Millipede Mayhem

Hunt for invasive Portuguese millipedes in your local area and complete your own scientific research project, just like CSIRO entomologists.

The black Portuguese millipede is an invasive pest, but very little is known about them. Listen to this Click & Listen interview with entomologist Dr Geoff Baker to find out where they've travelled, what they're up to and how you can help us find out more about them. (5:00)

Black Portuguese millipedes, which can appear in plague numbers, are an imported nuisance pest in southern areas of Australia.

What is a Portuguese millipede, and how is it different from native millipedes? Find out with this identification guide.

Look out, there are millipedes about! Read about the results of the CSIRO Double Helix Science Club national experiment, Millipede Mayhem.

Every autumn, millions of little legs invade Australian houses as the feral Portuguese millipede goes on the march, but next March hundreds of CSIRO’s Double Helix Science Club members and students will be waiting.

Since it was introduced in the 1960s, the Portuguese millipede has become a problem in Australia, but how much of a problem? Read about how members of CSIRO's Double Helix Science Club helped to research these pesky invasive critters.