I was reading Ken The Bug Guy's millipede care book and was looking at the section on food substrates. I had thought that millipedes just needed fruits and veggies to eat before getting the book and didn't realize that they also ate the substrate. I don't know what to use exactly because it seems like some of these things would be hard to get or get started. For instance, the sawdust needs fungus to grow on it, will this happen naturally? I didn't know which substrates are good and common at pet stores, since I haven't seen (I'm going to check this afternoon) rotting wood or leaves for sale at my LPS. I was planning on using cococut fiber as a base substrate which seemed easy enough to get. This is the only obstacle I have to straighten out before I get my African Giant and wanted to work it out soon!

I use a base layer of a few inches moist coconut fiber with a handful or two of aspen bedding (this will rot in the moisture and eventually become edible by the millipedes). Beyond that though, you're going to have to look beyond what the pet store offers!

I put a layer of rotting wood and leaves on top of the coco bedding. Do you live somewhere you can collect dead hardwood leaves (oak, maple, birch etc but oak are probably the best)? This is your best bet provided you can collect it somewhere safe from pesticides. The book should give you some sterilization tips to prevent pest intoductions. If you can't collect it yourself, some garden centers actually sell composted leaves (sometimes called "oak mold" or "leaf mold" as a soil additive/mulch. The ones in my area don't sell it, mainly because the stuff is so natuarally abundant most people are willing to pay others to take it away!

Chucks of rotten hardwood (soft enough to break it up in your hands) is also good, but should also be treated as recommended in the book for pest bugs.

Wade

Yeahh I have really easy access to leaves, I have a maple right out my kitchen window! From my understanding I should freeze and heat the leaves to kill off all the pests.

Try to use the old leaves off the ground and not freshly dead leaves. You can probably find an area in your yard where there are a number of different types of rotting leaves in a pile. Of course don't use from areas where pesticides are applied. Cooking leaves is all that is needed, otherwise you'll almost certainly introduce nematodes and other pests that will proliferate and eventually lead to an environment that will sicken or kill your animal.

Oak sawdust is sold for flavoring home-made alcohol. Aspen bedding is for sale at most pet shops. Also, dried Indian almond leaves are sold for use in aquariums, they might sell them at the local fish store. These should be safe and are pest free but the cost is rather high per volume.

i get my hardwood dust from websites that offer supplies for growing mushrooms. i am glad of the other suggestions listed above.