What To Do When House Centipedes Overwhelm Homeowners

9/27/2017

Just looking at pictures of centipedes is enough to give most people the creepy crawlies. Actually seeing one inside your home can be quite disturbing. But seeing a bunch of them in your home can be the thing of nightmares and horror films. And for good reason. These insects can bite and sting. And though their bites are not medically important to humans, having a hard, prickly, alien-looking creature crawl across your body in the dark could give quite a scare.Centipedes are small invertebrates which belong to the group known as arthropods. Centipedes usually inhabit forests, tropical rainforests, prairies, and savannas. They prefer dark, moist places such as the undersides of rocks and leaves or inside rotting logs. But some centipedes live in more urban areas, close to humans. Depending on the species, centipedes can reach from .1 to 11 inches in length. A centipede’s body is covered with a flexible shell which can be either white, yellow, orange, red, brown or black in color. But most are a reddish brown. The name “centipede” is Latin for “hundred legs” but most centipedes have between 15 and 30 pairs of legs.No matter how many legs they have, centipedes are disturbing to encounter inside a home. Here are some conditions that may be attracting centipedes to your home:

A shaded, moist area near your foundation where the sun cannot dry out the soil after it rains. As mentioned, centipedes love dark, moist places. If there are dark, moist places up against your home, this will invite centipedes, and other moisture-loving pests, like termites, in close to your home.
A wet area somewhere near your foundation caused by an obstructed or broken gutter system. If water cannot be channeled away from your house, you may be creating wet areas where centipedes will feel right at home.
A puddle where there is a leaky spigot. Again, centipedes love moisture. If you have a leaky spigot, or if someone neglects to turn it off all the way and it is dripping, it will create the moisture that centipedes love and will be drawn to.
Holes in your foundation. It doesn’t take much of a gap for centipedes and other pests to squeeze through.
A moist basement where centipedes feel right at home. If these creepy insects do get in, they will love you if your basement is nice and wet.

If you are in need of assistance with centipedes in your home, reach out to Schendel Pest Services. We offer commercial and residential services throughout six states. Life is better without centipedes invading your home. Give us a call today.