Centipedes
Centipedes are not the worst kind of infestation one could get, but the presence of these many-legged creatures crawling in your home can be slightly unsettling. As a pest control professional with Ozane Termite & Pest Control, we understand that homeowners of Toms River, NJ, go all out to keep these creepy crawlers outside their homes. Here's all you need to know about centipedes - you know, why they enter homes, how much damage they cause, and how you can keep them away.
What is a Centipede?
Centipedes are long, multi-legged arthropods most famous for their speedy movements and their usual appearance. While the name translates to "hundred legs," most centipedes have between 15 and 177 legs, depending on the species. Commonly, they range about 1 to 2 inches in length, though some species can grow much larger. These pests are nocturnal hunters; they prey on insects, spiders, and other small creatures. While helpful due to the control of other insect populations they provide, most people simply don't want to see centipedes scurrying across their floors.
How Centipedes Get into Your House
Centipedes prefer damp, dark regions to congregate and breed, so homes that have basements, bathrooms, and crawl spaces invite these insects to stay a while. They will enter a home looking for food or searching for a humid, protected location. Some of the more common points of entry include:
- Cracks in walls and foundations
- Gaps around doors and windows
- Openings around pipes and utility lines
- Vents into humid areas like basements, crawl spaces
Centipedes also invade homes by hitching rides in on firewood, plants, or storage boxes.
When Do Centipedes Enter Homes?
They can invade homes at any time of the year, but centipedes are most commonly found in the fall and winter periods. When the weather cools down, they seek warmth indoors. Homes with very high humidity or problems with excess moisture will attract centipedes throughout the year since they have to have moisture to survive.
The Damage Centipedes Can Cause
Centipedes are not destructive insects like termites or rodents, but they nonetheless can cause problems. Some of these issues that might concern the homeowner include:
- Bites: While centipedes use their modified mouthparts for biting, their bites are not generally any danger to humans. Larger species can inflict a painful bite, but it's usually no worse than the average bee sting. Bites may cause minor swelling or allergic reactions in some people but are generally harmless.
- Unwelcome Sight: Centipedes are long-legged and quasi-rapid movers, and just a little intimidating to spot. Although they generally do not like being around people, having them presented in your house will disturb the homeowners and make them uncomfortable.
- Sign of Infestation: Since centipedes feed on other insects, their appearance could indicate a greater problem with pests. Where there's a food source, like cockroaches, ants, or spiders, centipedes will be there too.
How to Keep Centipedes Out of Your House
Keeping centipedes out of your home involves minimizing the preferred living conditions of centipedes and getting rid of their entry points. How can you do this?
- Reduce Moisture: Centipedes prefer humid areas. The first step in getting centipedes away from your house is by reducing the moisture inside your home. Use dehumidifiers in basements, crawl spaces, and bathrooms to keep air dry. Clear up all leaking pipes and faucet problems that create excessive moisture.
- Repair Entry Points: Seal cavities or voids in the walls, doors, windows, and foundation of your house. Openings around pipes, utilities, and wires should be plugged with steel wool or caulk or sealed with expanding foam to alleviate entry points that may allow animals inside to stay there.
- Eliminate Their Food Source: Since centipedes feed on other insects, keeping your home free from pests will make the area less attractive to them. Regular cleaning, securing the correct food in appropriate containers, and clearing away clutter will help reduce pest populations.
- Outdoor Maintenance: The house exterior should be kept in good condition. Eliminate overgrown vegetation, remove debris that includes wood piles or leaf litter, and make sure your gutters are free to avoid moist situations that would provide places for centipedes to hide around your premises.
- Housekeeping: Regular cleaning through vacuuming, sweeping, and dusting biologically cleans harboring sites within your premises that could be potential places for centipedes. Ensure clearing the dark corners, the places beneath furniture, and behind the wall units where they may be lurking.
Similar Pests: Silverfish, Millipede, House Centipedes