How was your encounter with this greyish, yellowish creature which appears to be running with hundreds of legs? You clicking on this post shows you want to quickly get rid of your house centipedes. This article informs you about the proven ways to get rid of centipedes. But are you sure you are not mistaking millipedes in your house for centipedes?

If you watch closely, the centipedes in your house have a single pair of legs on each body segment. But if you see two pairs on each part, it’s a millipede. Also, the legs of centipedes are longer than millipedes.

What are House Centipedes, and What Do They Look Like?

House centipedes are the laymen’s term for the Scutigera Coleoptrata species. You can identify house centipedes by their flattened and long bodies with numerous segments. As stated earlier, each segment has a pair of legs attached.

There are many bugs with lots of legs but centipedes can have as many as 15 pairs of legs. The last pair of legs in females is the longest, which looks more prominent than their whole body. Common house centipedes are yellowish-grey in color.

Are House Centipedes Dangerous?

You can’t put house centipedes in the category of dangerous species for humans. Although they are venomous pests, they rarely pose any significant danger to humans. The venom is only good enough to kill other insects that are their prey.

Do House Centipedes Bite?

A similarity between you and house centipedes is you both want to be far from each other. So if they spot you, they run in the opposite direction and would never charge at you. There are hardly any chances that house centipedes will bite you. However, they can bite in self-defense. Their bite causes redness, swelling, and stinging pain.

House centipede bite marks look like two puncture marks from where they insert venom. The bite mark would be red and swollen into the proportion of poison injected. The bite mark of a large house centipede would be more significant compared to the smaller ones.

What are the Signs of House Centipedes Infestation?

Centipede infestation in the house is not apparent. You won’t find these creatures crawling around you often. They won’t damage your home or leave a trail. They prefer to stay away from humans. So the most obvious sign of house centipede infestation is sighting a house centipede itself.

You can identify them by the features described in this post. Look for a house centipede in the night in damp corners of your house.

How to Get Rid of House Centipedes?

Following is the collection of tried and tested ideas to get rid of house centipedes and also to prevent future infestation.

• Maintain Cleanliness

Keep the inside and outside spaces of your house clean. Pour bleach or vinegar inside your drains to eliminate accumulated food waste. House centipedes survive on pests like cockroaches, spiders, etc. Maintaining clean interiors and exterior ensures these pests don’t get attracted to your house. That’s how the food source of house centipedes gets eliminated.

• Run a Humidifier

House centipedes flourish in moist areas and warm temperatures. You can dry the air and space of your house by running a humidifier in your home. These troublesome creatures will use all their legs to run away from such dry areas as soon as possible.

• Use House Centipede Traps

If the idea of squashing the next house centipede you spot with your shoe repels you, using sticky traps is your solution. These traps are made of other insects to attract the centipedes. The small centipede in the house sticks to these traps when they go near them. You can place sticky traps near your house’s baseboards and damp corners.

• Apply a High-powered Vacuum Cleaner

If you doubt there are cracks and spaces which can be the hideout of these creepy creatures, run a high-powered vacuum cleaner through them. They will be sucked out with the trash in the vacuum bag. Transfer the garbage from that vacuum bag into a sealed plastic bag and dispose of it outside.

• Seal Openings Such as Holes, Gaps, and Cracks

These are the entry points of the house centipede in your house. Do an audit of your home and seal the tiniest of cracks, holes, and cracks of your house. Look especially around damp areas such as drainages, basins, and bathrooms. Keeping these areas dry as much as possible helps as a dry and cold atmosphere repels house centipedes.

• Use Insecticides

You can use insecticides and pesticides. But you need to be careful before using them. They can be toxic for yourself and your family, so choose them as your last resort. However, it is better to call a professional instead of applying insecticides in your house.

• Get Professional Help

House centipedes in your house indicate the presence of other pests in your house. Therefore it’s a good idea to call pest control professionals to identify and eliminate all infestations in your home at once and for a longer duration.
Contact us if you are looking for efficient, experienced, and reliable pest control professionals in Tracy California to get rid of house centipedes or other bugs.

FAQs

Can cats eat house centipedes?

Most house centipedes are harmless for your cats to eat.

What causes centipedes in the house?

The following factors attract common house centipedes:-

• A warm and damp environment
• Leftover food everywhere
• Dark places
• Wet and Humid areas like bathrooms and basement
• A lot of insects and other pests as their food

Where do house centipedes come from?

House centipedes or Scutigera Coleoptrata originated from the Mediterranean region and spread worldwide.