Everything You Need To Know About House Centipedes And Whether They Can Bite
The house centipede is a strange-looking creature. As the name suggests, it has many legs and can move surprisingly quickly. Its body is dark brown or even a yellow-grey that somehow looks slightly translucent. It adds to the alien-looking appearance.
It’s certainly distinctive!
House centipedes started out in the Mediterranean but are now found across the globe. It’s a predator but the good news is that it mainly targets insects and spiders.
Because they generally move around in the dark, you often won’t notice them in your home. However, if you start seeing them often you may have an infestation and will need to call the exterminators.
It’s worth noting they generally live outside in moist environments with protection from the cold. It’s one of the reasons they come inside during the autumn months. There are two reasons for them to enter your home:
Cold
As mentioned, house centipedes are not keen on the cold. When the outside temperature starts to drop your home looks very appealing.
Food
If you have a lot of other pests in your home, such as spiders and flies, then you have food for house centipedes. That increases the likelihood of you finding them in your home.
How Painful Is Their Bite?
If a house centipede bit you then it should be able to break the skin, making it a painful incident. They won’t cause any further issues because their venom isn’t strong enough to hurt a human.
Before you worry too much, you should note house centipedes very rarely bite humans. You will need to accidentally disturb it and simultaneously make it feel trapped. Because they generally avoid humans, this is unlikely to be an issue.
Eliminating Them
House centipedes are seen as a nuisance pest because they are unlikely to harm you but they aren’t pleasant to see.
Probably the best way of getting rid of them is to call the professionals. They will quickly and effectively locate and eliminate all the house centipedes in your home. However, they can’t stop more from arriving. That’s why you also need to do the following:
Clean
House centipedes will enter your home to eat the pests already there. If you clean the house and remove all existing pests, there is no reason for the house centipede to be there. It will move on to a different location.
Seal Gaps
It’s also a good idea to inspect the outside of your home. You need to locate any small gaps and cracks and fill them. If you can get all of them then you will make it impossible for the house centipede to get into your house. This also prevents other pests from getting in which is a bonus.
Lower Humidity
House centipedes love humid environments. Invest in a dehumidifier and run it in your basement. It will lower the humidity of the entire house and make it less appealing to the house centipede.
