Thousands of millipedes started showing up across Kalaheo High School—on walls, ceilings, floors, and inside classrooms.
It was enough to disrupt the school day and catch attention across the island, with coverage from Hawaii News Now.
And it’s exactly the kind of situation we’re called in to handle.
Our team at Kilauea Pest Control treated the campus earlier this week to get the situation under control.
You can read the full coverage from Hawaii News Now.
Why This Happened
This wasn’t random, and it wasn’t caused by anything the school did wrong.
It came down to environmental pressure.
Recent Kona low storms brought heavier rain to Windward Oʻahu, oversaturating the hillside behind the school where millipedes normally live.
When their environment gets too wet, they move.
And when large numbers move at once, they don’t stay hidden—they spread into nearby structures, climbing walls, ceilings, and anything that gives them a more stable surface.
Why There Were So Many
Millipede activity increases every spring, but this year pushed things further.
- Higher rainfall
- More saturated ground
- Less space in their natural habitat
That combination led to a surge…and a very visible one.
Instead of staying in the landscape, they were pushed straight into human spaces.
How We Handled It
We treated the affected areas at Kalaheo with a long-lasting product designed to push millipedes out and reduce the population over time.
Not instantly—but effectively.
Our approach focuses on:
- Creating a barrier around key areas
- Disrupting where they’re gathering
- Preventing continued movement into buildings
Everything used is people- and pet-friendly, designed to target pests at their level without introducing unnecessary risk.
Since the treatment, the Hawaii State Department of Education has already reported a significant decrease across campus.
Are Millipedes Something to Worry About?
They’re not dangerous.
They don’t bite or spread disease—but in large numbers, they become a real problem fast.
At that point, it’s less about the pest itself and more about what’s pushing them into your space.
What This Means for Properties in Hawaiʻi
What happened at Kalaheo is just a larger-scale version of what we see at homes across Windward Oʻahu.
When conditions shift, pests move.
And when they run out of space outside, they start finding it inside.
It doesn’t usually start with thousands. It starts small—after rain, along a wall, near an entry point. Easy to ignore at first, until it’s not.
This is exactly why timing matters. When you stay ahead of it, it stays manageable.
