The house centipede was first introduced in the US during the mid-1800s. This pest landed in Pennsylvania, and since then, it has spread out all over the country. House centipedes are quite creepy looking, and since they share similarities with centipedes that are a lot more poisonous, many people fear them. They have also been known to run under women’s long dresses to get out of the light, which made them particularly unpopular.
Their name is also a bit misleading. Centipede means “100 legs” but house centipedes usually have around 30 legs. On top of that, they will always have an odd number of legs. There are larger species that have over 150 legs, but there is no centipede species that has exactly 100. Pretty interesting when you consider the name.
We all know that house centipedes love the bathroom, but in reality, they prefer places that are a bit darker, places such as basements, crawl spaces and firewood piles. Of course, any area that they choose needs to be high in moisture as well, so if they do not find anywhere else that has the adequate humidity level, the centipedes will settle for the bathroom.
Centipedes are also a bit like canaries in a coal mine – they signal that there may be a wider pest problem in your home. Centipedes are predatory insects and they have protein as a main staple of their diet. This means that they will eat other insects, just like spiders. If you have a house centipede infestation, you probably have some other insects in the home that sustain them. These insects can include cockroaches, ants, fleas, and other similar pests.
The best way to determine the extent of the pest infestation in your home is to have a professional perform an inspection. A pro will identify all of the pest issues that are present, including house centipede infestations, and then will proceed to remove them completely. When it comes to house centipedes, you can kill one or two on your own, but to fully remove an infestation, you need a more specialized approach. A pro will have the tools and expertise needed to remove these pests along with any others that may be present. Contact us today if you have a house centipede infestation, and you need help removing it. We will gladly set up an appointment for you.
