How to Get Rid of Centipedes
All our houses have pests that live in the small spaces of our home. These pests can multiply at a rapid rate due to their physiology. Some types of pests can lay one hundred eggs at a time and as they grow in number could be very troublesome. One common type of pest that lives in the creases of our flooring as well as in our gardens is the house centipede. They can be found everywhere in my house, in your house and in apartment.
What are Centipedes?
Centipedes are long slender arthropods that have segmented bodies and can have up to 300 legs at a time. They can grow up to twelve inches long depending on their species. These are common house pests that thrive naturally in moist, damp places and multiply rapidly through laying of eggs. Centipedes feed on small insects that can be very beneficial to our homes but when in large numbers, they can be difficult to control. They have an average life span of three to five years and all throughout their lives stay inside in your house. Some types of centipedes are rather poisonous when they bite. However, household centipedes are generally harmless but can cause small swelling when you are bitten. Their bites may also cause anaphylaxis among sensitive children so it’s best that kids should stay away from them. There are many ways to exterminate these small creatures by different methods. We will discuss the some simple ways on how to get rid of centipedes.
Clean Up
There are simple and complicated ways on how to get rid of centipedes. By simply cleaning up our homes will prevent the prevalence of pests. Centipedes grow and survive in moist areas where other small insects live as well. These areas can be found in places that we do not usually get to clean such as under the tables, behind the cabinets and in our basements. If we rarely clean these hard to reach places, they can be reservoirs to many pests. If you maintain household cleanliness at a regular basis especially to those damp areas, pests will not thrive. This controls their population and limits the areas where they can stay.
Kill them one by one
Seeing centipedes and killing them as you encounter them can also help decrease their numbers. Unlike ants and termites, centipedes do not really come in hundreds or thousands at a time. When you step on or kill the ones that you see, then most likely you are helping with the extermination. They are not hard to kill. Common insecticides are very effective but if you are uncomfortable in killing them, you can just sweep them outside.
Seal Cracks or Creases
Do a thorough inspection in your house for any small cracks or creases. These unseen cracks serve as entrances into your homes. Repair these by the use of different adhesives or simply using duct tape to seal them off. When they do not have access to your home, they will look for another place to stay and multiply. This is a very simple but effective way of preventing any type of pest to gain access in the household.
Sticky Traps
Placing sticky flytraps on the floors near the edges of some appliances and in between furniture will definitely help catch these buggers. Not only are these traps effective for small insects and arthropods, but can also catch small mice. Placing them strategically increases your chance of eliminating them little by little and exterminate them totally in the long run.
The use of pesticides
If you are really having a big problem with the number of centipedes that are invading your home, then you can use pesticides. Organic pesticides such as boric acid kill centipedes quickly. It is recommended that you use personal protective equipment and exercise caution using these chemicals. Keep these pesticides away from children as well. When used properly, pesticides can kill a large percentage of centipedes and can prevent future invasions.
Use of Pesticide Screens
There are available pesticide treated screens that you can have installed in your house. These are screens serve as barriers in your home that prevents pest invasion. They are chemically treated with organic pesticides, which are harmless to us humans as well as sensitive children. However, this will not eliminate the centipedes inside your home but will definitely help seal off small cracks that serve as entry points for them.
Call Pest Control
If all these methods deem unsuccessful, then maybe it is time for you to call the professionals. Pest control does a great job and can go to any type of home. They can cater to any type of residence or in apartment. They will look at your homes extensively, set up different types of traps and use pesticides to kill your pests and their reservoirs. Sometimes they will even fog your homes if needed to cover every corner of the household. However, pest control services can be very expensive for some and may take very long to set up. If you can afford their services, pest control does a great job in totally exterminating your pests and even prevent future proliferations as well.
Other Tips
There are more ways and methods that we can use to eliminate centipedes in our houses but prevention is always the key. The most important thing to remember is keeping our homes clean and clutter free all the time. Cleaning out your trash immediately, removing the dried leaves in your garden, fixing your basement pipes and rearranging your furniture also help in pest prevention. Exterminating centipedes and other pests is a long process and require hard work, time and patience. Basically, the key is household maintenance and if we continue do so regularly, then you are sure to have less problems with centipedes and other pests. It is also important to remember that if these centipedes appear to be threats to our safety, then it is best that we contact our local pest control service to do the job for us.