Ummm. I'm wondering if you have the correct ID for those fellows. What size and shape are they, also length? Perhaps they're immature millipedes instead? (The difference in length between those two critters will be an important characteristic.)

Symphylans can be a problem in high organic soils. Folks in the Corvallis area seem to have a problem with them. But hereabouts, seldom encountered as problems unless the gardener has added lots of manure to the soil.

The linked article does not appear to mention solarizing your soil but that may be an option. Like tilling solarizing can also reduce the population of predators of the Symphylans.

Here is a link that might be useful: Symphylans

kimmsr and Jean001, Thanks for your input and advice. The link is especially helpful since at least 4 of the researchers are local (OSU & Newport)and their findings are consistent with my own observations. At least now I'm sure of the ID, and I know what I did wrong. I built up my raised beds with fluffy soil, lots of compost, and manure; manintained a fairly consistent level of moisture; didn't rotate because everything grew so well the 1st 5 years; and built 8" thick cement walls on the beds, which helped keep the soil warm.

I'm going to try a grass-roots approach. I'm going to borrow a couple chickens and put them into one of my 12' x 4' beds to see if that affects the symphylan population. It can't hurt. Last year I put baby ducks in one of my beds to keep them safe from the cats until they got big enough to fend for themselves, and that was my best bed, with no evidence of disease or damage. I'll keep you posted.

If you learn anything more, please advise me. I'll keep an eye on this forum. Thanks again. Lyn

Paulyn -
Symphylans are too small for adult chickens to bother with, and they are too deep in the dirt. Baby chicks might do it, but the best control method seems to be tilling and correcting for excessively fluffy soil.

Lazygardens: Thanks, that makes sense. I seem to be backed into a corner. The moles, gophers and field mice are so plentiful here that I had to put wire caging underneath all beds and build them at least 2ft tall (to keep moles and gophers from climbing over). The clay soil was heavy so I added a lot of greens and browns, manure and compost. Now I have beds that are full of worms, and apparently an ideal location for symphylans. I thought "no-till" was the correct way to garden, so for at least 5 years I haven't done anything but add to the top layers. I also have a bumper crop of pill bugs and slugs that do a lot of damage. I'm thinking raised beds weren't such a good idea, but they're cemented in. Do you think that shoveling would help? Tilling is impossible because it would tear the wire up. Thanks. Lyn

"Tilling" means manual as well as mechanized digging.

Try digging in one bed and see if it's better than the un-dug beds.

Welcome to Oregon...there really isnt any thing you can do but move the garden and put the old garden to rest with a good cover croop for a couple years...

The best article I've seen on the problem is from ATTRA (link below).

The trouble with the little buggers is their speed, the fact that they can move at least three feet deep through the soil, and soil pH means nothing to them. You can test a bed for them and find none, plant it, and the next day it's swarming with them.

They don't like compressed soil, and plants planted in spots say, where a tractor tire compressed the soil, did better than the surrounding plants.

Steve Solomon (started Territorial Seed in Oregon) suggested surrounding the planting area with some kind of low cover crop. Since they eat root hairs, give them so many that your crop plants have a chance. I guess it's as good a suggestion as any.

Sue

Here is a link that might be useful: ATTRA: Symphylans