Is this a pest or friend?

[dinah gale]

Hello all

Digging out a very dry compost area left by my predecessor on the allotment (I think she had made a stack of old turf, raspberry canes etc) I found it to be full of centipedes - the larger, chestnut brown type of crawly. -.
Am I right in thinking that this one is a 'friend' whilst the millipede will eat seedlings etc? I am using the soil on new deep beds that I've made and don't want to introduce pests into them. For the moment I've left a barrowload of the stuff, including the little critturs, by the heap until I know what I'm doing.

Any help will be really appreciated. I've always had a problem with this question. Now I have a forum to ask other people which is great!

[Earthbabe]

Hi Dinah, my understanding it that it depends on the speed at which they move ie if they move slowly they are veggies and if quickly they are carnivores (or rather insectivores). I could be wrong that it just what I have been told/read. In otherwords if they scuttle at light speed out of the way they are ok if not they may eat your plants.

[dinah gale]

Thanks for your response Earthbabe. I've heard this too and watched yesterday to see how fast they move (how sad is that?) How fast is fast though? Maybe I should find a millipede and set up a race?

I've looked on the net for info and found various info relating to milllipedes but none about centipedes. Ah well, off to the lottie now and I'll have another look. I have learned that millipedes curl up when threatened and though they eat debris and so can help with clearing up they're also not averse to a chomp on seedlings.

If only I could find out about their bigger cousins.

Anyone know?

[Snadger]

Hi Dinah, my understanding it that it depends on the speed at which they move ie if they move slowly they are veggies and if quickly they are carnivores (or rather insectivores). I could be wrong that it just what I have been told/read. In otherwords if they scuttle at light speed out of the way they are ok if not they may eat your plants.

You have adopted the same school of thought that I have earthbabe! There are probably exceptions to this rule.....but if there are, I don't know of any!
I suppose you need to be quick to pounce on your prey, but if your prey is a cabbage,speed is not of the essence as it aint gunna be going very far!!!LOL

[Earthbabe]

Not if they are organic anyway. Who knows what can happen if it's a GM cabbage, even some of the F1 hybrids look speedy compared to mine.

[Earthbabe]

You might want to have a look at this thread about centipedes and millipedes Dinah.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...read.php?t=992

[Earthbabe]

Wow I got it to work!

[Alice]

My OH says Centipedes are brown, frilly looking crawlies and they're harmless, while millipedes are gray, metallc looking with we black feet under them and you don't want them. Hope that helps.

[Slug]

If you're not sure if your centipede is moving fast... then perhaps it's not a centipede after all.... I have always seen them moving at lightening speed trying to get away from me if I've ever dug them up.

If you are not sure if it's moving fast.... then either you've slow centipedes or mine are 'on' something!!

[pickledtink]

Centipedes:

http://encarta.msn.com/encnet/refpag...1518808&vv=410

Millipedes:

http://images.google.co.uk/imgres?im...lr%3D%26sa%3DN

Now I just hope these links don't stretch the page
If so sorry all.

[dinah gale]

Thanks for all your help folks, especially the useful links. I only squashed one, fortunately, and let the rest out onto the deep bed.

Yeah, they do scuttle Slug but speed's sort of relative....... I expect 'mine' are normal (see I'm defensive of them now I know they're goodies). I found a millipede and poked it gently to see how fast it would go but true to type it curled up and wouldn't play!

Despite all this staring at bugs I did get some work done.I finished digging out and shifting the compost heap. I'm getting my fruit beds organised and, having planted strawbs and raspberries, got goosegobs and a redcurrant in today, too. Just have to buy some blackcurrants and get the posts in for a loganberry and a boysenberry.

Wonderful digging weather. I hope it continues dry for a bit longer.