House centipedes are many-legged pests that can scurry around your
home at shocking speeds. They often seek shelter inside homes and offices.
Their startling speed and strange looks can be shocking, and although they rarely pose a
threat to humans or pets, an infestation of house centipedes can present a nuisance to homeowners.
If house centipedes have made their way into your home, try our recommended treatment and
prevention methods to make sure they don't turn into permanent houseguests.
First, confirm which pest you've seen. House centipedes are nocturnal and like to hide
during the day. Look around areas where they may have been sighted at night using a flashlight.
Likely hiding places for house centipedes and other insect pests on which they may
feed include basements, closets, bathrooms, and in floor drains. Eliminating other pests
will make your home less inviting to any house centipedes that may be present.
House centipedes have long, flat bodies that measure between one and two inches long,
but their many thin legs and antennae can give them a feathery appearance and
bring their total length up to six inches! These 30-legged pests are yellowish-brown
in color, with three long dark stripes down their length, and two long antennae.
Their legs have visible bands of color alternating light and dark brown.
House Centipedes may be mistaken for Silverfish, another many-legged insect commonly found around
American homes. The carrot shaped body and silver-gray coloring of the silverfish should
make the difference clear if you can get a look at the bug in question. Silverfish have
only six legs, but their attraction to many of the same spots in a home
explains how they can sometimes be confused. To get rid of existing house centipedes,
use an aerosol insecticide with a flushing agent that is labeled for this use to kill off the pests
present and to flush others out of their hiding places so that the insecticide can take effect.
Next, apply an insecticide with a long residual effect to keep centipedes from returning to the
treated indoor areas. These products will usually be applied as a spray. Follow the
labeled instructions carefully and this treatment can offer centipede control for up to 90 days.
For this type of indoor barrier treatment, be sure to cover the corners of the room, along
baseboards, and around door and window frames. Cracks, crevices, and wall voids behind switch
plates can be treated additionally with an insecticide dust. These products are easy to
apply, long-lasting, and perfect for hard-to-reach areas where house centipedes may take shelter.
Apply one or two puffs of dust in potential house centipede hiding places, but do not apply too much
dust in any one spot, as an overapplication of insecticide dust will not be effective.
Finally, create an insecticide barrier around the exterior of your home or office with a
liquid product mixture. This could be the same product used for indoor residual treatment.
Prepare this treatment by mixing a liquid insecticide labeled for
house centipedes with water in a handheld pump sprayer. Mix the solution thoroughly,
then apply the spray around the foundation of the building, covering an area three feet up the wall
and three feet out from the base, or according to the labeled instructions if different.
Make sure to treat around possible pest entry points like door frames, windows, pipe openings,
and vents. Repeat this application every 30 to 60 days, or as instructed on the product label.
Refer to the application instructions on the label for measurement and mixing specifics,
and always be sure to wear the recommended PPE, (personal protective equipment)
including long sleeves, long pants, and gloves whenever mixing and applying insecticides.
Prevention of a house centipede infestation is the best way to avoid these creepy pests.
House centipedes will try to find dark, damp spaces in which to take shelter. When you keep
your home and landscaped areas clean and clear of organic matter, you deny harborage to house
centipedes and other would-be intruders. Always fix any leaky pipes or other sources
of standing water, keep your lawn clear of leaves and other debris,
aerate your lawn to maintain proper drainage, and water your lawn early in the day so that the turf
can dry before the cool of nightfall. And it's that easy with the expert
help from DoMyOwn dot com.
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