House centipedes are incredibly creepy. Whether they are “good bugs” or not, most people would prefer not to see them in their home.
What Are House Centipedes?
House centipedes are arthropods with so many legs that it seems they have a hundred legs. They move around quickly and are creepy. Most people do not like to see a centipede settled in their home. Especially children would be scared of them. This is why people want to get rid of a house centipede, the moment they see it. The question is how to do it? Should they kill it or should they use some other method? The answers to these questions are discussed below.
House Centipede Basics
House centipedes are carnivorous arthropods that eat other insects, mainly pests like cockroaches, moths, and silverfish. They are a natural exterminator that helps to get rid of pests. They grab the pest with their front two legs and inject venom then use their other legs to trap their prey. House centipedes do not bite humans, they do not harm furniture, and they get rid of pests from your home. Sounds pretty OK… right?
So, it seems as though it is good to have house centipedes in your home? Nope!
Even though they are known as house centipedes, they are mostly found outside in gardens. If they have entered your home, it means that you have pests inside. The centipedes have come in because they know there are a sufficient number of prey in your home for them to feed on.
Should you leave them alone? Most people would say no. A female centipede can lay anywhere from 60 to 150 eggs. Soon, you will have a lot of centipedes in your home. This is why you should get rid of house centipedes and not allow them to breed inside your house. When you get rid of them, you will probably find others pests and can get rid of the entire lot.
Are House Centipedes Dangerous?
No, they are not. They do not bite people. Even if they were to, it would be harmless. They don’t make nests our of your home’s materials and they don’t dirty your home. They do not spread any disease.
House centipedes are not dangerous but they can breed quickly and infest your house. This can be irritating and can scare us.
Should I Kill These Centipedes?
When someone sees a centipede wriggling its way across the floor, their first reaction is to squash it. Remember that they travel very fast and killing them is not so easy.
The common advice is this: Don’t kill them! Instead, get rid of all the pests that they feed on. When you do this, they go away since as is no food for them. This doesn’t mean you allow them to breed. If you have a centipede infestation, then you definitely need to take action.
This is a similar set of actions you’d take if you have ants in your home. It’s no use killing the ants — the number of them that you see or could kill is nothing compared to the ones hidden away. The goal is to remove their food source and make the ants, or in this case the centipedes, leave on their own.
Getting Rid of House Centipedes
Here are some measures you can take to get rid of house centipedes:
- You can kill them by spraying a bug spray on them (but don’t do this in your home). You can even use a homemade vinegar spray to kill them.
- If you don’t want to kill them, trap them in a cup or jar and throw them outside.
- Sticky traps are very helpful in trapping house centipedes. These glue traps have a sticky material that traps centipedes as well as other insects, like flys. Keep them in the corners or near crevices where house centipedes are mostly found. Once you trap them, throw them outside.
- If you want to kill the centipedes, then you can use a natural pesticide like diatomaceous earth. This is a food-grade chemical that can kill the centipedes. At the same time, it is not harmful to humans or even to pets in your home. It is better than bug sprays that contain nasty chemicals.
- Centipedes in your home are a sure sign of having other pests. So, get rid of these pests! Use various pest control measures like spraying laying insect traps, removing moisture, getting rid of standing water, not keeping your potted plants too moist, etc.
- If there are too many pests to handle, you can call in a pest control agency to do the job for you.
- Indoor insects thrive on moisture. Get rid of all sources of moisture. Ensure there is no water leakage anywhere. Try using a dehumidifier to get rid of extra moisture.
- Wherever there are damp places in your home (assuming no kids or pets are nearby), keep silica packets. Silica absorbs moisture and keeps the place free from moisture. This is good to prevent pests from thriving.
- Remove any debris that attracts insects. Clean the house, so that there is no food material around that attracts pests.
- Clean your sink with a bleach solution, so the moisture does not attract centipedes.
- Centipedes and other pests may be entering your home through cracks or other openings. Carry out a complete inspection of your home. Seal off all cracks and openings to prevent them from entering your home.
- Ensure that there is no garden debris near your home as they attract pests and centipedes. Keeping the garden area clean is a good way to prevent pests from thriving.
- Try to build an insecticide barrier around your home to prevent any pests from entering. This will be a permanent solution to your centipede problem. You can use a safe insecticide or an organic insecticide to create this barrier. Cyhalothrin is a safe chemical product that you can use to make the barrier. You can even use Cayenne pepper. It is safe for humans and is proven to keep away centipedes.
- Check pipes as they can enter your home through any of the pipes. Use an organic insecticide around the pipes to prevent their entry.
Remember that the key to getting rid of centipedes is to remove their food source, which is other pests. Make your home pest-free through regular cleaning and taking all measures to prevent insects and pests from entering your home. The moment the pests vanish from your home, so will the centipedes. They will not stay in a home when they know they have no food source.