Centipedes

Centipedes are usually brownish in color and can range from 1 – 6 inches in length. They have a flat body (as opposed to millipedes’ fuller, more cylinder-like bodies) and only one pair of legs per body segment.

Interesting Centipede Facts

– These creatures actually help the outdoor yard environment because they feed on spiders, insects, and other arthropods.
– They live outside in damp areas under leaves, stones, tree bark, boards, and mulch.

Problems Caused by Centipede Pests

Most centipedes primarily live outdoors and cause no damage to food or the insides of homes, but will occasionally wander in if their environments are close to the structure. Centipedes can bite with their modified, venomous front legs, but only the larger ones can break skin. Their venom is not usually seriously concerning, but if they break skin, one should take caution and apply an antiseptic on the wound and consult their physician.

Centipede Pest Prevention

It is best to limit the amount of potential hiding places on the ground for these bugs by clearing away clutter, rocks, boards, poorly maintained compost piles, and limiting their ideal environmental spaces in the yard around the house or building. Using exclusion techniques like caulking may also be effective.

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