Here's a riddle for you. What has fifteen pairs of legs, a flattened worm-like body, a tan coloration, black bands on its legs, and black stripes running down its back? Yup. A centipede. It wasn't much of a riddle since this is an article about how to get rid of centipedes. But while we're not all that great at delivering riddles, we're really good at getting rid of pests like the centipede. Today, we're going to discuss things you can do to reduce the number of centipedes that get into your home and, if you want complete control of these gross, multi-legged bugs, we're going to tell how to do that too.
Why Centipede Management Is Important
When you find centipedes crawling around inside your home, there are a few things you should know.
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You have holes: Centipedes don't chew their way into homes. They use gaps, cracks, holes, and other openings. If you see them clinging to the wall of your bathroom, it is important that you understand this important fact. Holes don't just let ugly centipedes in, they can let harmful pests into your home as well.
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You have exterior harborage conditions: Centipedes get in by accident. They don't see your home from afar and think, "That looks like a nice place to live." They get into your landscaping, come near to your exterior walls, and find entry points by accident.
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You have moisture issues: Centipedes are moisture pests. They require lots of moisture to survive—though it is important to point out that they don't do well in water. They will flee flood conditions or oversaturation of the ground outside your home and seek harborage inside your home. This is one of the reasons they get into man-made structures. But moist or humid locations are ideal for centipedes. If you have dampness near your exterior walls or humid spaces inside your home, you'll probably have trouble with centipedes.
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You might have a carpenter ant problem: Centipedes are strongly attracted to moist wood, which is also an attractant for carpenter ants. If centipedes are accessing your home through an area that has water damage and wood rot, it is quite possible that carpenter ants are adding to the damage in that area.
When you take steps to manage centipede activity in your home, you may uncover conditions that are damaging your home. We strongly recommend that you consider the following management tips.
Centipede Management
It will be no surprise, the following tips are connected to the points listed above.
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Inspect your foundation walls and exterior for gaps, cracks, and holes. Use a caulking gun and a high quality silicone caulk to address most entry points. Large holes can be filled with expanding foam, and some cement cracks can be repaired with a foundation repair kit.
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Make sure your screens are in good working condition.
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Inspect the weatherstripping around doors, and the door sweeps at the bottoms. If any are damaged, replace them.
Rake leaves away from your exterior.
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If you have objects stored near your exterior walls, especially woodpiles, move them to at least twenty feet away.
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Remove weeds and unwanted vegetation from your landscaping to reduce moisture
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Make sure your gutters, splash blocks, and downspouts are all in good condition.
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If you have humid rooms inside your home, consider adding dehumidifiers to dry things out.
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When you take a shower or a bath, be sure to use the fan in your bathroom to vent the humidity.
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Address any leaking faucets or weeping pipes.
How Big Blue Can Help
If you take the above steps, you may be able to correct your problem, and you may not see any centipedes in your home for a while. But your home could have vulnerabilities that are difficult to correct, and you might not be able to afford to address them. Or the task may be too daunting for you to take on. This is where we can help. We can provide you with ongoing pest control service that will work to create a pest resistant barrier around your home. When you have routine visits from one of our licensed pest management experts, you'll have the best possible protection for centipedes, and a long list of other pests. Reach out to us anytime for assistance.
