House Centipede
What do house centipedes look like?
House centipedes have a long thin body with many pairs of legs. The amount of pairs can vary greatly but will always be an odd number. House centipedes can have from 15 to 177 pairs of legs.
House centipedes can be yellow to dark brown in color. Some will have stripes or dark colored markings on them. House centipedes have long hairy antennae. They have a modified set up pincer-like front legs called forcipules that have a venom gland in them. Some centipedes have compound eyes while others have a cluster of simple eyes on each side of the head. There are some that have no eyes at all.
The most common house centipede is the Scutigera coleoptrata. This centipede grows to about 1 1/2 inches long. The last pair of legs and antennae are longer than its body.
Having trouble with house centipedes?
Are centipedes dangerous?
House centipedes may look like something right out of a horror or sci-fi movie but they are not considered dangerous. No matter how fast they come flying across the floor in a dark room at you. You would pretty much have to pick one up and handle it to startle it into biting you. So here’s a tip. Leave them alone.
House centipedes are quite dangerous to other pests in your home. They will hunt down and kill cockroaches, moths, flies, silverfish, termites, and other insects. They don’t carry or transfer any diseases to humans. They don’t even make nests or webs in your home that you’d need to clean up. They really just want to help.
House centipede habitat.
The house centipede prefers a cool, damp place. Inside they are often found in basements, crawlspaces, kitchens, and bathrooms. Outdoors they like the same cool, damp conditions. There you will find them under leaf piles, pavers, large rocks, and in compost piles.
How do I get rid of centipedes?
The easiest way to get rid of house centipedes is to remove their food source and ideal living conditions. Get rid of moisture problems in your home. Get rid of the house centipede’s food source. If there is no food source for the house centipede to hunt and eat it will not live very long.
How can I prevent centipede problems at my home or business?
Start off with a routine maintenance pest program from a pest control expert like those at Walker Pest Management then follow these tips should help prevent any centipede problems in your home.
- Use silicone caulking to seal up around gaps in siding, windows, doors, and pipes that enter the structure.
- Use sticky traps in corners and under cabinets where they may tend to hunt.
- Remove the house centipede’s food source. Cockroaches, spiders, moths, flies, and other pests.
- Keep your home dry. House centipedes prefer a cool moist environment.
- Keep wood piles, yard debris, and compost as far away from the home as possible.
If you suspect an centipede problem contact Walker Pest Management for a free quote.
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