Facts About House Centipedes
The common house centipede is native to the Mediterranean, but was introduced to Mexico and spread throughout the United States. The house centipede’s many long legs, speed and tendency to dart from place to place makes it one of the more creepier pests. House centipedes may find their way inside your home while searching for a cool, damp area to live and insects to eat.
House Centipede Bites
All centipedes have poisonous venom that they use to kill their prey. If alarmed or handled, the house centipede will sometimes bite people. These bites feel much like a bee sting and may swell.
House Centipede Infestation
House centipedes prey on other insects like spiders, cockroaches, silverfish and other small insects. If you are finding many centipedes in your home, it is a good indication that you may have a bigger problem like a cockroach infestation.
Female house centipedes will lay their eggs in soil and when the larvae hatch, they only have four pairs of legs. The young centipedes shed as they grow and after each molt they will have more pairs of legs. Female house centipedes can live for multiple years and can lay as many as 150 eggs.
Types of House Centipedes
House Centipede Identification
The house centipede has a long, about 1 1⁄2-inch, flattish body and 15 pairs of legs. The last pair of legs is longer than the rest, about twice the length of the body, which makes the centipede appear larger than it really is. The body is a yellow-brown color with three dark stripes along its length. The centipede has a light and dark banded pattern on its legs.
House Centipedes in the Home
House centipedes are nocturnal and prefer to spend the day hiding in cool, damp spaces like under logs and rocks. In your house, you may find these centipedes concealed under concrete slabs in the basement, under or in cardboard storage boxes kept in the basement, in floor drains without water traps, within cement block walls and in crawl spaces.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you eliminate or prevent a house centipede infestation?
House centipedes will sneak inside of your home through cracks in the foundation, gaps where pipes go through walls, openings around the sump pump and up water drains. Centipedes within the home can be sucked up with a strong vacuum. Then the perimeter of the building should be treated to prevent more of these insects from getting in, and any cracks, crevices and other entry points should be sealed.
You can prevent house centipedes from getting into your home by eliminating their food source and managing the places where they like to hide. Keep an eye out for other insects in your home and, if need be, have these other pests removed. Seal any cracks in the foundation and screen basement floor drains and sump pump covers. Install dehumidifiers to reduce the damp conditions that house centipedes prefer.
What are the benefits of professional house centipede pest control?
A pest management professional has the education, equipment and skills necessary to effectively address an house centipede problem. Finding and treating the house centipedes can be challenging, especially if they are spread throughout your yard. A pest management professional provides their expertise to identify the pest problem and determine the best possible solution to resolve the house centipede infestation.
