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The long flat, segmented bodies of house centipedes are yellowish-gray or dark brown in color and they may or may not have darker markings or stripes. House centipedes are a predatory species and feed on a variety of insects, utilizing the first pair of legs that form claw-like poison fangs. Their legs enable them to move at astonishing speeds, making it a challenge for their prey to evade capture. In particular, two of their legs, located near the head and mouth, are specialized to carry venom.
Pesticides
Using preventive measures will eventually make your home a less hospitable place for house centipedes, and they may just leave on their own, seeking greener pastures (and damper basements). There are a few methods you can use to deter house centipedes from taking up residence in your home. If you see house centipedes emerging from various cracks or crawl spaces, try using a high-powered vacuum cleaner to suck them out.
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They are also capable of holding multiple preys in their legs and if they get any of their legs caught, they can just break them off and scurry away. Even though venom from most species of centipedes is not powerful enough to affect larger animals and humans, the pests remain unwelcome in most homes. Orkin has the tools and know-how to get rid of centipedes when they move indoors. Centipedes enter homes in fall to escape the cold and hunt for food. They can complete their entire life cycle indoors, feeding on insects while shielded from the elements.
Signs You Have a House Centipede Infestation
They go where it’ll be most comfortable for them, which gives them ideal conditions for reproduction and feeding. The house centipede can move just over a foot per second on their 15 pairs of spindly legs. This mobility allows them to climb on walls and ceilings with ease. According to Fixr, it costs an average of $400 to have a professional exterminator get rid of centipedes from your home. A consultation service only will cost less, while additional visits (or a larger home) might cost more. Centipedes are not insects, though they are part of the same arthropod family, along with arachnids and crustaceans.
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During the daytime, the centipedes inhabit dark, damp locations in the home and come out at night to forage for prey. Sam Wasson graduated from the University of Utah with a degree in Film and Media Arts with an Emphasis in Entertainment Arts and Engineering. Sam brings over four years of content writing and media production experience to the Today’s Homeowner content team.
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Centipedes are nocturnal, leaving their daytime cover to find food. They will enter a house through cracks or openings in the foundation, so checking your home for unwanted entrances is crucial to establishing a pest-free home. In North America, you most often will find centipedes outside in moist locations, hiding under protective areas such as stones, leaves, and logs. They will also come indoors, so it’s not unusual to find one in your house.
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When they invade homes, centipedes are most commonly found in damp basements, crawlspaces, bathrooms, or potted plants. Centipedes are found in areas of high moisture, such as loose bark, in rotting logs, under stones, in trash or piles of leaves and grass. When they invade homes, centipedes are most commonly found in damp basements, crawlspaces, bathrooms or potted plants. Centipedes are sometimes called house centipedes or "hundred-leggers" because of their many pairs of legs.
What Attracts Centipedes to Homes?
A large house centipede population may indicate an underlying pest problem. Photograph by mourad-harzallah via iNaturalist, used under a CC BY 4.0 license. Yes, there are natural repellents like essential oils such as lavender, peppermint, or citrus that can help deter house centipedes. Placing cotton balls soaked in these oils in potential entry points can discourage them from entering.
All About House Centipedes
You can try spraying vinegar, or essential oils that are toxic to centipedes, like tea tree oil or peppermint oil. Insecticides containing bifenthrin or cypermethrin are known to kill centipedes with just one spray. Centipedes typically leave no direct signs of an infestation other than the sighting of the pest itself.
Centipedes like to live in warm, moist areas all around the world. Outdoor centipedes like to congregate in gardens, underneath piles of dead leaves and in stacks of firewood. Those that make their way into your home via cracks in the foundation and other openings might wind up in damp places like your basement, bathroom or even a potted plant.
They are widely distributed throughout most of United States and the world. Centipedes are rarely seen by humans due to their nocturnal activity and the speed in which they move. Most centipedes live for more than a year and some up to six years. Adult house centipedes have 15 pair of legs with the last pair (on adult females) nearly twice the length of the body, which is one to one and one-half inches in length (Figure 1). This gives the centipede an overall appearance of being from three to four inches in length (including legs and antennae). The legs are banded light and dark, and the body is a dirty yellow with three longitudinal, dark stripes.
House centipedes, while generally harmless, can appear unsettling. By following the indentification and preventive tips outlined in this guide, you can significantly reduce the likelihood of a house centipede infestation. Preventing house centipedes from invading your home is an essential step in maintaining a pest-free environment. Whether you prefer natural or chemical methods, here are some effective solutions that get rid of a house centipede infestation. It has 15 pairs of legs, the last pair nearly twice the length of the body on adult females.
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