Centipedes
What are centipedes?
Centipedes are leggy, worm-like pests that regularly find their way into our Ogden homes, garages, sheds, and outbuildings. Once inside our homes, they quickly wear out their welcome and become unwanted houseguests.
Centipedes are critters that live outside in areas of dense vegetation and moisture. They are identified by their long segmented body that is flattened from top to bottom.
Each body segment of a centipede has one pair of long thin, legs attached to it. The first pairs of limbs end in sharp claws and contain venom glands they use to paralyze their prey and as a way to defend themselves against predators. Centipedes use their many legs to move quickly from place to place and chase after their insect prey.
Related Pests
Frequently asked questions
Centipedes are critters that make most people’s skin crawl when they see them scurry across a walkway, or worse, your kitchen floor!
Centipedes aren’t aggressive and aren’t a huge concern when in our homes—they are mainly described as nuisance pests. However, it needs to be noted that centipedes can bite people but usually only do so to stop themselves from being squished. While their bites are painful (think bee sting), their venom isn’t strong enough to cause serious harm
Like most predators, centipedes live where they have easy access to their prey—in their case, insects. When living outside, centipedes are helpful predators that feed on insects helping to control populations of nuisance insects. In addition to insects, moisture also attracts centipedes; they have high moisture needs and live in areas of damp soil.
Centipedes usually are only problematic for people when they decide to move into our homes while searching for food or water. Having a centipede problem in your home generally means your home has moisture issues, as these pests require high humidity levels to survive. Things like leaky pipes, damp basements, poor ventilation, and dripping air-conditioners will attract centipedes into your Utah home
Our Utah yards can provide centipedes with a slice of paradise. Its gardens, landscaping plants, mulch, rocks, and woodpiles give the pests a place to live and hunt for their insect prey. In addition to landscaping, centipedes will hide in the damp soil under containers like trashcans, compost bins, and plant pots.
If hot, dry weather conditions or insect activity have driven centipedes into your home, you will find them gathering in areas that provide a damp, dark environment. Inside houses, kitchens, bathrooms, basements, and crawl spaces offer centipedes a suitable place to call home.
Keep centipedes out of your Northern Utah home with the help of Peak Pest Control. We are a local company that understands the unique needs of the homeowners in our region. We take pride in developing personal relationships with our customers and ensuring we meet each home and family’s individual pest control needs. Through our effective pest control plans in Cache County, modern treatment options, and the use of products with the highest EPA ratings, we provide our customers with maximum protection against unwanted pests!
In addition to our professional centipede control options, use the following tips to help keep centipedes from finding their way into your Ogden, UT home.
– Instead of using mulch which absorbs moisture, use a non-organic material in gardens surrounding your home.
– Remove fallen trees, tree stumps, piles of leaves, brush piles from your yard that centipedes can hide under.
– Repair leaky pipes, hoses, and outdoor fixtures.
– Use dehumidifiers in the basement.
– Inside, reduce excess moisture in your home using dehumidifiers and air-conditioners.
– Make sure your home’s kitchen and bathrooms are well ventilated.
– Seal cracks in the foundation, install door sweeps on all exterior doors, and ensure weather-stripping is intact.