship 1-4 pkgs instead of 100+! Good luck on your success.

 

[Scorpiobsession]

What kind of substrate are you using? I started with 20 bumblebees and now have less than 5, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.
I often see them sold at expos, online at multiple places, on social media, etc. I recommend selling ~5 at a time or charging more per pede for less quantity (eg. $7 each or $25 for 5).

 

[ibisbias]

What kind of substrate are you using? I started with 20 bumblebees and now have less than 5, I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong.

I was using a pretty bad substrate when the babies first appeared, I've since switched it up a bit and haven't seen any more, but the adults all seem happy. I use coco coir, sphagnum/orchid moss, aspen bedding, plenty of shredded maple/oak leaves and oak wood, and a bit of reptile calcium, with a layer of leaves on the top. They also really like supplemental feeding even when the substrate is good- cucumbers and softer squash are great, fish flakes work as well but mold fast. I keep the substrate sort of damp but not wet. I can't think of anything beyond that, and I'm definitely not an expert on them by any means so I might be doing it all wrong, but I wish you luck in keeping yours alive and well!

 

[Godzilla90fan]

I was using a pretty bad substrate when the babies first appeared, I've since switched it up a bit and haven't seen any more, but the adults all seem happy. I use coco coir, sphagnum/orchid moss, aspen bedding, plenty of shredded maple/oak leaves and oak wood, and a bit of reptile calcium, with a layer of leaves on the top. They also really like supplemental feeding even when the substrate is good- cucumbers and softer squash are great, fish flakes work as well but mold fast. I keep the substrate sort of damp but not wet. I can't think of anything beyond that, and I'm definitely not an expert on them by any means so I might be doing it all wrong, but I wish you luck in keeping yours alive and well!

I've seen mixed reviews on peoples results from this, but I've had several generations of american giants (and more recently added 3 bumblebees) thrive in 100% coco coir substrate, and 100% supplemented food (they obviously eat SOME substrate, but the vast majority of their food is mushrooms and wood bits). I've yet to find a dead millipede in this tank, and when I do I'm sure it will be my oldest, MASSIVE male, of old age.

The biggest reason I see people go against it, is they seem to believe eating pure coco coir substrate can cause it to enlarge in their stomachs, leading to compaction and death. I feel that is only a risk if humidity isn't kept ideal, but maybe I've just been lucky. Any thoughts?