DPI expert Peter Gillespie says wet weather is behind surge in millipede numbers in Orange and surrounds

Millipedes are being seen in greater numbers than usual across Orange and surrounds - out in the garden and and inside houses - with reports of scores of them crawling up walls, and even being found in people's beds.

Peter Gillespie, entomologist at the Department of Primary Industries' Orange Agricultural Institute says the wet weather and soggy ground is behind the surge in numbers.

"They like humidity and they like high levels of organic matter," he said.

"If it gets too wet they can get the wanders and they can come inside and you can find them on the living room floor or the loungeroom carpet or halfway up a wall."

He says the critters invading homes are most likely to be a mix of native millipedes and Portugese millipedes, an introduced species that can breed into huge numbers.

"I've seen them (Portugese millipedes) on the coast in swathes 10 centimetres deep," Mr Gillespie.

While the central west may not have those kind of numbers, there's enough that people are noticing them - and looking for ways to keep them out of the house.

Mr Gillespie says the best thing to do to keep millipedes outside is to use physical barriers, like a below door barrier.

Smooth barriers can also be, fixed to walls, below doorsteps or on window ledges.

Portugese millipedes are also attracted to lights at night, so turning off external lights close to buildings and minimising the escape of light from buildings through the use of curtains, blinds and weather-strips on doors may help.

Light traps are another chemical free option according to the DPI.

In the garden, try thinning out mulch and fertiliser.

"They do thrive off things like compost heaps or rich sources of organic matter, so move that away form the house if they're becoming a problem," Mr Gillespie said.

"Other than that there's not much you can do," he said.

"They will disappear with the passage of time."

The good news is, apart from sometimes emitting a nasty smell (a secretion they use to deter predators), they don't pose any threat to humans or animals.

"There's no harm in any of these guys.

"They won't hurt you in any way," Mr Gillespie said.

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