Centipedes have been creeping through North American homes since the 1800s, often leaving us startled with their alarming speed and numerous legs. Despite their name suggesting “hundred feet,” they never actually have 100 legs—they always possess an odd number of leg pairs, ranging from 15 to a staggering 171 pairs. These resilient creatures can live up to 7 years in your home, silently hunting other pests while giving you unexpected frights. Let’s explore proven strategies to reclaim your living space from these many-legged invaders.
Understanding House Centipedes: Know Your Enemy
Before knowing how to get rid of centipedes in home, it’s essential to understand what you’re dealing with. House centipedes are not just random pests—they’re sophisticated hunters with specific preferences and behaviors.
Why Centipedes Choose Your Home
Your house might be a centipede magnet without you realizing it. These moisture-loving arthropods are drawn to specific conditions:
- Damp, dark environments like bathrooms and basements
- Homes with abundant prey insects (spiders, silverfish, roaches)
- Cluttered spaces that provide hiding spots
- Areas with high humidity and poor ventilation
Centipedes lack the waxy cuticle that other arthropods have, making them highly susceptible to drying out. This vulnerability to dehydration explains their attraction to the moist areas of your home.
Identifying Common House Centipedes
House centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata) have distinctive features that set them apart from other household pests:
- Yellowish-gray bodies with dark stripes
- Typically 1-1.5 inches long
- 15 pairs of long, spindly legs
- Impressive speed (about 1.3 feet per second)
- Two long antennae at the front
While they might look intimidating, remember that these creatures are actually hunting other pests in your home. Their presence often indicates other underlying pest issues that need addressing.
Moisture Control: The Foundation of Centipede Prevention
Let’s start learn how to get rid of centipedes in home! Since moisture is the primary attractant for centipedes, controlling humidity levels in your home is your first line of defense against these unwelcome guests.
Dehumidify Your Way to a Centipede-Free Home
Creating a drier environment makes your home instantly less appealing to moisture-dependent centipedes:
- Install dehumidifiers in naturally damp areas like basements and crawl spaces
- Aim to maintain indoor humidity levels below 50%
- Use exhaust fans in bathrooms and kitchens to reduce moisture buildup
- Fix leaky pipes and faucets promptly
- Ensure proper ventilation throughout your home
A moisture meter can help identify problem areas that might not be immediately visible, particularly in basements and spaces with limited airflow.
Sealing Entry Points: Close the Door on Centipedes
Centipedes can squeeze through remarkably small openings, making a thorough inspection and sealing of potential entry points crucial for prevention.
DIY Centipede-Proofing Tips
Create an impenetrable barrier against centipedes with these sealing strategies:
- Inspect your home’s foundation, walls, doors, and windows for cracks and gaps
- Use silicone caulk to seal smaller cracks around windows, doors, and baseboards
- Apply expanding foam sealant for larger openings, especially around pipes
- Install weatherstripping under exterior doors
- Repair or replace damaged window screens
- Pay special attention to the junction between walls and floors, particularly in basements
Don’t forget to check around utility penetrations—these are often overlooked entry points that centipedes readily exploit.
Natural Repellents: Eco-Friendly Centipede Control
For those preferring a more natural approach to pest management, several eco-friendly options can help deter centipedes without harsh chemicals.
Essential Oils: Nature’s Centipede Repellent
Essential oils provide an aromatic solution to your centipede problem:
| Essential Oil | How It Works Against Centipedes |
|---|---|
| Peppermint Oil | Disrupts their navigating ability with strong scent |
| Tea Tree Oil | Repels with its antibacterial and insecticidal properties |
| Eucalyptus Oil | Deters centipedes with its sharp, powerful fragrance |
| Lavender Oil | Overwhelms centipedes’ sensitive antennae |
| Cedarwood Oil | Naturally repellent to centipedes and other pests |
| Lemon Oil | Disrupts centipedes’ sense of direction |
Create a simple repellent spray by mixing 20-25 drops of essential oil with water in a spray bottle. Apply to entry points, baseboards, and areas where centipedes travel.
The Power of Pandan Leaves
Pandan leaves offer a fragrant solution that humans enjoy but centipedes avoid:
- Slice fresh pandan leaves and place them in clean containers
- Position these containers in corners, near entry points, and in areas where centipedes have been spotted
- Replace the leaves as the scent fades, usually every 5-7 days
This natural remedy adds a pleasant aroma to your home while making centipedes want to find the exit.
Eliminating Food Sources: Starve Them Out
Centipedes are predators that hunt other small household pests. By controlling these prey insects, you make your home less attractive to centipedes.
Comprehensive Pest Management
Create an inhospitable environment for centipedes by eliminating their food supply:
- Implement general pest control measures to eliminate spiders, ants, silverfish, and cockroaches
- Keep food properly stored and clean up crumbs promptly
- Regularly vacuum carpets and remove cobwebs
- Pay particular attention to cluttered areas that provide hiding places for both centipedes and their prey
- Address any existing pest problems with appropriate treatments
Remember, a centipede infestation often indicates the presence of other pests. Tackling these underlying issues naturally drives centipedes away as their food source disappears.
DIY Traps and Powders: Physical Barriers to Centipedes
Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective. Physical traps and natural powders provide low-toxicity options for controlling centipedes.
Sticky Traps for Monitoring and Control
Sticky traps offer a simple, non-toxic method for capturing centipedes while helping you monitor the extent of an infestation:
- Place adhesive traps in corners, along baseboards, near entrances, and in other areas where centipede activity has been noticed
- Check and replace traps regularly
- Note which locations capture the most centipedes to identify problem areas requiring additional attention
These traps also collect other household pests, giving you valuable information about which secondary pests might be attracting centipedes to your home.
Diatomaceous Earth and Boric Acid Applications
These natural powders create an effective barrier against centipedes:
- Sprinkle food-grade diatomaceous earth along baseboards, in corners, under appliances, and other areas where centipedes travel
- Apply boric acid to cracks, crevices, and other centipede pathways
- Keep these powders dry for maximum effectiveness
- Reapply after cleaning or if they become damp
- Use cautiously in homes with pets or small children
Diatomaceous earth works by damaging centipedes’ exoskeletons, causing dehydration when they crawl over it. Boric acid acts as both a desiccant and a stomach poison when ingested during grooming.
Outdoor Maintenance: Creating a Defensive Perimeter
The area immediately surrounding your home significantly impacts centipede populations indoors. Creating a defensive perimeter is essential for comprehensive centipede control.
Landscaping to Prevent Centipede Habitats
Transform your yard into a centipede-resistant environment:
- Keep mulch beds thin and at least 12-24 inches away from your home’s foundation
- Consider replacing organic mulch with gravel or stone in areas adjacent to your house
- Regularly rake mulch every 4-6 weeks to reduce moisture retention
- Remove piles of leaves, woodpiles, compost, and other organic debris from areas near your home
- Trim vegetation away from the foundation
- Use outdoor lighting that doesn’t attract insects, such as yellow “bug lights” or sodium vapor lamps
Creating a dry zone around your foundation removes the bridge centipedes use to approach your home.
Chemical Control: When Natural Methods Need Reinforcement
When natural methods prove insufficient for controlling centipedes, various insecticide products can provide more aggressive treatment.
Effective Insecticide Applications
For persistent infestations, consider these chemical solutions:
- Apply residual insecticide sprays containing cypermethrin or bifenthrin along baseboards, in corners, and around entry points
- Focus on cracks and crevices, along walls, and around door and window frames
- Use insecticidal dusts for hard-to-reach spaces like wall voids and behind appliances
- Create a protective barrier around your home by applying liquid insecticide in a 3-foot band up the foundation wall and 3 feet out from the foundation
- Maintain this barrier by reapplying treatments every 30-60 days during peak centipede seasons
Always carefully follow the manufacturer’s instructions regarding mixing, application methods, and safety precautions when using chemical insecticides.
When to Call Professionals: Recognizing Your Limits
While many centipede problems can be resolved with DIY approaches, certain situations warrant professional intervention.
Signs You Need Expert Help
Consider contacting a licensed pest control professional if:
- You’re experiencing a severe or persistent infestation that hasn’t responded to home treatments
- You’ve identified hidden moisture sources or entry points in difficult-to-access areas
- You have recurring centipede problems despite your best efforts
- You live in an area where centipedes are particularly common
- You prefer a comprehensive, professionally managed solution
Professional pest control services offer several advantages, including access to commercial-grade pesticides, specialized application equipment, and extensive training in identifying root causes of infestations.
Long-Term Prevention: Maintaining a Centipede-Free Home
Keeping centipedes away requires ongoing vigilance and regular maintenance. Implement these strategies to maintain a centipede-resistant home environment.
Seasonal Inspection Routines
Establish a quarterly home inspection schedule that includes:
- Checking for new cracks in the foundation, damaged weatherstripping, and plumbing leaks
- Inspecting basements, crawl spaces, bathrooms, and other naturally damp areas
- Cleaning gutters and downspouts to prevent moisture buildup around your foundation
- Inspecting and repairing window and door screens before insect season
- Refreshing exterior insecticide barriers as needed
This proactive approach creates an environment that consistently discourages centipede habitation.
Final Thoughts: A Balanced Approach to Centipede Control
Although centipedes might give you the creepy-crawlies, remember they’re actually hunting other pests in your home. The most effective approach to centipede control addresses the conditions that attract them rather than just killing the centipedes themselves.
By implementing a combination of moisture control, entry point sealing, and prey elimination—supplemented with targeted removal methods when necessary—you can create a home environment that naturally resists centipede invasion.
Remember that persistence is key. A single treatment rarely solves a centipede problem completely. Instead, commit to ongoing prevention and monitoring to maintain a centipede-free home for the long term.
With these strategies in your pest management toolkit, you can confidently tackle even the most persistent centipede issues and reclaim your home from these many-legged visitors.