Some Natural Remedies to Get Rid of Centipedes

How to get rid of centipedes? This question comes to the mind of many people. Creepy looking centipedes normally reside outdoors tree bark, boards, stones, and leaves. However, they often enter houses to cause trouble. In fact, this insect is one of the most common indoor pest problems that house owners are facing in the US.

Frequently, it can be hard to rule or confirm out the centipede infestation in a home. The main reason is that centipedes typically stay out of sight. Moreover, this insect shares a lot of physical appearance with millipedes, and they can easily mistake for the latter.

You must understand the centipede physical features, the things that attract them, what they eat, and many more. So, in this article, we will share how to get rid of centipedes naturally.

Physical Characteristics of a Centipede

Centipedes are arthropods; it is a species of invertebrate insect with segmented legs, bodies paired together. Even the bravest people get creeped out by the look of centipedes.

This insect has a tiny body-sized between three to six centimeters. The color of this insect is either grey or brown with purple or bluish-colored strips. Centipedes also feature 15 long striped leg pairs. The final size of the centipede’s leg can be twice as much as the length of their body. (Source)

However, the interesting thing about the centipede is that they move so quickly, and they can lift the bodies on long legs. This allows the centipede to move from one place to another within seconds. Because of this reason, the task of getting rid of this insect from the house becomes difficult.

Some Natural Ways To Get Rid of Centipedes in The House

If you can’t prevent this insect from entering the house, then the best thing to do would be to get rid of these insects from the house as soon as possible. Though there are many chemical products to remove centipedes, this process can put your safety and health at risk.

So that’s why we recommend trying the natural ways to get rid of this insect from the house before using the chemical-based solutions. Here are some of the following natural ways to get rid of these insects from the house.

Use The Dehumidifier

This insect thrives and loves humid conditions, that is why to prevent the centipede infestation in your home is by using the dehumidifier in all the humid places of your house. Moreover, remove all the excess moisture from the bathroom by turning on the exhaust fan.

By removing humidity from the house, you will not only prevent centipedes from entering the home, but it will also keep other insects like roaches and ants away from the house. Because these insects are known to enter the house during the dry season in search of water.

Use Cayenne Pepper

There are several natural ways to get rid of this insect; one of them is using cayenne pepper. It is a natural compound in pepper such as capsaicin; it creates so much heat that it acts as the natural repellent against insects.

This chilly or heat sensation created by cayenne pepper is something that this insect must avoid at any cost; this is the natural instinct. So, by sprinkling this pepper at all the main entry points, you can keep centipede away from the house.

Block all the entry points

Well, one of the best things you can do to keep this insect away from home is by blocking all the main entry points for them. For that, you need to seal any cracks in the foundation and concrete walls.

Moreover, use the window screen to cover the floor drains in the basement and remove the gaps in your doors and windows. This process will help you to keep centipedes from entering the house.

Use boric acid

Another natural way to kill the centipedes from the house is by using boric acid. It is the most effective way to eliminate this insect naturally. Moreover, it can be easily bought from the hardware shop.

There is no danger to the health of pets and kids as this acid is non-toxic in nature. You can sprinkle the boric acid in several areas of the home. When the centipede comes to contact with boric acid, it will consume it. This will cause dehydration in this insect that will ultimately lead to death.

Use sticky traps

You can use the sticky traps to get rid of this insect from the house. Place the sticky traps in every corner of the house. There are many places in the house where this insect is most likely to search for food, so there is your chance of capturing the centipede with the sticky trap. Moreover, sticky traps also capture the other pests that they feed on.

Use an insect catcher

Frequently, this insect will hang around the ceiling in the home. If you fear these hanging insects might fall on you when you are sitting, then you can place the insect catcher below the ceilings in the house to capture the pest that might fall down.

Use soap spray

Using this spray is the best way to eliminate the centipedes in the home. You can make a natural pest repellent by mixing one-part soap with one-part water and putting it in a spray bottle.

The soap spray will kill the pests in the house by dehydrating them. The centipede is covered in oil and wax, and it is removed by this spray and allows the water inside this insect to escape. This leads to dehydration and death.

Cedar oil

It is also the best way to eliminate pests naturally by using cedar oil. Cedar oil causes osmotic and suffocation dehydration in this insect. Moreover, this oil eliminates a centipede by homogenizing the body fats.

Final Words

There are many natural ways of killing or getting rid of centipedes from the house. Several of these methods are natural remedies that include the use of products that are easily available at the house. Moreover, if you are tired of being bitten by bed bugs, then check out steps to eliminate bed bugs. If you find this information useful, drop a comment below this section.