Centipedes Removal in Virginia & North Carolina
Centipedes are elongated animals with a pair of legs on most of their body segments. Legs will vary from between 10 to 100 depending on the species. The front legs are fang like and connect with their poison glands which is used to kill or stun their prey. Centipedes eat insects as well as spiders and other small creatures.
Centipede Bites
Does a centipede bite? Yes it does and it can be painful. Similar to a bee sting. However it is not sufficiently toxic to be lethal to humans and children.
Types of Centipedes
The most common centipede for the area is the house centipede which typically has 15 pairs of legs. They live both indoor and outdoor occurring in moist cellars, damp closets and bathrooms. The house centipede is grey-yellow with three stripes down the back and has very long legs banded with white.
Why Do I Have Centipedes?
Aside from house centipedes, they invade singularly and usually only one or two will be seen inside the home or structure. A larger centipede infestation is associated with a moist habitat around leaky pipes, damp basement or crawlspace. Additionally harborage areas such as trash, stones, leaves, grass and compost are great places for them to inhabit.
How to Get Rid of Centipedes
With any insect, centipedes will find a way of getting into the structure so;
- Fix any leaking pipes in the bathroom of kitchen areas.
- Any area where water has been allowed to gather outside and has left moist conditions, remove the pooling water.
- Fix a vapour barrier in the basement or crawlspace.
- Use a dehumidifier in the basement or crawlspace to dry out the area
- Any old boxes, compost piles, leaf litter or grass cuttings should be removed.
- Seal and caulk any gaps around siding, windows, doors, pipes and other visible entry gaps.
How to Prevent Centipedes in the Future
Long term prevention may sometimes be achieved by establishing a two foot vegetation free border around the foundation. Four Seasons and HomeTown treat centipedes as standard as part of our IfItCrawlsCall Guarantee. So during our routine Virginia & North Carolina pest control maintenance we treat for them, ensuring you are pest free. We cover the whole of the Outer Banks and the Tidewater areas.
