By Jayemsee
East Sussex,
United Kingdom 
Hi,
I just dug up a stem of an unknown plant in a border, west facing, under a large Camelia - the root ball was rotted away and covered in ? young millipedes or some such wiggling wigglers!! Anyone got any ideas - photo attached
17 Sep, 2010
Answers
Millipedes can eat small, soft seedlings, but more often live off decaying plant material, They probably didn't cause the demise of the plant, but are just taking advantage of the rotting "carcass".
17 Sep, 2010
Urgh that's mingin' :)
18 Sep, 2010
ah but so true. millipedes are wonderful animals for sorting and removing dead materials.
18 Sep, 2010
Yes, Donna, my sentiments precisely, thoroughly yucky!!
Phil J, Root stump in photo about the size of my thumb - top rightish of top photo you can see the underside of a wood louse - so millipedes about an inch long and 1mm thick.
Thanks Tugbrethil!
Jane :)
18 Sep, 2010
Young millipedes then, and probably very disturbed now! PJ
18 Sep, 2010
That's just what they are, I think. How big? Phil J
17 Sep, 2010