If you have ever seen a centipede, you understand the urgency of keeping them out of your home. These insects can be pretty darn scary looking. If you ever see one in your home, you need to contact a pest control company and learn how to get rid of centipedes.

This article is going to explain what a centipede is as well as the best ways to get rid of house centipedes.

What is Centipede?

A centipede is associated with a group known as predatory arthropods. These pests can be recognized because of their many legs. The centipede belongs to the scientific class of insects known as Chilopoda and the subphylum Myriapoda. Centipedes are metameric, elongated insects that have a pair of legs on each section of their body.

The centipede is a brownish color and grows anywhere from 3 cm to 6 cm in length. They have over 15 pairs of legs; they are very fast creatures, reaching speeds of 40 cm per second.

A closer look on what a centipede look like

Where do Centipedes like to hide or hang out?

During the winter months, the mature centipedes prefer to hide in damp, dark areas. When you learn how to get rid of centipedes in your house, you will also make winter life more comfortable for you and your family.

During the spring and summer months, the centipede will lay its eggs in damp compost areas. As the young centipede matures, it grows more legs with segments. These creatures show great versatility and live one to five years.

Centipedes are nocturnal creatures, making it that much more difficult in the ability to get rid of house centipedes.

Are Centipedes Dangerous?

Although they look ugly and scary, their bite isn’t much more than a bee sting. That said, you still are not going to want them hanging around home. Thus, it is best to contact a specialized pest control company. That can aid you in how to get rid of centipedes in your house.

Centipedes are harmless creatures roaming in gardens and other areas around your home. They come out more following the rain when it is damp outside. These pests tend to multiply

rather quickly, as well. Centipedes seem to thrive best in damp areas; as well, this is where they find their prey. The pest control company you call is aware of its nocturnal lifestyle as well as its habitat.

The venom of a centipede is only dangerous to that of its prey and as a defense mechanism when scared. To avoid the chance of a centipede bite, you should call a pest control company. They are the best ways to learn how to get rid of house centipedes.

What Does a Centipede Diet Consist of?

Centipedes are carnivorous arthropods, surviving off a diet of soft-bodied insects and worms. They are also known to be cannibals and feed off of other arthropods. Though nocturnal, a house centipede will remain active in the daytime as well as at night. They live in the walls of your home, biding their time awaiting their prey. This is something a pest professional will know to know how to get rid of centipedes.

Potential for Damage

If you worry that centipedes might harm or damage your wood furniture, there is no need. Centipedes, unlike other arthropods such as millipedes, rarely feed on wood.

How to Get Rid of Centipedes

There are many ways to get rid of centipedes from your home and garden. There are ways to control these pests without killing them. The use of chemical agents can result in adverse effects on the pests and their species. To learn how to get rid of centipedes in your house, call a reputable pest control expert.

Getting rid of a centipede

Excessive rainfall may cause an infestation of centipedes in your home or yard. This phenomenon can occur at any time of year, causing this pest to migrate toward your domain. Your best defense is to arm yourself with knowledge. A reputable pest control company can afford you this. If you want to know how to get rid of house centipedes, your best answer is a professional pest control company.

If you have areas around your home that attract dampness, you need to allow these areas to dry out. But, when the temperatures spike in the summer, these pests will migrate indoors to stay cool. If you want to know the best ways how to get rid of centipedes, call a pest control specialist to help.

These tiny pests will penetrate the walls of your home or building. They enter through the foundation, windows, and doors. Besides being able to get through tiny crawl spaces, they move about at night. This makes it difficult to track them as they also avoid light and daylight. The pest control company you hire will be able to track these pests and know how to get rid of centipedes.

  • Non-chemical methods of ridding centipedes from your home

Ensure to keep your garden well-tilled at all times. Keep the grass trimmed and remove weeds often. This prevents plants from overcrowding of plants. Tallgrass or weeds keep moisture beneath it; this makes it a very attractive place for these bugs to live. Tallgrass is also a necessary component of the survival of the centipede. A way to help get rid of centipedes is watering during morning hours; this ensures ample time for drying.

  • Clear away any dark hiding spots

If you want to know how to get rid of centipedes-- remove their hiding spots. This includes any places where dry leaves and sticks may collect. These areas make ideal places for centipedes to hide. Additionally, this type of debris will also be attractive to termites. But this is another pest issue and whole new pest infestation.

Remove dead or dry debris from your garden. Permitting it to dry completely to remove excess moisture. If you use mulch in the garden, ensure its storage is at least five feet away from your home.

  • Absorption of Moisture

A moisture a ridding device is important for your home, garage, or shed. One can place an absorption tablet on a stand to serve as decoration.

  • Replace any weather stripping to doors and windows that are not sealed

The way to check the weather stripping is to engage the use of another person and a flashlight. Have your friend who is holding the flashlight switch it on and stand on the other side of the wall or window. If the flash is in view, then your weatherstripping is bad.

Replacing faulty weatherstripping can also aid in keeping any other pests out. Replacing weather stripping is one of the easiest ways to learn how to get rid of centipedes.

Replacing weather stripping to control centipedes

  • Dry up moisture within the house/building

The installation of a dehumidifier will rid any excess moisture. It also acts as a deterrent to centipedes. The basement in your home tends to be one of the places in the home with the most moisture. This moisture makes it an attractive entrance into your home for centipedes. Once you allow this moisture to dry, the centipedes will disappear. Moving on to a moister environment.

One way to verify excess moisture in your home is to place hygrometers in the area moisture collects. A hygrometer reading of 50% or above indicates enough moisture to attract centipedes. This tool is an efficient way to learn how to get rid of centipedes.

  • Chemical methods

We have gone over the non-chemical methods for how to get rid of centipedes. Sometimes the non-chemical ways are not efficient enough. Or in the case of a large infestation, do not work as you need it to.

For the complete elimination of centipedes from your home, it's best to allow chemicals to do the job.

Before using chemicals, ensure to read all the manufacturer’s instructions. To learn the best way how to get rid of house centipedes.

  • LambdaStar Ultra Cap 9.7

This is a chemical that is sprayed around the entire house, including any cracks or other entry points. This powerful spray is an excellent method for the use of deterring centipedes. If there is excessive rainfall, make sure that you spray these areas twice for better efficiency.

This spray will leave no visible residue on dark or wood flooring. The use of this chemical is probably one of the best methods how to get rid of centipedes from your house. 

  • Spot treatment

The use of  CB Invader HPX sprayed around your home’s entry areas is an excellent spot treatment. This spray can be used in any of the main areas, such as windows and doors.  The use of a spot treatment can treat even the smallest cracks in your home. For the most efficient control in ridding centipedes from your home, this aerosol treatment should be repeated monthly.

  • Bifen LP Granules

These Bifen LP granules are a chemical product that is placed at the base of your garden or flower bed. These are two of the most probable locations in which centipedes are likely to inhabit. For best results in ridding severely infested centipedes from your home, ensure that you repeat the application often.

The way these granules work is by offering a protective barrier against these harmful bugs. These Bifen granules are more advantageous in comparison to the liquid versions due to the fact that they are able to maintain their effectiveness even in the rain. For effective control in ridding centipedes from your home, ensure to repeatedly use Bifen LP granules. These are just some of the cheaper, easier methods of how to get rid of centipedes that are human-friendly and proven effective. The use of these methods will reap huge benefits in the control of a centipede invasion.

Stopping a Centipede Invasion

If you notice any strange trails or patterns in your garden, this is a reason for you to inspect the area. Inspect everywhere-- such as mulch, compost, rocks, and cracks within the cemented areas of your yard. These are some of the most common hideouts for centipedes. Additionally, in order to know how to get rid of centipedes, you need to know where they are coming from.

Stopping a centipede invasion

Lastly, do not forget to clean up any leaf droppings and compost piles that may offer a home to these pests. Be sure to replace any old mulch that may be decaying with fresh mulching materials. The reduction of these conditions means that you are also decreasing the food and resting areas for these creepy pests.

Centipede control will take time

How to get rid of centipedes is something needing a lot of time and attention for effective control. Once you begin protecting your house from a centipede invasion, do not expect to find them dead. In most households, it could take a while before there is a complete elimination of the bugs.

A qualified pest control company can provide what you need to rid your home of centipedes. The granules and liquid sprays in this article will also help in managing the situation.

The application of anti-centipede residual spray every month will remove these pests. Their populations will reduce with time. Make sure you dig up the ground around your house before applying any chemical products.

Final note

To remove these little pests with the least amount of side effects should be by a pest control company. These pests are irritating as a result of how they look and infest an area. Most people will attempt to go to any lengths to cut them from their homes and yard.

Remember, hundreds of migratory centipedes create a mess once they die. It helps ensure a positive balance in nature. How to get rid of centipedes can be best answered by a pest control company. This will also help during the winter season. The regular application of chemicals is paramount to the insurance of effective control. But make the call to a reliable pest removal company for a pest-free environment.

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