The House Centipede; Facts, Benefits and How to get rid of it

So drop whatever you’re doing, fasten your seatbelts and join me in this epic journey as we unravel the great mysteries of this pest.

 

Facts About the House Centipede

Below is a breakdown of areas we’ll be discussing in this article:

What is a house centipede?

Where do they live?

What do they eat?

Picture of the house centipede

House centipede face

Can a house centipede climb and jump?

Will the house centipede crawl on your bed?

Are they harmful?

Benefits of the house centipede

How to get rid of the house centipede

 

What is a House Centipede?

Of course, you’ll want to know what a house centipede is, and here’s your answer.

There are various species of centipedes in the world. Centipedes are known to be elongated creatures with one per of legs attached to each segment of its body. A house centipede gets its name from its constant presence in human homes, it is a small yellowish-grey centipede with up to 15 pairs of long legs. Yes, 15!!

The house centipede belongs to the kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Arthropoda

Class: Chilopoda

Order: Scutigeromorpha

Family: Scutigeridae

Genus: Scutigera

Species: S. coleoptrata

Although it is an Arthropod, it still feeds on other arthropods, such as insects and arachnids, e.t.c cruel right? well, it is to their fellow arthropods, but not the same with humans.

 

Where does the House Centipede live?

These pests live both outdoors and indoors, that is, they can live on the outside of our homes and even inside our homes.

They are likely to be found in cool and moist places, this is because their respiratory system does not provide them a tool or mechanism for shutting down their stigma (an opening of the exoskeleton of an insect to allow air to enter the trachea), so they need these moist, cool places protect them from the harsh cold and dehydration. Outdoors, most of them live in piles of wood, under large rocks, and even compost piles.

Indoors, these bugs are a great nuisance as they are found in almost every corner of the house. And of course, they are found in areas with high water vapor. These places could include the bathrooms, basement, and toilets but, they are also found in less humid places like the bedrooms, dining, and even offices.

Because of the nature of their respiratory systems, they could mostly be seen outdoors during spring, when the weather is warmer, and indoors during autumn when the weather is too cold.

 

What does the House Centipede Eat?

As was stated earlier this pest, though being an arthropod still feeds on other arthropods such as the termites, cockroaches, silverfish bug, ants, the bed bug, spiders, and many more you can think of.

So you can say these bugs are insectivorous, that is, they feed on other insects and arachnids which is good.

Another reason why they stay in the dark, humid places is that it is always laying in wait for other insects or arachnids to pass by so it can release their venomous sting on it’s prey. Yes, it’s true, the house centipede does not bite but sting its prey, and these stings are known to be very venomous.

They capture their prey by grasping them with their legs and using their forcipule to inject venom into them.

The forcipule is a pincer-like foreleg used as a jaw to inject venomous stings on prey.

So indeed these insectivorous pests are very fierce hunters.

Picture of the House Centipede

House Centipede Face

This pest is known to possess a flattened head, which bears a forcipule, two pairs of antennae, and a compound eye. However, these eyes are only capable of differentiating light and dark and have no true vision.

Can House centipede jump?

Yes, these pests can jump, and this technique is called the lassoing technique

This pest jumps when it wants to attack its prey by using its forelegs right near its head which has been mechanized to carry venom and its other legs to pick up the bug.

Below is a video to explain better:

http://https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q2RtbP1d7Kg

Will House Centipede Crawl on Your Bed?

Although these pests are harmless, they can become a nuisance if they are allowed to get out of hand.

It can be found everywhere in the home, so of course, they can crawl on your bed while you sleep. Besides crawling on your bed, they can also climb ceilings.

Is House Centipede Harmful?

It would be good of you to know that these bugs are not in any way harmful to humans, except you would turn yourself into a bug then you surely will become an enemy of these guys.

Although the house centipede looks scary and creepy, you can rest assured that these guys are totally harmless and dangerous.

Though being harmless, their silence shouldn’t be taken for granted as this bug is capable of stinging an invader when the need arises. So you shouldn’t go looking for their trouble. But good thing, their stings aren’t so fatal and therefore makes them not harmful.

Benefits Of the House Centipede

Yes, these creepy creatures do have benefits to man and his environment.

House centipedes play certain roles in our homes as they serve as pest exterminators. House centipedes feed on other pests including spiders, bed bugs, silverfish bugs, ants, cockroaches, termites, and many more bugs you can think of, so it wouldn’t be advisable to get rid of these guys.

How to Get Rid of the House Centipede

Though these bugs are beneficial to humans, some individuals still feel disgusted by the presence and appearance of these bugs. In case you’re one of them, then you’re in the right place at the right time. Below is a list of how to get rid of this pest:

• Make use of an insect catcher

You might be scared by the thought of picking a bug such as this one, but there’s a remedy to this.

An insect catcher can be used to pick up these bugs and get them out of the house.

• Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth

Sprinkle this white powdered substance on areas infested by this pest to exterminate them from your home.

The white powder should be sprinkled in dry places even though they are likely to be found in humid places such as the bathrooms, toilets, and dining.

• Make use of a Dehumidifier

Since these pests are known to strive in humid places, such places should be dehumidified, that is,  they should be dried of moisture.

A dehumidifier is an answer in this case as its mechanism helps to dry the damp areas and get rid of excess moisture.

 

The point has been established that this pest is a harmless creature just there to help us exterminate pests in our homes.

And we’ve come to the end of this epic journey, I hope you enjoyed it and I hope we’ve been of great help to you. If any comments or better clarification of the subject topic Contact us for further inquiries.

 

About The Author