Reptile & Amphibian Forums

my first millipede:
after a few days we noticed about 50 white worm-like things so we dumped all compost
after another few days we noticed the same and ... we dumped the compost
they live in his water and food but dont seem to go near the millipede
its been suggested that it reproduced but its definately not the case as i currently have about 500 of the same size
what do i do??
this is my first insect, but i have more experience with reptiles and ive never come across this

What type of substrate are you using?

i was using compost but i switched to top soil about 2 weeks ago. they white things still appear but there are a lot less of them. plus i started feeding my millipede in a raised pet food bowl so the white things cant get his food

Sounds like you have a type of nematode in the soil. They won't hurt the millipede. Most types eat fungi or bacteria in the soil. That would be why there were so many in the compost (fungi feast). They're probably eating millipede poop too. If they get out of control you could wash out the tank with a mild bleach solution (rinse very well) and try the compressed coconut fiber you can get at the pet store. I've been using it for years and have never had a problem with it. Or if you want to keep the topsoil, you can put Pill Bugs in the tank and they will eat the nematodes. The Pill Bug population will control itself according to the food supply. Try this site for some good nematode info. Hope this helps. soils.usda.gov/sqi/concepts/soil_biology/nematodes.html