Oh my god! Amanda, I read your comments
and couldn't believe my eyes. My boyfriend insisted I was overreacting as
we too had a recent infestation of these hellish, not so little, creatures
until we finally moved out last month. I also, would walk through the
house w/ a can of raid in hand checking walls & ceilings and sleeping w/
the lights on. I actually have court in the morning and was doing some
final printing out of info. about these unearthly little monstrous things.
My landlord and Orkin just could not get rid of them. I too was in tears
on a daily basis over these things. If they bother you that much you might
think about moving because let me tell you they are not going anywhere
unless you really change the very structure of the house, food source, and
moisture problem! Good Luck! I feel your pain! Lisa
Centipedes
Centipedes are highly evolved predators. Evidence in the fossil record shows that the modern day centipede had ancestors living 420 million years ago. Giant centipedes were among the very first land predators. In prehistoric times they could grow to over a meter long. That is one arthropod I would not want to tangle with. (An example of one was in the new King Kong movie.)
Today, centipedes are smaller; the largest specimens living in tropical climates can grow up to a foot in length. Most centipedes are smaller than that, usually only a few inches in length. Each of their body segments has a pair of legs. Small centipedes might have fifteen legs, while the largest have as many as 191. The large number of legs helps the centipede move very quickly and they make them seem larger than they really are. Centipedes can be distinguished from millipedes because millipedes have two legs per body segment.
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Centipedes are beneficial insects because they feed on pests like cockroaches and crickets. Large centipedes sometimes feed on small birds, reptiles, and even bats. They attack by wrapping their long, modified back legs around the victim and then attacking it with two front legs that have been adapted into poisonous pincers.
Centipedes are not dangerous to humans, but they do have venom and they have pincers that deliver a painful bite. Most people report that the bite is no more painful than a bee sting, but some people claim that the larger centipede species have a bite that is extremely painful. Apply ice to a centipede bite to reduce pain and swelling. As a rule, the larger the centipede the more potent and painful the poison.
Centipedes are hunters and they need moist environments. Most centipedes only come indoors in search of food and soon die if they do not return to the outside. There are some types of centipedes that are known as indoor or house centipedes. These centipedes are usually shorter in length, maybe one or two inches, but they have much longer legs than outdoor centipedes. They have very long back legs and long antennae extending from their head. These centipedes move very quickly and can surprise someone who isn't expecting such rapid movement.
The best way to prevent centipedes from entering the home is to reduce moisture from around the house. Make sure that the gutters are moving water away from the foundation of your house. Also, clean up any leaf piles or wet mulch that has accumulated around your house. Centipedes have flat bodies, so they can squeeze through small cracks. Seal up small cracks around the foundation of your house to keep the centipedes out. If these measures are not sufficient you might want to apply a barrier pesticide around the outside of your house. Drione dust or diatomaceous earth will prevent centipedes from coming inside, or a pyrethrin can be used as a barrier treatment. These pesticides will also help keep out bugs that the centipede likes to feed on. I know I don't want anything with more than four legs inside my house, so centipedes are a definite no-no.
Supposedly, centipedes have two brains, one on either side of their body. The claim is that you have to squash both ends of a centipede if you want to kill one. This is untrue. Centipedes have a head on only one side of their body and they will die if cut in half. Centipedes can detach some legs to help them escape from predators, but the notion that centipedes can regenerate body parts was confused with earthworms, which do have that ability. Now you know in case that ever comes up on a TV quiz show.
Comments
Lisa Marie
15 Jul 2009, 19:18
15 Jul 2009, 19:18
Lisa Marie
15 Jul 2009, 19:26
15 Jul 2009, 19:26
I forgot to mention shy I am going to court in the AM. I have a small
claims case pending over these centipedes! My landlord failed to rid my
apartment of them and rendered the place inhabitibal. I stayed elsewhere
probably 2 wks out of every month we were there. We saw a couple around
Jan. But it really got infested by Spring, March. We are talking 2-4 a
day. Bathrm. Kitchen sink, bedroom ceiling. very disgusting!. There is a
legal term called A Warranty of Habitability. So you can sue if the
problem is not taken care of! Good Luck! Lisa
Dee
25 Jul 2009, 17:41
25 Jul 2009, 17:41
Hi, I am a concerned because I found 3 centipedes in my carpeted living
room in 2 days. These centipedes had blue legs and were about an inch and
a half long. I am worried that these are just the baby centipedes and the
Mommy centipede is hiding in my living room. I have 2 young children and
have not experienced centipedes in my house before and worried. I do live
in Hawaii and just very concerned and wondering if I should tear my living
room apart.
Please help with any suggestion.
Dee
Please help with any suggestion.
Dee
Ask the Exterminator
26 Jul 2009, 19:39
26 Jul 2009, 19:39
Perhaps tearing your living room apart is a bit over the top. A thorough
inspection and some monitoring glue traps would probably work just as well.
leeann
30 Jul 2009, 23:58
30 Jul 2009, 23:58
i have killed 3 red centipedes in my room within 1 week, one on floor 2 in
my bed, were r they comming from? i dont have any moisture in my room and
its fairly clean and i dont dont see any othe bugs in my room. i waz told
they will go into your ear if possible and are poiseous i dont know what to
do im so anoyed that there here. could there be a nest im my room? i hate
them
Robin
09 Aug 2009, 01:57
09 Aug 2009, 01:57
First off thank you so much on all the great information I am definitaly
much more knowledgable on centipedes than I have ever been. So onto my
problem/fear. I just bought a new home and moved in 6 days ago and tonight
I found 2 centipedes. One was a baby could have only been 3/4" long and the
other was a real big one but he was dead on my foyer floor. My fear is that
it's only been 6 days on my new home in fact my first home and I'm scared
thus is just the begining of a huge problem.
A little history, we had the previous owners do some landscape work for us and there is all new mulch outside. Also during our inspection the inspector pointed out some places that needed to be caulked outside. But on the good news is we do have a humidifier, I think it's attached to the airconditoner or is it the heater? Eek I don't know I'm so new the this being a homeowner thing.
Ok so basically I know what I need to do from reading all the previous comments but I would really appritiate a response directed specifically for me.
Thanks so much,
~Robin
A little history, we had the previous owners do some landscape work for us and there is all new mulch outside. Also during our inspection the inspector pointed out some places that needed to be caulked outside. But on the good news is we do have a humidifier, I think it's attached to the airconditoner or is it the heater? Eek I don't know I'm so new the this being a homeowner thing.
Ok so basically I know what I need to do from reading all the previous comments but I would really appritiate a response directed specifically for me.
Thanks so much,
~Robin
Adewale
21 Aug 2009, 16:05
21 Aug 2009, 16:05
God bless u as u attend to peoples' probs.
Please help me out,i just paid for 2 yrs rent and moved in 2 wks ago. I have killed 7 centipedes so far. Under my bed and rug in the living room.
My fear is that they said it is poisonous that it can kill if bite. Pls is this true???
I have been using insenticides.
I can't sleep there again am worried.
Please help me out,i just paid for 2 yrs rent and moved in 2 wks ago. I have killed 7 centipedes so far. Under my bed and rug in the living room.
My fear is that they said it is poisonous that it can kill if bite. Pls is this true???
I have been using insenticides.
I can't sleep there again am worried.
Samantha
25 Aug 2009, 01:54
25 Aug 2009, 01:54
We recently moved into an apartment on the ground level. We've seen quite a
large amount of these bugs, only in the kitchen and bathroom, and I am
absolutely terrified. The day I see one in my room, I don't know what I'll
do. Today we sprayed all around with insecticide, and I e-mailed my
landlord about having an exterminator come. I have a couple questions. One,
will having an exterminator come and spray the barrier with whatever he
sprays it with actually keep them away? Also, is there a season when they
are most prevalent?
Thirdly, what can I do to control the other bugs that they must be eating?
What can I ask my landlord to do to help with this situation? I assume they are coming up from the basement. If I bought a dehumidifier for our bathroom, would this help? Or should I put the dehumidifier in the basement?
Thirdly, what can I do to control the other bugs that they must be eating?
What can I ask my landlord to do to help with this situation? I assume they are coming up from the basement. If I bought a dehumidifier for our bathroom, would this help? Or should I put the dehumidifier in the basement?
Lila
01 Sep 2009, 22:10
01 Sep 2009, 22:10
I never saw a centipede in my life until moving into my current apartment.
At first I thought they were silverfish until researching them on Google.
They sometimes reach 3 inches long and are so fast and those antennae and
many legs are so disgusting, that I am afraid to enter any room, I check
the walls and ceilings first, and I am afraid that one will fall from the
ceiling onto me, it will be strait jacket for me, I am that afraid and
repulsed by them. They have been in every room of my apartment. I have a
damp crawl space under my apartment, so I am sure they are tons down there,
but how are they entering my home is what I can't figure out. I am using a
spray that is excellent, it kills them immediately on contact, but I want
to spray the entire perimeter, every single baseboard and corner. Will
this keep them away from me? My real question is.....are they known for
crawling onto people? Like if I am sleeping and one comes onto my bed,
will it crawl over me? If you read about some woman in NYC committed to a
nut house while screaming "centipedes", you will know one did crawl one.
Tim
01 Sep 2009, 23:08
01 Sep 2009, 23:08
First I want to say what a great website and I found everything very
informative.
I recently moved into a brand new apartment building and after a few months my gf and I noticed a musty-rotten stench starting in the laundry room.
At this time we also found a few cockroaches and centipedes hanging about the apartment. The cockroaches were big guys... about an inch long, and same with the centipedes. But these cockroaches seem to be big for the centipedes to feast on and we haven't found any other insects.
We figured out the smell was from A drain in the laundry room! The water in the pipe's water trap had evaporated letting stinky sewer water gasses up! A glass of water down the drain the smell was gone in minutes!
One thing though, these cockroaches and silverfish seem to be too big to be making it through the grating on the drain.
Anyways, the cockroaches seem to have left, but I am still finding centipedes, sometimes in the bathroom and sometimes on a random wall or ceiling. The bathroom I understand, but in other places?
The apartment is all new and with wood floors throughout. The only normally wet place is the shower.
Any other ideas on what would attract them?
Again, great website and thanks!
I recently moved into a brand new apartment building and after a few months my gf and I noticed a musty-rotten stench starting in the laundry room.
At this time we also found a few cockroaches and centipedes hanging about the apartment. The cockroaches were big guys... about an inch long, and same with the centipedes. But these cockroaches seem to be big for the centipedes to feast on and we haven't found any other insects.
We figured out the smell was from A drain in the laundry room! The water in the pipe's water trap had evaporated letting stinky sewer water gasses up! A glass of water down the drain the smell was gone in minutes!
One thing though, these cockroaches and silverfish seem to be too big to be making it through the grating on the drain.
Anyways, the cockroaches seem to have left, but I am still finding centipedes, sometimes in the bathroom and sometimes on a random wall or ceiling. The bathroom I understand, but in other places?
The apartment is all new and with wood floors throughout. The only normally wet place is the shower.
Any other ideas on what would attract them?
Again, great website and thanks!
Boston Grl
10 Sep 2009, 02:52
10 Sep 2009, 02:52
I've Lived Here For 6 Years And Recently this year as soon as i took my
carpet out the entire house we started to see centipedes...We now kill
about 7 a week no lie!!! My daughter is scared and she doesnt sleep at
night.! Im going to try this stuff and put it down if tht doesnt work what
else is there to do but move! I never had this problem and my daughter and
i are sooo scared!
NewYorker In Fear
15 Sep 2009, 18:52
15 Sep 2009, 18:52
I have lived in my apt for two months and have killed about 20 centipedes.
I also am going insane looking up every night and I love ALONE! I haven't
slept in weeks! I spread Diatomaceous Earth on the perimeter of my 650 sq
ft apt yesterday, but do you think I also need the dehumidifier? And how
long before I see results once I begin use of a dehumifider? Please advise.
Your expertise is greatly appreciated.
CLR
05 Oct 2009, 11:25
05 Oct 2009, 11:25
I recently moved into a ground floor apartment, about a week ago. I've
killed about 20 centipedes. I specifically asked the landlord and the
previous tenant if there was a centipede, or bug issue in general. They
both said no. I explained to my landlord that I have seen so many and that
I'm completely freaked out. She refuses to pay for an exterminator, so I
hired one at my own expense to come today. I spent about $100 on boric
acid, ortho-home defense, and bug sprays for ants, roaches, and spiders.
I've completely doused my apartment in these products to no avail. I feel
sick and hate walking into my own home! I understand that a dehumidifier
may help. I will def. invest in one. I also read that placing bowls of
baking soda/powder around damp areas and stirring them every few days will
help remove the moisture. I can't sleep and am completely fearful to walk
around my house. I have the lights on and they still come out and charge
at me. I think they are taunting me. My landlord as well as many other
people think I'm crazy for being so freaked out by them. I'm horrified of
them, and also at the fact that there may be a bigger underlying issue. I
truly hope this exterminator works, if not I don't know what I'll do! I
can't realistically move again. It's far too expensive. My landlord would
never pay to have a plumber come, for a problem she see's as ridiculous. I
don't know what else to do, but I also sleep in my living room on the couch
with the lights and TV on. I cover my ears worried that they will climb
in.... I feel everyone's pain.
Brack
11 Oct 2009, 16:06
11 Oct 2009, 16:06
I love the little centipedes, they're so cute! I like to get two of em
and line them up and let em race across the kitchen floor, and give some
cake and ice cream to the winner! I don't know why everyone is so afraid
of them, they're just as nice as they can be, and they eat other bugs, so
cool!
Randi
16 Oct 2009, 10:33
16 Oct 2009, 10:33
I found a very small what it seemed to look like a centipede in my room
this morning. My room is on the second floor and I live in south orange
county where we don't get much rain but had a lil rain the last two days.
I'm reading all of everyone's comments and from what I see they all live in
high moisture places. It's usually hot where I live. I usually have warm
Christmas's. Just wanted to see if this was bad for me or my lil puppy?
Thanks for your help!
Scott
28 Oct 2009, 07:40
28 Oct 2009, 07:40
I found an 6-8" brownish centipede in my living room last night... he was
keeping close to furniture and clutter and he survived my first shoe hit
only to run under my entertainment center. I checked the area with
flashlight and shoe but he made a clean getaway...
My question is, will it likely stay in the home till killed, and how paranoid should I be of it attacking my family? We live in Hawaii and often have shorts and no shoes/socks on...
Thanks!
My question is, will it likely stay in the home till killed, and how paranoid should I be of it attacking my family? We live in Hawaii and often have shorts and no shoes/socks on...
Thanks!
Travis B
03 Nov 2009, 14:29
03 Nov 2009, 14:29
I'll tell ya what, They say its slightly painful, I experienced no pain,
but I had one heck of a blister on my hand that sunk in, I woke up to a
sharp sting in my hand and i squished the bugger,after that no pain. it was
approx 4.5 inches long. called a house centipede? Took almost 2 months for
the damage to my hand to fully repair, Nasty little buggars!
Kelly
09 Jan 2010, 12:42
09 Jan 2010, 12:42
I live in an apartment in Chicago and have gotten centipedes during the
changing seasons. They have been gone for quite some time but on this
frigid day in chi-town I just found one and killed him. My landlord was
admiring my 1890'2 restored furniture when he had a thought that they might
be living in my furniture. They were restored in November but they kept
some of the original fill to keep it's original quality. Do you think they
could live in there? Is there a way to resolve the issue? I am freaked out
about my "new" fabulous furniture.
Thank you!
Thank you!
scott
20 Feb 2010, 16:20
20 Feb 2010, 16:20
I live in a highrise apt, on the 13th floor and have been encountering
centipedes for a few weeks now. I get at least 5-6 a week! I just noticed
one in the bathroom tub crawling up the tub. Wondering if these guys are
coming in from the drain. The bathtub faucet always leaks a little, so it's
rather moist. Otherwise, how the heck could these things be getting into
the aptartment?? We are very tidy, clean people and have a pet cat that we
clean up after very well. Not sure if that is an attraction for the bugs.
HELP!