Type and size of the enclosure
Bumblebee millipedes don’t have high enclosure requirements and are quite easy to house. Recommended minimum enclosure size that is at least three times the body size in width and one and a half up to two times the body size in depth. The floor space is more important than height.
Height should be at least one time the body size, but for ease of care, it is recommended to have a bit higher enclosure to be able to add an adequate amount of substrate, at least 2 – 3 inches / 5-7 centimeters.
Millipedes can be housed individually and in groups of the same species. When keeping them in groups, you should consider a larger enclosure. Also, be aware that millipedes primarily feed on the substrate, so a larger enclosure is a good way to provide enough substrate and hiding places for them all.
As for enclosures, there are different types and different brands of at almost every price point. There are some great terrariums from Tarantula Cribs or other brands made from acrylic or clear plastic.
Exo Terra and ReptiZoo have glass and acrylic enclosures that may also work well for millipedes.
Another option is using a new or repurposed aquarium. I have DIY’ed enclosures before out of clear plastic or acrylic storage containers from just about every big box store, making sure to drill holes for ventilation. Be advised with acrylic there is always a possibility that the moisture needed to create humidity for your millipede may cause warping, that is just how acrylic is.
Essential features of the enclosure
Since there are a great deal of terrarium types that can be used for bumblebee millipedes, some essential features are required.
The first feature you really need to look out for is ventilation capacity. The enclosure needs to have enough ventilation. Many terrariums have ventilation holes in the front panel and top panel/lid. While this is technically enough, I have found that cross ventilation seems to work best in the long run. If you buy an aquarium with a lid, there is not enough ventilation, and you probably need to customize it somewhat (drill holes in the lid or cover it with a metal mesh screen).
The floor should be waterproof so that the moist substrate doesn’t dry out that fast or that substrate falls out of the enclosure. Net cages are like those for butterflies are not suitable for keeping millipedes.
Another feature is that if you choose a glass terrarium from Exo Terra, Zilla or ReptiZoo, make sure the doors are not all the way to the bottom, and there is a front of around 4 inches or 10 cm, so that you can hold enough of the substrate in the enclosure when opening the doors.
The substrate for bumblebee millipedes
The substrate is very important for millipedes. You can’t keep millipedes without a good layer of quality substrate. The substrate of millipedes should be at least 5 cm (2″), but better would be to have a depth of 10cm (4″).
The quality of your substrate is essential for keeping bumblebee millipedes. Millipedes are detritivores, which means they eat primarily on decaying plant matters. You can use different materials in your substrate such as leaf litter (from hardwood), pieces of rotten wood (from hardwood), flake soil- either bought or homemade, etc. Never use Coconut coir, or Coco fiber as it is not a nutritious and can cause impaction in invertebrates, which can lead to death.
(Here is a basic recipe that I use to create flake soil / and DIY substrate)
Six quarts topsoil without fertilizer and equal parts – white rot wood, dried or decomposing leaves, sphagnum moss for humidity, horticultural charcoal and calcium either in the form of powder, crushed or pelletized limestone.
About temperature and heating
Bumblebee millipedes should best be kept a bit higher than room temperature, around 71°F-82°F or 22°C up to 28°C . Try to keep them in the middle of the temperature range. Despite being found in the wild in higher temperatures, in the Caribbean or elsewhere, your captive millipede will likely thrive in average room temperatures.
In winter, I don’t recommend adding a heater to your enclosure either with a heat mat or heat light, but rather encourage that the whole room is heated where the millipede is housed.
About lighting
All species of millipedes do need a normal light cycle. Even though you may only see your millipede at dawn or dusk, Bumblebee millipedes have been noticed to be surface active during various parts of the day. Not all millipedes directly like light, but this species seems to be attracted by light. You should never place the enclosure in direct sunlight. A glass terrarium can quickly heat up in sunlight up to temperatures deathly to your millipede.
About humidity and spraying
Humidity is a key factor to think of when keeping your Bumblebee millipede. These little invertebrates often live in areas of very high ambient humidity in the wild, think the tropic jungles like one would see in a pirate or other adventure film. To monitor your enclosures humidity, I recommend a hygrometer. They don’t need to be fancy or very expensive, but they do need to be accurate.
(I like to use these, and stick them to enclosure walls with double sided tape)
How frequently you need to adjust the moisture levels of the enclosure depends on the ventilation and airflow, the ambient humidity of the room and the temperature/heating of the room where the enclosure is housed.
You can mist or simply pour some water into the substrate on one side of the enclosure, similarly to how you would water an isopod bin. The frequency of watering and or misting will often range from daily to once a week.
Due to the amount of humidity required by this species, if your enclosure does not have adequate ventilation, you may experience some mold growth. While unsightly, the mold is usually harmless and even beneficial in small quantities as it shows a thriving ecosystem.
If you want to combat the mold, you can add springtails into your millipede enclosure. I personally keep white tropical springtails in with my three bumblebee millipedes and have not had an issue.
Water
While millipedes drink from the moist substrate and the little water drops on plants, moss or other objects, you still need to provide a water dish. Usually, I use a glass petri dish or even a water bottle cap though you can purchase a variety of small shallow invertebrate dishes online. Make sure when adding water to your enclosure, misting or in a dish, to use a fish water dechlorinator. I use Prime dechlorinator but there are other types available.
Feeding Your Millipede
Millipedes can solely survive on the substrate when this is of optimal quality. We already discussed earlier what is needed for the (food) substrate. However, it is good practice to provide supplemental food items as well. Feeding millipedes can be a fun way to observe your invertebrate.
Supplemental food items
There are multiple food items suitable to feed these yellow-banded millipedes. Products that you can feed include:
Fruits such as watermelon, cantaloupe, apples, pears, oranges and mango.
Vegetables such as cucumber, endive, romaine lettuce, zucchini, pumpkin, yellow squash, carrots, tomatoes.
Protein options such as good quality fish flakes like Fluval BSFL flakes, or bottom feeder pellets for catfish or plecos and dried shrimp.
Powdered food that is produced for millipedes or other invertebrates.
Be aware, not all products are accepted evenly well, and some individuals favor one product over the other. You’ll need to experiment with which products are liked and which are not.
Method, amount and frequency of feeding
Fruits and vegetables can just be placed on the substrate. There is no need to place them in a food bowl of some sort. This way burrowed; smaller millipedes can also access this food source easily.
On the contrary, proteins and fish pellets should be placed in a food bowl. The reason for this is that when spraying the enclosure water will accumulate in the food bowl and be absorbed by the pellets, which makes it easier to eat and provide water to hydrate your millipedes.
You can clean and refresh the pellets easier and therefore keep your substrate clean and fresh longer.
The amount you need to feed depends on the number of millipedes in your enclosure and in which life stage therein (or how old they are). Usually, I place a small amount of supplemented food, about a penny size portion. I will remove any uneaten food in 24 hours, to avoid grain mites or gnats as much as possible.
Cleaning routine
One of the reasons bumblebee millipedes are easy pets is because their enclosure does not have to be cleaned that often. The only thing you need to do is to remove uneaten food items after a day or spot clean the walls of the enclosure if you have hard water.
Occasionally (around once every three months or so depending on your personal set up) you could clean the windows / walls of the enclosure with a wet cloth or paper towel and refresh a dirty part of the substrate with some new food substrate. It is also good practice to add some new rotten wood or leaves from hardwood tree species to the exhibit as a primary food source for your millipede.
There is no need to completely change the substrate more than once a year. To do this, carefully remove your millipede before disturbing the substrate to avoid any injuries. Once your millipede is safe, you can completely clean and refresh their enclosure, with new substrate, leaf litter and décor items.