Centipede
June 23rd, 2009 Posted in Centipedes & Millipedes
Centipedes are the epitome of ‘creepy crawlies’.
Most people experience quite a shock when they see these fast moving bugs motoring across their floors, walls, and even ceilings.
This article will describe centipedes and how to manage them when they get into your home.
What is a Centipede?
Centipedes are in the arthropod family. The word centipede literally means ‘one hundred feet’. While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, centipedes still have more than enough legs to get them where they want to go quickly. Their coloring is drab, ranging from grays to browns. Centipedes have segmented bodies, with one set of legs per segment. The first pair of legs has actually evolved into a poisonous jaw that they use to kill their prey. Don’t worry, though; centipedes are generally harmless. However, keep in mind a general bug rule: Don’t pick up any bugs and you won’t have to worry about being bitten in the first place.
Centipedes can live up to six years, which they may spend entirely in your house. They love the damp and they’ll generally hide out in basements, bathrooms, or garages where it’s nice and moist. They mate and lay eggs in dark places where they will not be disturbed. Centipedes are primarily insectivores, eating other bugs they can find in your house. To aid them in their capture of their prey, centipedes are extremely fast. You’d hope with as many legs as they have that some skill would come out of it.
What’s the Difference Between a Centipede and a Millipede?
Centipede, millipede…how do you tell them apart? Millipedes have two legs per segment, as opposed to one per segment for centipedes. They also have long cylindrical bodies and move rather slowly compared to centipedes. Most millipedes are also detritivores, which means they eat decaying plant matter.
House Centipedes
The house centipede, or Scutigera coleoptrata, is the one most likely to infiltrate your dwelling. Looking somewhat like a spider gone horribly wrong, they are a yellowish-brown color with fifteen pairs of legs that are delicate and feathery in appearance. Despite their fragile-looking appendages, house centipedes are very fast. They also have amazing climbing skills and can move with speed around floors, up walls, and even onto your ceilings. Since they’re insectivores, house centipedes are going to go after other bugs they find around your house for food, so if you have a pest problem in your home, you may develop a centipede problem. You’re most likely to see house centipedes in the spring when the weather warms, or in fall as they search for a winter hideaway.
Centipede Bites
Most house centipedes can’t bite you, and those that can generally have an effect similar to a mild bee sting. A very slim population of people are are allergic to the centipede venom and may develop a small rash around the bite site. A centipede bite cannot harm your household pets. A cat is actually often recommended as a way to keep centipede populations down in your home, as they find the fast moving insects to be fun toys to bat at.
Getting Rid of Centipedes
You can’t stand the many-legged little beasts in your house anymore. So, what do you do?
Get Rid of the Wet
Centipedes love to hang around the damp places in your house. This means in bathrooms, under kitchen sinks, and by water-carrying pipes and pumps in your basement. Take precautions to keep moisture levels down by making sure you don’t have any leaks, mopping up any water that may escape sinks or tubs, and using fans and dehumidifiers to keep things dry.
Manage Your Pest Problem
Centipedes can only survive if they feast upon other bugs they find. By keeping your home free of other pests, you are shutting out the centipedes. A place that has no food is not a place they will stay.
Block Them Off At The Entrance
Centipedes will creepy-crawl their way into any entrance they find. Sealing off cracks, holes, and other openings into your house will prevent them from ever getting in.
Get A Pet
Fast-moving bugs make a free fun toy for your cat or dog to bat at. One good paw thwack and another centipede will bite the dust.
Insecticides
The good news is that centipedes usually don’t invade in swarms, so you’re unlikely to find a massive herd of leggy bugs migrating across your carpet. However, you then come across the problem of using chemical based insecticides in your home to rid yourself of these pests. Hope is fading as you look at numerous products labeled with warnings. You can’t spray these in your house. What should you do?
The SMART Answer
There is an answer to all your centipede problems and it doesn’t involve spraying in an oxygen mask. EcoSMART is an all natural bug spray. It contains ingredients like peppermint and spearmint oils, as opposed to harmful synthetic chemicals. In fact, the ingredients in EcoSMART are categorized as ‘GRAS,’ or generally recognized as safe by the FDA. You can spray centipedes to your heart’s content in your house and not have to worry about a thing. EcoSMART also leaves a pleasant minty after aroma, as opposed to chemically mind-numbing fumes.
Use EcoSMART’s organic home pest control to go after centipedes and any other bugs they may be feeding upon. If you want to kill bugs safely, EcoSMART is the SMART choice to make.
Caitlin Leopold
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- Oct 19, 2009: Centipede Facts for Those on the Run
26 Comments | The First 1,000 to Comment (Starting 12/21/2009) Will Become EcoSMART Product Testers!
By Meghan Larson on Jun 24, 2009
Thanks for the great article!!!
By Diana Jepson on Jun 29, 2009
It is interesting to know that centipedes only hang around when you have other insect problems. We used to have a major problem with centipedes. We recently put new windows and I think that helped. We also use a pesticide call Cy-Kicks which I know is not organic and I cringe when it is time to spray the house again because I have two boy 3 and 1. I am not sure which is worse the bugs or the pesticide, it would be nice to be able to have the best of both worlds. I am really interesed in this product and will definitely try it.
By Adrion Barrett on Jul 7, 2009
I am being overrun with centipedes! I would love to spray them and the house with everything known to mankind, but I have two kids under the age of three. I’m scared of spraying anything. The EcoSMART products look and sound amazing! I have seen centipedes in the basement, hallway, living room, kitchen, bathroom, even in my bedroom. I’ve seen a big long one crawl across my bed! I would be so thrilled to win that can of EcoSmart I would use it right away!
By Teresa Lawhon on Jul 9, 2009
I live in an apartment and I have ants and the creepy crawly centipede looking pests. I would love to spray but I have a 2 year old grandson who is into everything and he is here everyday. I would love to test your eco-friendly product.
By Susan on Jul 9, 2009
Would love to test EcoSMART on our centipede problem.
By ariel on Jul 12, 2009
i would like to test ecosmart i live in a basement and i keep seeing these creepy centipedes. I usually see them when I get home that they are trying to hide. Another thing my bathroom has no windows so its very damp in there. so it would be great if i can try the ecosmart and if anyone has any suggestions on helping me with my damped bathriim please feel free to help
By Lynell Pickens on Jul 15, 2009
We are absolutely overrun with centipedes. We have tried everything. We do not have a moisture problem, no yard debris, no basement, no crawl space. We are using chemicals outside and sweep up handfuls of centipedes daily from our porch, patio and carport. HELP!!!
By Sankar Balu on Jul 15, 2009
i would like to test this product and if it works ill keep 1/2 at home handy. cos, we’ve a lot on and off coming
By Tracy on Jul 20, 2009
I’ve been using the Bug Spray for a couple of years now; thrilled to have found something “safe” since I have 2 small children and a dog and I’m the one who needs to look brave when they (kids) encounter a house centipede in the basement. I’d LOVE to try the Insecticide for this purpose.
By Kim on Jul 20, 2009
Creepy crawlers, thousand leggers, centipedes. These are the most disgusting bugs around. They go about a 100 miles an hour and if you get lucky and squash one the legs keep on wiggling. Make them go away please.
By Jennifer on Aug 4, 2009
I have killed an house centipede every day for the past three days, and it’s driving me crazy. I can’t wait to try your product.
By Valerie on Aug 17, 2009
Every summer we have centipedes in the house. But this summer has been the worst. I have been seeing/killing one to two centipedes a night for approximately a week which is very unusual. Before then, it had been maybe once every 1 or 2 weeks. We have a dog in the house too. So I am very interested in trying EcoSMART.
By Gale Lucis on Aug 20, 2009
We recently moved into a brand new home. I’m terrified by spiders and the past two weeks, I’ve seen something that “may” be even worse – house centepides! They have zillions of REALLY LONG legs and are just HORRIBLE! I’ve found them in my CLOSET, my bedroom, my bathroom and yesterday, I got in the shower, and one was in there with me!!! I almost died!
PLEASE may I be one of the lucky people to try EcoSMART! I need help and I don’t want to use anything toxic. Thank you.
By Raquel on Aug 28, 2009
We have had a cetepide problem starting late August for the past 2 years. I have a 1 year old and don’t want to spray anything toxic. I would love to try EcoSmart.
By Shannon on Sep 1, 2009
I have a huge centipede problem!!!! I use to only see them in our basement once and awhile but lately…..they have been in almost every room of the house!!!! And they are HUGE! I have two kids…2 and 4 years old. I don’t want to spray something that is harmful to them so I would love to try your product!!
By Nicki Copeland on Sep 1, 2009
For some reason my husband and I keep coming across these gigantic centipedes in our house lately! The other day he tried to smash one with a dvd case on our floor and all of a sudden the dvd started moving! That was one big centipede!!!!
By Kathy on Sep 24, 2009
I have been paying for a professional service to get rid of these things and that isn’t working either. I get a little freaked out by these ugly things! Eeek!
By Stephi on Sep 25, 2009
I live in a basement unit apt (in serious need of a remodel) in MN and was super bummed to find some centipedes in my bathroom.
I’m going to talk to the landlord about sealing cracks, but I would also like a more immediate solution, and I only use eco-friendly, pet-safe products. Would love love to give EcoSMART a try!
By Andrea on Sep 25, 2009
I hate these things! We just moved into a new house and we have centipededs in the basement around the laundry room – I would very much like to test your product!
By Mike on Sep 26, 2009
We have been battling these pest for years. One month you think they are gone the next month you kill 10 of them. I hope this does the trick.
By Chad on Sep 29, 2009
My girlfriend and I have seen 1-2 centipedes before bed every night for a week now. I would love to be able to try Ecosmart because I don’t like the idea of spraying chemical pesticides in our bedroom.
By Carrie on Oct 4, 2009
My husband has been cleaning up about 20 centipedes a night in our basement. He says 11:00p.m. is the witching hour for them. We’d love to test your product and see if it solves our centipede problem! We have 2 children (ages 5 and 3, one has a chronic health problem) and 3 cats, so using an all natural product would be great!
By sharon peer on Oct 14, 2009
i have been seeing centipedes in the new apartment building i just moved into. they are so ugly and i would love to try your product cause i have a dog and i need something that won’t make her sick.
By Gloria Bethelmie on Aug 18, 2010
I HATE Centipedes!! I live in the caribbean and they are alive, well and abundant. One fat centipedes crawled across my bed and I jumped 3′ high. they make my skin crawl. I love the fact that there is something organic that I can spray to kill these monsters. I want to get a cat, but my husband is asthmatic so Please I really need to try this product, especially since my two yr. old grand daughter is in the home. So I REALLY NEED TO TRY EcoSMART…
By Min on Jul 18, 2011
I also have been paying for a professional service to get rid of centipedes but result was terrible. I need a powerful pesticide so I can kill all these centipedes. Please help EcoSMART!!!