The strange weather conditions we've had this year have contributed to strange pest problems as well. One that I've received many phone calls about this year from farmers, gardeners and home owners alike is in regard to a brown, many legged creature called a millipede. Normally this creature is not much of a problem because it feeds on fungi and decaying organic matter. But this year, despite the fact that they are arthropods and related to lobsters, crayfish and shrimp, they don't like all the water in the soil and have been coming up to drier land and feeding on non-traditional foodstuffs. On the farm front, there have been several fields of corn where they cut the young plants off similar to cutworms. Likewise they are starting to feed on the bottoms of muskmelons. They have also been entering many homes to escape the deluge. Control of this critter is no easy matter. In fact if there is a pest that warrants a multi-faceted integrated pest management approach this is the one. It seems that no single method of control will give quick, long-lasting control. In the home environment, especially in the basement, a dehumidifier will help because they don't like exceedingly dry or wet environments. Physical removal with a sweeper is also suggested; just make sure to dump the sweeper afterward. Also, rake and remove trash or leaf litter in a strip 3 feet wide surrounding the house foundation if practical, exposing the soil surface to drying from the air and sunlight. A barrier can also be made by repairing and sealing cracks and openings in the foundation wall and around door and window frames with caulking compound and weather stripping. In the landscape, dethatch the lawn because millipedes thrive in the dense thatch layer of plant material just above the soil surface. Closely mow and edge the lawn so the lawn can dry more quickly and reduce the millipede habitat. Remove debris that can provide a hiding place for millipedes. Pull mulch away from the house because it retains moisture, creating a good hiding place for the millipedes. If you need to water the lawn, water in the early morning so that it can dry during the day. If they seem to be a problem in your garden (actually feeding on plants -- not just being there, as they do have their beneficial qualities as well) reduce any mulch to 2 inches or less or use shallow cultivation to dry the upper portion of the soil. If you feel that an insecticide is one of the ways you want to go, in the garden or around the foundation of the house, Sevin WP can give a fairly quick, but short-lived knockdown. Inside the home, after doing everything else mentioned above, an insecticide containing permethrin can be used as a crack and crevice spray. For access to the OSU fact sheet on millipedes, go to our horticulture page at http://wayne.osu.edu/topics/horticulture Ron Becker is an OSU Extension Agricultural and Natural Resources program coordinator and may be reached at Becker.email@example.com.