The house centipede is one of the most common insects that you will find around your place. It might look disgusting with its tiny little legs. The house centipede is generally a slender insect with a series of legs under its body.
When spotted, this insect is capable of moving all of its legs in unison, thus allowing it to move considerably fast when it is spotted. Not only that, but these insects are also able to run up walls or under your furniture in their quest to find a safe spot.
But, one of the things that you might not see is a clear head. The centipede only looks like a long, thin insect with lots of legs, with no clear distinction to identify its head.
With 15 pairs of legs underneath, this is definitely not one of the “good-looking” insects, if there is such a thing.
Keep in mind that the house centipede is both a predator and a prey, and it needs these legs to move about quickly. It uses these legs to run away from other predators, and also uses them to gain speed over its prey.
Two of the legs of the house centipede are modified and carry venom.
These lie near its head as well as the mouth, and are used for stabbing its prey. The venom found in the legs of the centipede is potent enough to neutralize insects such as small termites or even silverfish.
More importantly, because it has so many legs, the centipede is more than capable of holding multiple insects in its legs.
Unlike most other insects, the centipede is regarded as an active hunter. It does not build any traps nor weave any webs. They actively seek out their prey and jump out using their legs to neutralize it.
If you notice an increase in the number of centipedes in your house, it is probably caused due to another pest problem.
If there are other pests in the house, it won’t be long before centipedes start following inside as well. Before we go further, it is important to discuss the behavior of these tiny insects.
These centipedes are generally nighttime hunters, and you will mostly find them moving about in the dark.
When you look closely at its head, you will notice that the house centipede has two eyes that are actually pretty well-developed. When compared to insects, the house centipede also has pretty stellar vision, all things considered.
However, despite its eyes, the house centipede makes use of its antennae to catch its prey.
The house centipede has an incredibly sensitive antennae on its head that is capable of detecting smells and vibrations from pretty far away.
More importantly, you should know that the house centipede is actually a pretty smart hunter. It is known to sneak up on its prey, use its legs to stab the venom, and then move away and wait until the venom takes effect before moving in to feed.
Why Are There House Centipedes in Your House?
House centipedes usually prefer warm and tropical climates. But, you should know that they have proven to be incredibly adaptable and are capable of surviving in virtually any kind of climate.
Now, if you live in an area with a harsher climate, you should know that centipedes are probably going to find their way inside your house because of the nice and warm climate. More importantly, they will also have access to food inside.
You should know that the eyes of a centipede are quite sensitive to light, so they are going to look for different spaces to hide during the daytime. If you do not properly clean your house during the day, there is a big risk that centipedes are going to hide inside quite conveniently.
You should also know that it is entirely possible for an average centipede to live its life at the base of a building, simply eating insects and living without being disturbed.
An important thing that you should know about these insects is that they are not dangerous to humans at all. While it is likely to bite a person, you should know that the chances of that happening are incredibly scarce.
For that to happen, you would have to actually pick up the centipede and then hand it over to another person.
Centipedes don’t waste their venom on humans when they know it’s not going to have any effect. Instead, they would rather save it for an insect that they can actually entrap and kill.
If you are bitten by a house centipede, you are probably going to end up with a small bump at the spot. There’s going to be a bit of itching in some cases, but that’s about it.
The worrying part is that many people notice these house centipedes walking on their bed when they wake up in the morning. The last thing that you would want is for a centipede crawling in your bed, or more horrifying, on your face when you wake up.
If you notice the centipedes moving on or around your bed, there are a series of steps that you can take to get rid of them.
Why Are They in the House?
Before you can take steps to get rid of centipedes from your property, you need to first figure out exactly what led them to enter your house. For starters, the warmth of your place is one of the most common reasons because of which centipedes might enter your house.
Centipedes tend to leave their open spaces during the winter months, and look for cozier and warmer environments. By moving to a warmer surrounding, they are also guaranteeing a steady supply of food for themselves.
So, if you notice these centipedes around your bed, it’s probably because they are attracted to the warm and cozy temperature that you have set up in your bedroom.
If there is any kind of moisture in your house, the centipedes are going to be automatically drawn to this. Another reason why centipedes might be drawn to your bed is because of a bed bug infestation.
Bed bugs are small insects that like to hide in the mattress, and they usually feed on blood.
They are going to creep up on your skin during the night and will suck your blood before retreating back into those dark spaces. Bed bugs can make life very difficult for you, so it’s important that you get rid of the problem as quickly as possible.
Dealing with a bed bug infestation is not going to be easy, and it all depends on the extent of the infestation.
If it is at an advanced stage, your only other option will be to get rid of the mattress, or even the bed, altogether. When there is a bed bug infestation, it will ensure a steady supply of food for the centipede.
As a result of that, the centipedes are going to be quite attracted to your bed. Simply put, they are just looking for some food.
Apart from bed bugs, other insects that the centipede is likely to feed on include moths, spiders, flies, silverfish, roaches, and even worms. If you have any of these in your house, it’s going to attract centipedes.
These insects usually like to build their nests under the bed, because most people don’t clean the underside for months.
So, one of the best things that you can do to keep centipedes away from your bed is to clean the bed on a regular basis.
1 – Eliminate the Moisture
As we have discussed, centipedes are generally quite attracted to places with a bit of moisture. Many people use humidifiers in their bedroom to ward off sinuses, but you should know that this is likely to attract other pests, such as centipedes, in your bedroom.
These insects love the natural moisture and are going to look for places that are warm and moist, and your bedroom is a very attractive proposition. To eliminate the moisture from your bedroom, there are a number of different things that you can do.
For starters, using an air dehumidifier is an excellent idea. The dehumidifier is simply going to suck all of the air out of your room, remove the humidity from it, and then release it back in.
Investing in a high-quality dehumidifier is a fantastic idea and will save you a great deal of money that would otherwise be spent on dealing with these pest infestations.
Many pests are attracted to places with a higher amount of moisture, so a good quality air dehumidifier will not only give you the peace of mind, but it will also reduce your expenditure in dealing with pest services from time to time.
2 – Install Fans in Your Bathroom
There is a considerable amount of moisture in your bathroom, and there’s virtually little to no way to deal with it.
However, installing bathroom fans is a good way to allow the air to move around and escape through the windows. Bathroom fans are a great choice to deal with excessive moisture accumulating in the bathroom.
A vast majority of the pests in your house are going to find their way in through the bathroom drains. By installing bathroom fans, you are going to make the place much less attractive for these insects, and they are going to stay well away from it.
This is another inexpensive way to deal with not just centipedes, but other insects as well.
3 – Sealing Off Cracks
Another way to ward off all kinds of pests and insects in your house is to look for their entry points, and seal them shut. Most of the insects that enter your house usually do so through tiny cracks in the windows.
It is important for you to make sure that you first inspect all kinds of cracks in your house, and then seal them shut properly. Not only will it stop more centipedes from entering, but it will stop spiders and all of the other creepy crawlies from finding their way inside as well.
It would be a wise idea to take a stroll around the property and carefully identify the tiniest of cracks. Usually, these cracks and holes exist near the window frames and other openings. You need to plug them up.
Any kind of sealant is going to do the trick, and will ensure that pests are not able to enter your house.
If you already have a pest infestation in your house, getting rid of it can be quite problematic. In many cases, centipedes that are in your house will be quite hard to track down and kill.
So, here are a few methods that you can use to get rid of the centipedes.
4 – Call a Pest Infestation Service
There are a number of pest exterminators who can deal with this problem for you.
One of the best things that you can do is get in touch with a pest infestation service provider, and set up an appointment with them. They are going to visit your place and thoroughly inspect it to determine the extent of the infestation.
Then, they are going to begin with properly fumigating the entire household to get rid of not just centipedes, but all other kinds of insects that may call your place home. Ideally, you should get a thorough fumigation done after every couple of years or so.
It’s a good way to get rid of any pests that might be hiding and only come out at night.
5 – Using an Insecticide
If the infestation is considerably large and you don’t want to call the fumigation service, you might want to consider poisoning the centipedes on your own.
There are a host of different kinds of insecticides available in the market that you can use to get rid of the infestation and poison the centipedes. Just make sure that you follow the instructions given on the insecticide on how to achieve the best results.
These are just some of the simplest ways of getting rid of the centipede infestation from your house.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Computer Information Systems and over 10 years of experience working in IT. As a homeowner, I love working on projects around the house, and as a father, I love investigating various ways to keep my family safe (whether or not this involves tech). I’ve also played guitar for almost 20 years and love writing music, although it’s hard to find the time these days.