Centipede Prevention: Learn practical & effective tips, including sealing entry points & reducing moisture. Adam’s offers expert tips for centipede-free homes
Centipedes have never had a name that inspires happiness. No, they have a frightening name and even worse appearance. Centipedes are insects you don’t want in your home. Centipedes in Minnesota are not harmful to humans, but they aren’t pleasant to have around or look at either. Fortunately, you are doing a little spring cleaning. Now is a good time to protect your Minnesota home from creeping centipedes.
How to spot a centipede
You will know a centipede when you see it. The legs are a dead giveaway. Centipedes are brownish yellow bugs with many legs. The common centipede found in Minnesota is the house centipede. It measures between 1 and 1 1/2 inches long. The common house centipede has a long, flat body with 15 segments, each of which has a set of legs. The common house centipede in your home also has three long stripes that run down its back.
Problems caused by centipedes
Centipedes are not dangerous. That is the good news. The bad new is that a centipede infestation can become overwhelming very quickly. You may have an infestation and not even realize it is there. Many times, the only way to know you have centipedes without the help from a professional is when you see them crawling up into your tub and scattering across your basement or walls.
Tips for Centipede Prevention
To get rid of centipedes in your home, it is necessary to understand how they survive and what conditions they prefer. Centipedes like dark, damp spaces. They also prefer not to be disturbed. Dark, moist, quiet spaces are the types of areas in which you need to focus. Here are a few of our tricks for preventing centipedes.
🧼 1. Reduce Moisture Indoors
- Centipedes thrive in damp environments. Use a dehumidifier in basements, bathrooms, and crawl spaces.
- Fix any leaky pipes or faucets and improve ventilation in damp areas.
🧹 2. Eliminate Their Food Source
- Centipedes feed on insects like spiders, ants, and cockroaches. Reducing other pests will naturally reduce centipedes.
- Keep your home clean, especially the kitchen and under appliances, to avoid attracting other bugs.
🔍 3. Seal Entry Points
- Inspect and seal cracks and gaps in your foundation, around windows, and under doors.
- Install door sweeps and window screens to keep centipedes out.
🍂 4. Clear Outdoor Clutter
- Remove piles of leaves, wood, or compost near your home’s foundation. These areas are ideal centipede habitats.
- Trim overgrown shrubs and ensure gutters are draining away from your home.
🛏 5. Declutter and Vacuum Regularly
Centipedes hide in cluttered corners, under furniture, and in storage areas. Vacuum regularly and reduce clutter to remove hiding spots.
Get help from the professionals for Centipede Prevention
As we said before, spotting centipedes in your home can be difficult. It takes a trained eye to spot centipedes in their hiding spots. A quick call to Adam’s Pest Control in Minnesota can save you from a big headache later. The Adam’s Pest Control method includes a thorough inspection of your home, recommendations for prevention and control, and an insect management plan to keep centipedes and other pests out of your home. Year-round pest control is the only way you can keep centipedes out of your home for good.
