Earwig & millipede control
Earwig & Portuguese millipede control in South Australia
Insect Invasion provides professional earwig and millipede control across the Barossa Valley, Gawler and Adelaide — a seasonal barrier treatment around the perimeter and entry points, timed for the cooler months when South Australian numbers explode. It's one of the most SA-specific jobs we do, and we've been timing it right for local homes since 2009.
The black Portuguese millipede is an introduced species that South Australia knows better than anywhere in the country. After the first proper autumn rains they swarm — up walls, under doors, into carpets and laundries, sometimes in their hundreds. Earwigs follow a similar cool-season surge, sheltering in mulch and pot plants by day and wandering inside at night.
How the barrier treatment works
- A perimeter barrier treatment around external walls, paving edges and entry points
- Door thresholds, weep holes, vents and garden-bed margins treated
- Timed ahead of the autumn/winter surge, when treatment does the most good
- Internal treatment where earwigs or millipedes are already getting in
Why Portuguese millipedes swarm after rain
Portuguese millipedes spend the dry months inactive in soil and leaf litter. The first soaking autumn rains wake them to feed and breed, and mild, damp evenings send them walking — straight up the nearest wall. Outside lights make it worse, since the millipedes orient toward lit walls and gather below them.
They don't bite and they don't breed indoors, but they stain carpet and curtains when crushed and they keep coming for weeks once the swarm starts. A barrier treatment applied before the surge stops the march at the wall instead of in your hallway.
Getting the timing right
Timing is most of the job. Treat too early and summer sun breaks the barrier down before the swarm; too late and they're already inside. We watch the Barossa seasons — the treatment goes down as the weather turns, typically ahead of the first sustained autumn rains, and we'll advise the right window for your place when you book.
If you get millipedes every year, book ahead for autumn. If they're already coming in, call now — a treatment still cuts the numbers sharply, and we'll be honest about what it can and can't do mid-swarm.
Free quotes — call Garry on 0403 018 325
We also cover millipede control in Lyndoch & Williamstown, pest control in Angaston and pest control in Nuriootpa.
Earwig & millipede control questions
From the first soaking autumn rains through winter — typically March to July in the Barossa and Adelaide. That's when Portuguese millipedes wake, swarm and head for lit walls and open doors.
Get a free quote
Tell us what you're seeing and we'll come back with honest advice and a free quote — usually within a day. Prefer to talk? Call Garry on 0403 018 325.