How to get rid of centipedes in a private home: 13 ways

Reasons for appearance

Centipedes love moisture and darkness, so many people may not be aware of their proximity to insects. Centipedes are most active at night. Living in an apartment, they can be observed in:

• toilet;
• bathroom near water;
• cracks under tiles;
• near water pipes

Private houses provide ideal conditions for their living in the form of basements and attics.

In nature, centipedes live in fallen leaves, stumps and tunnels. But in winter, the environment becomes less favorable for them and some of the insects move into people’s homes. An insect can exist normally only if the following conditions are present:

• Food and water.
• Dampness, high humidity.
• Warmth.
• Darkness.

Centipedes feed on pests such as cockroaches, ants and flies. On the one hand, they do not pose a danger to humans, but on the other hand, they are not the most pleasant roommate.

There are several types of centipedes. The most common flycatcher found in our conditions is the common flycatcher. You can recognize it by its yellowish-gray or brown body divided into segments.

Several bluish stripes run along the body, and the number of legs can vary depending on the age of the insect.

The bite of a common centipede causes a slight burning sensation, which does not pose a great danger. But the Chinese centipede (scolopendra) can leave serious burns. The malaise can persist for several days, and the presence of an allergic reaction can be fatal.

Varieties of centipedes

There are many species of centipedes, but most of them are unlikely to be found in homes.

Scolopendra

The most dangerous for humans. Capable of infecting the victim with a poison resembling the composition of scorpion venom.

The sting of a scolopendra is very painful for humans

The bites of this arthropod are not fatal to humans, however, they are painful for 1–2 days.

flycatcher

The house centipede looks like a caterpillar. The insect's body consists of segments (15 or more), each of which has a pair of legs of different lengths. The length of an adult centipede reaches 35–60 mm. The color of the arthropod is usually brown or yellowish-gray with bluish or red-violet stripes along the body.

House centipede - a thunderstorm of spiders, moths, cockroaches

Kivsyak

The length of adults is 2–25 cm. They like humidity. Easily penetrates bathrooms and toilets. Quickly curls up into a spiral when it senses danger.

Sensing danger, it curls up into a spiral.

In times of danger, the nodule secretes a strong-smelling liquid reminiscent of the smell of iodine.

drupe

It reaches 18–30 mm in length. Dark brown, but can be rusty in color. The body is flattened, so it can penetrate into tight spaces. The drupe has 35–49 body segments. The eyes are located on the sides.

During the day, the drupe hides in a shelter, and at night it goes out to hunt.

It feeds on insects and spiders, but can also dine on worms and springtails. The drupe is active at fairly low air temperatures, which allows it to prey on stationary large insects.

There are several groups of arthropods:

• labiopods and bipedal centipedes,
• symphylos and pauropods,
• sea ​​spiders,
• onychophorans.

What measures will help get rid of it?

To get rid of an unpleasant neighbor, it is not enough to run after him with a slipper. Considering the centipede's high speed, this is quite difficult and will not save you from the general problem. A more humane way is to try to catch it and take it outside. But to clear a home of centipedes in the long term, it is necessary to deprive it of living conditions. Having achieved this, you will not have to worry about their return or the brood of a whole nest of insects.

Below is a list of actions that will resolve the problem:

• Food deprivation. Destroy the insects they feed on, and then the centipedes will be forced to leave you.
• Make repairs. The arthropod lives in cracks and holes near drains. Seal them up and deprive them of access to housing.
• Eliminate dampness. The insect is moisture-loving; if you get rid of mold and high humidity, they will not be comfortable.
• Deprivation of water. Do not allow water to accumulate; dry your laundry outside.
• Check the condition of your home's basement. This is where all kinds of unpleasant guests usually accumulate.

Prevention methods

Prevention methods
To get rid of centipedes forever, it is not enough to use chemicals or traps. If these creatures find an apartment attractive to live in, they will definitely return. After treating the premises with special preparations, it is necessary to carry out a number of actions to prevent the reappearance of centipedes:

• carry out regular cleaning of the house and ensure cleanliness in hard-to-reach places;
• exclude the appearance of small insects in the apartment, which are food for centipedes;
• make cosmetic repairs in the apartment, seal the cracks behind the baseboards and under the floor coverings;
• check areas near pipes and sinks for moisture and wipe them thoroughly;
• carry out periodic treatment of apartments with aerosols for prevention.

Following these basic rules will help you forget forever about the presence of such unpleasant creatures as centipedes.

Remedies for getting rid of centipedes

When there is a large infestation of insects, there is no time for traps or similar methods. It is necessary to use stronger means. Keep in mind that the first stage is the elimination of their habitat. If it doesn’t help, then use toxic substances.

Chemical

Food poison does not work well against centipedes. The reason is that they are predators. Therefore, for a long time they may not pay attention to the bait left behind. The best way to eliminate centipedes is to use an insecticide in the form of a spray or aerosol. The product must be poured into possible habitats of the insect - bathroom, toilet, baseboards, tiles. Remember safety precautions and apply the product while wearing rubber gloves and a respirator. After using the product, you must leave the house for several hours.

Examples of tools that can help you:

• Aerosol “Clean House”.
• Aerosol "Raptor".
• Aerosol "Combat".
• Aerosol "Raid".
• Emulsions "Medilis".

The presence of a large number of centipedes in the apartment is an indicator of a colony of cockroaches or ants. To overcome centipedes, it will be necessary to remove the pests, otherwise after a while the insects will return in the same numbers. Therefore, complex products that kill both pests and centipedes are also effective.

Folk

If the number of insects is not particularly large, then you can use folk remedies. Keep in mind that despite the fact that the remedy is a folk remedy, its use or careless handling threatens the same poisoning as previous remedies.

Boric acid works well against most parasites and pests. Centipedes are also among the insects that are poisoned by this product. To combat arthropods there is no need to make baits. It is enough to sprinkle boric acid along the cracks of the tiles, holes in the sewer and under the bathtub. But if you know about the existence of food, such as cockroaches, then it is better to make bait with boiled yolk and boric acid. With the disappearance of cockroaches, centipedes will also disappear.

Using cayenne pepper in an unusual way can also help. Dry, then grind into powder and treat areas similar to the use of boric acid. They cannot stand the smell and taste of spicy foods, so they will soon leave your home.

How to get rid of centipedes in an apartment?

The centipedes described above, although different in appearance, are similar in lifestyle. There are 2 types of fight against them:

• chemical - using pesticides;
• technical - this is the drainage of habitats and repair work.

You can combine the two described options for getting rid of these frightening creatures, which will make the house unsuitable for their habitation and drive out those who remain.

Eliminating the source of moisture

If moisture is removed from the room where centipedes are most often found, then these terrible creatures will leave the house. To do this you can do the following:

• repair leaking taps and sewer pipes;
• install water absorption devices;
• install ventilation mesh vents;
• use air conditioners and fans to dry the walls.

Cleaning the room is completed with general cleaning using chlorine-containing products to get rid of centipede for a long time.

In dry air, the centipede's shell will dry out and it will die from dehydration. If you eliminate the microclimate in the house that is attractive to them, they will leave the home in search of a more suitable habitat.

Eliminating access to food

Many house insects are a favorite treat for centipedes. Their food range includes:

All these insects cause harm to people, so they need to be destroyed so that they do not attract flycatchers.

Carrying out repair work

Annual cosmetic repairs to the house will help not only keep it in proper condition, but also clear it of unnecessary “neighbors”. Most often, insects and arthropods enter homes through:

• cracks in the walls,
• open window openings;
• cracks or mouse passages in the floor;
• ventilation ducts shared with neighbors.

To make it difficult for them to enter the premises, you must:

• install mosquito nets on windows;
• seal cracks in the walls and gaps in the floor;
• eliminate mouse passages;
• install ventilation grilles with a fine mesh;
• plaster the junction of sewer and water pipes with walls and floors.

To eliminate cracks, silicone, polyurethane foam, special mastics and putties are used. Their smell drives centipedes out of the house.

It is bad to store old things in your home, which grow mold in damp places and attract insects. Timely repairs will get rid of centipedes that live under peeling wallpaper and in cracks in walls with crumbling plaster. Having made repairs, the owners solve 2 problems: they improve living conditions and get rid of uninvited guests - harmful insects and centipedes.

Use of chemical control agents

Stores do not sell special preparations to kill centipedes. Therefore, some universal drug will do. To eliminate scolopendra in an apartment, you can use the following brands:

1. Raid is in the form of an aerosol, which, when used, does not emit an unpleasant odor or substances hazardous to humans.
2. Delta zone - does not cause harm to people and animals.
3. Medilis-cyper is a highly concentrated drug that is diluted in water. The solution is sprayed on areas where insects or centipedes accumulate. It contains toxic elements for animals and humans, so it cannot be used everywhere.
4. Globol Original is a poisonous gel solution that is used to kill various insects.
5. Raptor is an aquafumigator that sprays toxic substances into the air. Its use is the most effective compared to other means, but also the most toxic for people, birds, animals and aquarium fish. Therefore, when using it, it is necessary that they are outside the effect of the drug.
6. Great Warrior is a product produced in the form of a gel for the destruction of ants, cockroaches, two-wests, and flycatchers.

All these pesticides are made from dangerous toxic substances, so when working with them you need to be careful and take care to reliably protect people, as well as from accidental contact with their eyes or food

Using traps

Scolopendra has one property: if it loses a leg, then after a while a new one grows in its place. Therefore, sticky traps are ineffective for them. She can break free and run away, and after a while she will run along the walls again.

It is better to use barrier protection methods using crayons and gels that will not allow them to enter the house. They are highly toxic and remain effective for a month. This will quickly help get rid of centipedes in a private home.

Preventive measures

Instead of waging war against centipedes, choosing the most effective means, it is better to take care in advance to prevent their appearance. To do this you need:

• Destroy the entire food base. If there is nothing for the flycatcher to eat in the house, it will not linger and will go to look for more favorable conditions for itself.
• Identify the source of high humidity in the room and take the necessary measures to improve the microclimate in the apartment.
• Block all routes through which these creatures get into the house. Tighten the ventilation holes with fine mesh, seal all the cracks in the floor, baseboards, and ceiling. Do not open windows and vents without a mosquito net. Check the door frame for tiny holes.
• Disassemble all the trash in the basement, pantry, attic, where the centipede could hide during the daytime and breed.

Description and features of centipedes

A centipede is an animal belonging to the class of invertebrates, divided into four types of arthropods. People confuse centipedes with insects because of their repulsive appearance, but this is not true. The size of centipedes varies depending on the species. One variety reaches 35 centimeters in length, while the other is only 2 millimeters.

The body consists of:

• head divided into segments;
• torso;
• a lot of legs.

Note! The number of limbs in centipedes varies from 10 to 750.

Destruction of insects by chemical means

Chemicals in the form of aerosols or sprays will help get rid of centipedes in a private home. Before using the selected product, carry out the following preparations:

• carefully read the instructions and rules for using the drug;
• take the recommended safety measures - wear gloves, a protective suit, a respirator;
• make sure that there are no children or pets in the room during processing;
• hide all food supplies and take indoor plants to another room;
• After using the drug, close the room and leave it for several hours, and then ventilate the apartment well and carry out wet cleaning.

Popular means of combating centipedes are presented in the table:

Solutions

• Cifox – contains cypermethrin. A 50 ml bottle allows you to treat an area of ​​up to 100 square meters to kill insects.
• Get is the most effective tool. A 100 ml bottle is dissolved in a liter of water. This amount is enough to spray a large room, including furniture.
• The executioner is an effective means of fighting. For a two-room apartment you will need 20-25 bottles. One bottle must be diluted with half a liter of water.
• "Cucaracha" is a powerful insecticidal drug. One bottle of 50 ml is enough to treat 100 sq.m.
• "Tetrix" - a remedy for blood-sucking insects. 30 ml of the drug is diluted with a liter of water. The mixture is sprayed or rubbed into surfaces.
• "Butox 50" - used for treating premises. Disinsection is carried out by spraying. Per 100 sq.m. It is necessary to dilute 30 ml of the drug with 10 liters of water.
• "Medilis" is a 25% emulsion concentrate based on the pyrethroid cypermethrin. For 1 sq. m. 50 ml of aqueous emulsion is consumed.

Who are the centipedes in the house?

Centipedes, millipedes or millipedes are representatives of invertebrates.

Scolopendra.

These are mostly predators that feed on small insects, garden pests, ants, reptiles and even small rodents.

They love warm and humid places, so most of them live in the tropics and subtropics. In Russia they live mainly in the south.

Why is it dangerous for people?

If a flycatcher appears in an apartment or house, you should not panic, since this insect does not spoil either food, compared to some insects, or household items. This insect does not show aggression, but, in extreme cases, when it is in danger, it can bite. At the same time, the bite does not cause serious damage to the skin, since its jaws are quite weak and cannot pierce human skin. Its bite can be compared to a bee sting, although the venom it injects is much weaker than that of a bee. Despite this, the bite site may become red and swollen. The flytrap is also not dangerous for pets.

The centipede is considered a beneficial insect because it brings benefits by destroying cockroaches, moths, flies, fleas, spiders, etc. in a house or apartment.

As a rule, they try to get rid of it not because it is dangerous to humans, but because it has an unpleasant, terrifying appearance. For people who are simply afraid of various insects, this is a reason to get rid of the centipede. Who else she can scare is children. At the same time, it is worth noting that in some southern countries centipedes are protected.

Why you CAN'T kill a FLYTRAP, 10 facts about the flycatcher, or the house centipede

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What needs to be done to prevent centipedes from getting infested?

Helpful Tips:

First of all, pay attention to the internal condition of the rooms. Eliminate the appearance of any living creatures that centipedes can prey on

If there are insects in the house, exterminate them in any way possible. If there is no food, there will be no unpleasant arthropod. It is also necessary to check the serviceability of all pipes and joints between them. If there are any problems, be sure to take care of them and fix them. Until you eliminate the dampness and moisture that centipedes are looking for, they will “delight” you with their presence in the room. Do not develop the habit of putting wet rags and washcloths on the floor, always put them in a place where they can dry quickly. Monitor the condition of the towels. Do not leave them wet in the bathroom after use - take them out to dry or hang them on special dryers. Be careful about mold in your home. Be sure to try to eliminate it. Because you will attract not only centipedes, but also health problems may arise for all household members. Constantly inspect the floors and walls for cracks and cracks, and for loose baseboards, so that animals do not have free passages to travel into your home. Keeping the entire house clean, frequent cleaning, washing hard-to-reach places, and airing makes your home unsuitable for the spineless. Look into basements and cellars and monitor their condition.