Unlike their shorter-legged tropical relatives, house centipedes can spend their entire lives indoors. Since these centipedes feed on household insects, they are considered the most useful creatures living in human homes. However, due to their frightening appearance, terrible speed of movement and painful bites, few are willing to live in the same house with them.
House centipedes can bite humans, but this is rare. The sting is no more painful than a bee sting. The worst thing about a centipede bite is mild pain and swelling at the site of the bite. Symptoms usually disappear within a few hours. However, for people with an individual sensitivity to the very weak centipede venom, this may cause problems. The house centipede's venom is too weak to pose a serious threat to domestic dogs and cats. Centipedes do not damage food or furniture.
Ways to kill millipedes in your home include draining areas where they can breed, killing house insects that millipedes feed on, sealing cracks in walls, and having pest control done by a professional.
The first time I met a centipede was in the summer when I was 12 years old. I walked into the bedroom, and she was sitting on the wall above the stairs. I froze, staring at her, wondering at the same time whether to wake up dad so he could beat her. I have a terrible fear of crawling bugs, and was so scared that I decided that getting my dad up in the middle of the night because of such a scary creature was justified. He did not agree to kill the centipede, and before going to bed (leaving the centipede alive), he told me that they crawl on people at night and bite. In the morning, somewhat repentant, he told me that this might not be entirely true. As it turned out, this is not at all the case.
Flycatchers rarely bite people, most often their jaws are so weak that they cannot bite through human skin even in self-defense. But even if they manage to do this, the bite of a centipede feels similar to a weak bee sting.
The only creatures that should be seriously wary of flycatchers are insects - bedbugs, spiders, ants, cockroaches, etc., since centipedes feed on them. Theoretically, from this point of view, it would even be useful to have centipedes in the house, but the same thing is said about spiders, but I still am not eager to find a five-centimeter spider in the bathroom.
Common flycatcher
(House centipede)
Scutigera coleoptrata Linnaeus (1758)
ENG: house centipede, twenty-eight-legger; BG: centipede; FR: scutigere veloce; GER: spinnenlaufer; HEB: אצנדל; ICE: husmargfætla; JAP: ゲジ; UKR: Zvichaina flycatcher
An adult flycatcher reaches a length of 35-60 mm. The body color of this centipede is yellowish-gray or brown with three reddish-purple or bluish stripes along the body, and the legs are also striped.
Like all arthropods, the centipede has an exoskeleton consisting of chitin and sclerotin. Its flattened body is divided into 15 segments, each of which has a pair of legs that support the body as it moves. The last pair of legs of a flycatcher is so long (in females it can be twice the length of the body) that it looks like a mustache - it is difficult for an unenlightened person to immediately determine where the centipede’s head is and where the opposite end is. The first pair of legs of the flycatcher were transformed into jaws for capturing prey and defense. On each side of the head are complex, well-developed compound eyes. The antennae of the flycatcher are very long, whip-shaped, consisting of five hundred to six hundred segments.
A newly hatched flycatcher has four pairs of legs, the number of which increases with each moult to five, seven, nine and thirteen pairs. After another five molts, the number of legs of this centipede increases to fifteen pairs.
The natural range of the flycatcher is Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.
What does the flycatcher eat: The centipede eats silverfish, fleas, cockroaches, moths, spiders, as well as other centipedes that live in the house. 
Behavior and reproduction: The flycatcher is active both day and night, when disturbed, unlike other centipedes, it moves rapidly (the flycatcher reaches speeds of up to 40 centimeters per second).
The flycatcher has excellent eyesight, and with its speed, it is an excellent hunter. She often sits on the walls of houses and barns, where she chases flies, crickets and other insects at breakneck speed.
While moving, the flycatcher raises its body on surprisingly long legs and rushes forward, then suddenly stops, freezes motionless, and with the same agility and agility disappears into its shelter.
Habitat: Flycatchers in nature live under trees and in fallen leaves. Having settled in the house, centipedes choose damp places to live: the bathroom, rooms in the basement or basement.
Flycatchers spend the winter in secluded places and become active with the onset of spring. With the help of their antennae, centipedes explore the space around them, although their vision is better than that of other centipedes. When environmental conditions change, for example, when there is a draft or a significant drop in temperature, house centipedes hide in shelters or move to another place.
Flycatchers are not aggressive, but may bite people in self-defense. Most often, their jaws are so weak that they cannot penetrate human skin. If the centipede still manages to bite through it, the bite feels like a bee sting.
4 facts about
The Beast That Lives Behind the Toilet
1. Flycatchers in the house are not your fault. Stop reproaching yourself. Unlike, for example, cockroaches, house centipedes, also known as flycatchers, do not start because your dishes have not been washed. At least not directly. Flycatchers feed on spiders and insects - they are actually very useful, and if you think about it, you can decide that it is better to have one centipede running around than an infestation of cockroaches. Leftover crumbs and half-eaten sandwiches actually create a breeding ground for the insects that flycatchers feed on.
2. Flycatchers are useful. Flycatchers can eat several insects at the same time, gnawing one insect and holding the second with one of their 30 legs. They usually hunt at night, waiting for their prey to come closer so they can pounce and grab it.
3. A flytrap is not a toy. House centipedes use their poisonous front legs to catch insects. The good news is that flycatchers do not attack themselves, and most of them cannot bite through human skin. The bad news: most cannot; the bite of other centipedes feels similar to a bee sting.
4. Flycatchers can remember. Unlike many house insects, which die soon after breeding, the flycatcher can live for almost seven years. There is a real possibility that she will live in your home longer than you. During this time, it can grow up to 4-6 cm long. It is not surprising that they are difficult to get rid of. Often recommended sticky traps are largely useless because the flycatchers escape from them by simply throwing off the stuck legs, which then grow back.
How to get rid of centipedes 
Kill the centipede or catch it immediately - if you can. Thanks to their rigid flexible body and numerous (15 pairs in adult flycatchers) legs, they run very quickly. However, centipedes do not settle in houses in huge numbers - kill the one you are looking at, and most often the “extermination of centipedes” will be completed. If you do not want to kill the flycatcher, but simply drive it out, you can catch it in a jar and throw it outside. On the other hand, the problem can be solved by spraying an aerosol designed to control millipedes.
Exterminate small domestic insects, and centipedes will move to a place where there is more tasty food.
Keep the house dry. Centipedes do not tolerate dry conditions, so if you clean out damp closets and basements and use dehumidifiers, the flycatchers will find a more comfortable home.
Use sticky traps. Place them in the corners along the baseboards, where flycatchers often hunt, and not only centipedes, but also many insects will become your trophies. By the way, this will help you determine which insects need to be destroyed in order to deprive the centipedes of prey.
Seal off areas where centipedes can enter the room. To prevent centipedes from getting into your home, seal cracks in the foundation and walls, seal around windows and doors, and cover foundation drains with mosquito netting.
Fighting centipedes with chemicals
If you're not happy with centipedes just staying away from your home and you're going to eradicate them, read on.
If you have problems with centipedes only inside the house, you can sprinkle a powdered residual insecticide in places where flycatchers usually hide - cracks in the walls, dark corners in the basement, on the technical floor and under furniture. Keep in mind that centipedes will need to walk across the powder as they are predators, hunting for moving prey and not following bait.
You can discourage millipedes from hanging out outside your windows by treating the underside and soaking a strip of at least 5 feet wide around the house with a residual outdoor insecticide.
If you don't want to encounter centipedes even in your yard, also treat your lawn and the materials you use for gardening. But do not forget that the insecticide itself, separately from other measures, only works for a short time. If your yard, house or apartment is damp, littered and full of tasty insects, centipedes will happily return to you.
If you want to poison centipedes, but do not want to poison relatives and pets, use natural pesticides such as boric acid or food-grade diatomaceous earth powder for ongoing control of centipedes and insects. Products containing plant pyrethrins are contact-active and can be sprayed as an aerosol.
Clean up the house and around it. Remove fallen leaves, grass clippings, firewood, compost and building materials from the area or away from the house. If you cannot tolerate centipedes and live in your own home, remove all climbing plants from the walls - centipedes love to hide in them.
..........HOW I WAS BITTE BY A FLYTRAP.......
Yes, the bug is useful... until recently it crawled into my ear at night....
it was like this....... I woke up from the fact that someone was climbing on the face...
Well, reflexively he started to shake it off with his hands... and she grunted in her ear...... and climbed in.
I immediately woke up... from the chattering in my head... and poking around with my finger...
and when I tore off her back paws, she probably realized that she needed to hide deeper...... and then she started biting me there......
I rush and swear into the bathroom...
I've been attacked by midges and this is 10 times stronger....and the most annoying thing is that when something in your head gets into your brain with such a roar and pain......you can't immediately figure out what to do..... ...
I grabbed hydrogen peroxide 3% and poured it in, but it still scraped inside...... let's pour in cold water... then warm... already quite hot..... 50 degrees.....
and she probably already takes a bath there with the detergents that I poured in there so that she would die there......
My wife was calling me to the noise and she was sleepy; she wouldn’t understand that I was dancing near the sink...... and I’m trying to shake her out of there...
I say there’s vodka, bring it quickly.... and in the head everything is roaring and the gore is just pi.........
my wife brought a bottle. I tell her what you see. she says that something is twitching there and you can push it deeper there with a cotton swab.....
I say, bring the tweezers with which you tug at your eyebrows.... she ran for the tool... and I poured vodka from a bottle into my ear and only a slight burning sensation and I died... the rustling stopped, but I can’t hear well when the water flows into my ear... my wife I came and I kept banging my head over the sink...
she tried to pull it out......with trembling hands she pulled out our 3-centimeter useful wet flytrap......
A WHOLE HOUR OF OUR FIGHT HAS PASSED
but this is not the end...
I didn’t go to the doctor. I thought they pulled it out and everything would heal. I bought some drops and put them in. and after four days everything does not heal and does not heal...........
I went to the ENT doctor..... AND THERE THE TENTACLES BITE THE EARDRUM and half of it got inside. When we pulled it out, they broke off....
a whole council of doctors gathered there and none of them had even heard of such a case.... most likely she cut a hole in herself and they said that if she was not trolled in time, they would have to be pulled out surgically.... such a useful insect ....
I understand and everyone said that getting into the ear is an isolated case......but still it happens now.......
| May 31, 2013 | answer |
Firstly, the insect must be immobilized - any liquid fats in which the insect gets stuck are good for this...
Secondly, eliminate what alcohol-containing liquids are suitable for...
in my own practice I used camphor oil, in which the insect gets stuck, and essential oils eliminate it, and under no circumstances should you stuff objects in at this time or compact the poor insect in your ear.
| --- 06 Aug 2013 | answer |
Of course, they can run over a sleeping person if his bed is moved close to the wall and a fat mosquito or fly is sitting on him - which attracts flycatchers, the fact that some people have arachnophobia, etc. - here you gentlemen need to be treated, not insects destroy - set your priorities correctly!
I want to ask about this creature. A couple of months ago I saw this insect in the bathtub, I thought let it live and didn’t become curious about it. A couple of days ago it ran across my face, I instantly shook it off, jumped out of bed and couldn’t sleep, no, of course I knew that it was alive, running and crawled out only at night, running along the walls. I went to bed around midnight and again I heard it running along the walls, I jumped up and turned on the light and it was sitting in the corner, for some reason I took a fly swatter and let’s face it, I hit an insect and smeared and tore off a couple of legs, one stuck to the wall with liquid in its body and the rest fell behind the sofa . That leg twitched as if running for about a minute and calmed down. From what I saw, I concluded that this creature was somehow more like worms since each part of the body lived separately, since I’m 13 and my knowledge is not so extensive about such insects, I began to search on the Internet and came to you , after looking at your photos and descriptions on Wikipedia, I realized that this is a flycatcher as you say, but can an insect transmit nerve impulses to the limb that has come off?
😵
And in general, people, do you think that at night only she climbs on you? Just because it’s big, you feel it more.
And for your information, now the mosquitoes are something like Chernobyl. So I don’t think that the bites you noticed on yourself are from a flytrap.
The centipede, or as it is often called, the house centipede, the common flycatcher, is an insect that belongs to the class of arthropods and therefore has a rather peculiar appearance. It can be seen in apartments and private homes, especially in dark corners of basements, under the kitchen sink or in the bathroom, where dampness may be present. Due to the repulsive appearance and rather large size of the centipede, many people experience fear and hostility when meeting it, although this is completely in vain, this type of insect does not pose any threat, and even helps get rid of flies, cockroaches, fleas and moths.
Centipede insect - appearance, habitat, behavioral features What does a centipede look likeThe body length of the house centipede is usually about 4–6 cm. The color of the insect varies from yellow-gray to brown. There are three stripes along the back; they come in purple or blue. The centipede has compound eyes, thanks to which it has excellent vision. On the sides of the head there are small antennae, consisting of a large number of segments; they react to changes in air temperature and thereby help the insect navigate in finding the safest places.
The body consists of 15 segments that are capable of supporting the body in weight. The flycatcher has many legs, their length increases as they approach the tail. This structure of the legs allows it to run quickly at speeds of up to 40 cm per second. The number of limbs and segments in millipedes increases as they grow up to 15 pairs. The last pair of legs is so long that it can exceed the size of the insect's body. The first pair of forelimbs in the process of evolution began to represent jaw processes, which greatly help the centipede in hunting.
Where does the centipede live?
These insects live in many countries with temperate climates: Northern Africa, Southern Europe, and the Middle East. In Russia, the centipede is found in the southern regions, the Volga region, and the middle zone. Usually, the house centipede can be found under stones in the forest, near the roots of trees, in fallen leaves, where it is wet and damp, since they need a moist environment for full life and successful reproduction.
They may appear in a house or apartment in the fall, when it gets cold outside. In winter, centipedes hibernate, and by spring they wake up and become active. In southern countries, this type of insect is treated very well, as they are able to help people destroy pests.
Centipedes prefer to live in human homes:
- In dark basements.
- In bathrooms and toilets.
- In places with high humidity.
Common flycatchers are predators. They can eat insects that live near them. A centipede living in a person’s house can even be useful, as it helps get rid of cockroaches, flies, spiders, and fleas by feeding on them. Having noticed prey, the flycatcher attacks it, then bites it, injecting poison into the victim’s body, and after that it begins to eat. House centipedes are able to live permanently in people's homes, bringing them only benefits.
Despite this, many are afraid of this insect and believe that the centipede can bite. Fortunately, the venom of the house centipede is dangerous only for small pests, and it does not affect human health in any way. Only if you are individually intolerant to the poison, an allergic reaction is possible. Flycatchers bite in self-defense and in very rare cases. They prefer to hide from people, avoiding contact with them.
If you are bitten by a centipede, here's what to do:
Although the centipede insect is a predator, in the absence of usual food for a long time, it can also eat plants, for example, some types of domestic flowers. But the basis of their diet is:
Centipedes prefer to hunt in the dark. Sitting in a secluded place, these insects lie in wait for potential prey, using special antennae that are able to detect the slightest movements, smells and sounds. Seeing the presence of a beetle or cockroach suitable for food, the centipede quickly jumps on its prey, and then, holding it with the help of its jaw processes, injects poison into the body of the prey, which kills it instantly. After this, the flycatcher eats its lunch and goes to a secluded place for a while to calmly digest the food.
A small predator can catch several insects at once and, eating one victim, will hold the rest with its legs.
Reproduction of the common flycatcherWhen insects begin breeding season, usually in spring and summer, the female begins to secrete special pheromones so that the male pays attention to her. When the acquaintance occurs, the male lays a small cell with sperm, which picks up a female individual with his reproductive tract. She then digs a hole in the damp soil and places 70 to 120 fertilized eggs in it and sprinkles them lightly with soil to camouflage them.
Small centipedes are born with four pairs of legs, then their number increases after each molt. After 5–6 molts, the flycatcher grows and the number of legs is 15 pairs. The lifespan of a house centipede is about 3–7 years.
Why do there be centipedes in the house?Common flycatchers appear in people's houses and apartments in search of food, and since they need moisture for normal life, they can settle in the basement or bathroom. These insects are active only at night; during the day it is almost impossible to see them; the flycatcher always tries to avoid contact with humans.
The main reasons for centipedes entering an apartment may be:
Flycatchers can enter a house through cracks and holes in the floor, through pipelines, and crawl from neighbors’ apartments. It is worth knowing that these insects live only in a certain place, they will not, like cockroaches, multiply to huge numbers and run throughout the apartment, and they will never become interested in and will not spoil your products, clothes, flowers or furniture. By and large, centipedes do not pose any danger to humans, but, on the contrary, can even be useful, exterminating, for example, flies or worms.
The reason for the appearance of these predators in a private home may be that there are too many of them in basements or under the floor. And if you are planning to get rid of house centipedes, you should first check these areas for their presence.
Ways to control house centipedesIf you absolutely do not want little hunters living in your neighborhood, there are many methods that will help get rid of them. The best way is to create unfavorable conditions for the existence of centipedes. First of all, tidy up the rooms where dampness may be present; if there is no familiar environment, the flycatchers will look for another habitat.
Since centipedes feed on a variety of insects, try to ensure that they leave your home. Centipedes cannot stay indoors for long without food.
It is necessary to replace old pipes in the bathroom that may be leaking, and repair all the plumbing. If your apartment has a wooden floor, you need to carefully inspect it for the presence of cracks and holes, and if you find their presence, carefully seal them. Varnishing the floors will also help solve the problem, because flycatchers do not like chemical smells.
You can get rid of house centipedes in the following ways:
There is absolutely no need to get rid of flycatchers in your garden or vegetable garden, since the little hunters will never cause harm to your crops, and will even help you by ridding your garden plot of various pests.
The house centipede looks completely unattractive, besides, it runs fast and bites, which is why many people are afraid of it. Is there a danger to human life from its bite and is it necessary to fight it? The answers to these questions will interest any homeowner.
Who is a centipedeThe biological name of this creature is the common flycatcher or house centipede. According to the classification, the centipede is not an insect, but belongs to the group of arthropods, the class of the same name and the tracheal type. There are thousands of species of centipedes in nature. Their habitat is damp and dark places: foliage, shelters under bark and stones, etc.
Millipedes go hunting at night and hide during the day. The body of an adult centipede is divided into 15 segments, each of which has legs. Their sizes along the body are different: closer to the tail, the legs become longer, which allows them not to get tangled with each other when moving.
Outwardly, it is difficult to determine where her head is and where her back is. In addition, the front pair of legs evolved and turned into jaws designed for capturing prey.
The flycatcher has a chitinous cover and a flattened body. There are small hairs all over the surface of the body, which is why some people call them hairy centipedes. The average length is 3-4 cm; occasionally larger individuals up to 6 cm are found.
Interesting!
The speed of movement of a house flycatcher can reach 40-60 cm per second; such a fast-running creature often frightens ignorant and nervous people. They can move both on horizontal and vertical surfaces: on the floor, walls or ceiling. depends on the type of centipede and can reach 354 pieces.
As can be seen from the description and photo of the centipede, on its head are located:
- compound eyes that see perfectly;
- long mustache-catchers, resembling a whip in shape, with their help they monitor all changes in the environment;
- the whiskers consist of 500-600 segments and react to temperature changes, help explore and navigate in space, and find safe places.
The color of an adult individual is gray-yellow, brown, with 3 purple or black stripes on the back. During the cold season, flycatchers crawl into secluded corners and freeze in order to “wake up” in the spring and return to active life again.
Nutrition and reproductionThe common centipede is a carnivorous predator that hunts pests: , . In nature, large individuals also feed on small lizards, frogs, spiders, and worms.
When attacking, she uses her front jaws, which are connected to poison glands. Having bitten the victim, the flycatcher paralyzes it and gradually eats it. Having caught several insects at once, the house flycatcher eats them one by one, holding the rest with its numerous legs.
Interesting!
The toxins released by the centipede have a pungent odor that repels other predators. Therefore, even after killing a flycatcher, not every animal will want to eat it.
Centipedes reproduce in a very original way. At the right time, males, when meeting a female, deposit a lemon-shaped spermatophore, then push the female towards it, which picks it up with her appendages. Then the female lays 50-60 eggs, protected with a special sticky composition, into the prepared hole. After which the mother flycatcher sits with her whole body on the clutch and waits for her offspring to mature. “Hatching” the eggs lasts several weeks, and all this time the female does not leave the nest, practically starving.
The hatched babies are white or transparent in color and have 4 pairs of legs; their number will subsequently increase to 15 after each regular molt, when the arthropods shed the old chitinous shell and acquire a new one. Life expectancy is 3-7 years.
Centipede venom is not dangerous to humans. The only exceptions are those who are prone to allergic reactions to insect bites. The bite site may become slightly swollen and their temperature may rise. Centipedes do not tolerate any infections.
The homeland of these arthropods is the northern regions of Africa, the Middle East, and southern Europe. There are several hundred species of centipedes in the world, many of which have not yet been studied by biologists. In the CIS, insects similar to centipedes can be found in the southern regions of Russia, the Caucasus, Crimea, and Kazakhstan.
How centipedes get into an apartment
Brown centipedes come to houses and apartments in search of food or with the arrival of the cold season. If there is enough food in the form of insects in the room, then they can settle for a long time. Most often they can be found in the basements of private houses, in the basements or subfloors of high-rise buildings. They prefer to hunt in the dark, but can be active during the day.
Factors that attract house flycatchers to a house or apartment:
- high humidity and dampness;
- faulty or leaking water pipes;
- many small insects in the room;
- bad light.
The most favorable places for settling all varieties of house flycatchers: basements, bathrooms and toilets, underground.
The benefits and harms of flytrapsKnowing what a centipede looks like and seeing it in your apartment, country house or private house, you should not be scared and immediately try to destroy it. This creature does not cause any harm to wallpaper, clothing, furniture or kitchen products. It will never attack a person for no reason. However, few owners would agree to live next to such unsightly and nimble neighbors, so they try to avoid them.
If house flycatchers are found on the territory of a personal plot or in beds, then there is no need to fight them at all, because there they will be useful, regularly destroying garden pests and their larvae.
On a note!
The most poisonous centipedes are scolopendras, which belong to the same class of arthropods; they live only in the southern regions of Russia, as well as in tropical countries. The larger its size, the more toxic the bite and its negative consequences will be.
Large centipedes are also found in nature, up to 20 cm in size, but they live in the countries of Asia, America and others, preferring a warm tropical climate.
Symptoms of intoxication after a centipede bite (photo below):
- severe pain at the site of the bite, itching and burning;
- swelling and redness of the skin;
- swollen lymph nodes;
- headache, palpitations, nausea and vomiting, anxiety.
If such signs appear, it is necessary to treat the wound with a disinfectant and take antihistamines.
Fighting centipedes in the houseThe best way to combat house flycatchers that have settled in your home is with preventive methods. Taking into account its favorite habitats and knowing what centipedes eat, you can create all the conditions to make them feel uncomfortable in the house:
- in apartments the number of such arthropods is minimal, so it will be enough to kill a few, which will help remove them;
- repair water pipes in service areas, dry and thoroughly clean storage rooms, basements, etc.
- remove all pests from the house, i.e. get rid of prey accessible to house flycatchers;
- block access routes for arthropods by sealing all cracks in windows, doors, along baseboards and foundations, and install mesh in ventilation;
- repair wooden floors, remove cracks where house flycatchers like to live, cover them with varnish or mastic, the smell of which is unbearable for them;
- Avoid allowing water or high humidity in pots and trays of indoor plants where centipedes like to make themselves comfortable.
Sticky tapes, which are used against flies and other insects, will not be able to catch house centipedes, because having stuck to it with its paws, it will simply run away without a severed limb. Subsequently, the flycatcher will grow a new leg. Food baits also have no effect on them, because they do not eat any food other than the insects they kill.
Strives to create comfortable conditions for his stay. At the same time, there should be no uninvited neighbors (flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches and bedbugs) in the house or apartment. This also applies to centipedes. But sometimes the conditions created in our homes contribute to the appearance of these unpleasant insects.
The likelihood that a house centipede will settle in your home is very high if the humidity level in the room is high enough. Of course, for any person she is an unpleasant neighbor, causing a natural reaction of disgust. However, few people know that it is absolutely harmless to people.
On the contrary, this insect brings tangible benefits. It destroys moths and spiders, cockroaches and ants, flies and bedbugs, that is, those with which humans wage a tireless struggle. Therefore, its scientific name is common flycatcher.
In appearance, the house centipede is a gigantic caterpillar. She goes hunting at night and can cause fear not only in a child, but also in any adult. The length of its brown or yellowish-gray body with three bluish or reddish-purple stripes ranges from thirty-five to sixty millimeters. The insect has not forty legs, but thirty. Moreover, they do not grow simultaneously, but in accordance with the stages of development of this unusual creature.
Under natural conditions, the habitat of centipedes is fallen leaves or the area under trees. Houses have wet rooms. This could be a bathroom, basements, or House centipedes spend the entire winter in the most secluded places. With the onset of spring they become active. If indoor conditions change towards lower humidity, then these insects move to a more comfortable place for them.
The house centipede can bite a person. But this should not cause concern. The insect is not able to bite through the skin. It attacks only in self-defense. Moreover, the centipede’s venom is weak, and the bite site does not hurt very much. Trouble can only arise for allergy sufferers. Sometimes they have difficulty breathing. In such people, the heartbeat quickens and a person who does not suffer from allergies experiences minor pain when exposed to centipede venom. Redness appears in the area of the bite. In rare cases, lymph nodes swell.
Does not like dry rooms. That is why, if you decide to get rid of this insect, you should dry damp basements and pantries. In the fight against centipedes, you can also use sticky traps, which are laid out along baseboards and in corners. Areas where insects enter the house should be blocked off. Cracks in walls and foundations should be sealed with cement. You also need to cover the space around door and window openings. A mosquito net is placed over the drain in the foundation. Any anti-cockroach and fly repellent is suitable for baiting insects. However, it is advisable to use natural pesticides. It can be food grade diatomaceous earth powder or
An encounter with a centipede will be remembered for a long time: it is difficult to forget the horror of seeing a furry creature on a wall or floor. The strange creature moves quickly, it seems that in just a couple of seconds the “alien” will attack and bite painfully. But the centipede is only unpleasant in appearance; the arthropod is beneficial. Apart from moments of panic, there is no harm from the multi-legged creature to humans.
Why do centipedes get into homes? How to remove unpleasant creatures from an apartment or private house? Let's figure it out.
Reasons for appearance
Centipedes or flycatchers, as the strange creatures are often called, are attracted to indoor dampness and food. Arthropods feed on cockroaches, ants, and flies. If there are a lot of insects at home, fungus has accumulated on the walls, and water is constantly dripping from the tap, it is easy to guess that the centipede will feel great in a favorable environment.
Another factor that facilitates the penetration of creatures from the basement into the apartment is cracks in the floor, baseboards, and holes near sewer pipes. The centipede is nimble, nimble, its body is flat, and getting into any crevice is not a problem for it.
How to recognizeIt is difficult to confuse the flycatcher with other basement dwellers who enter a person’s home. It was the repulsive appearance that gave the arthropod its notoriety.
Characteristics:
- the flycatcher's body is divided into segments;
- the color of the arthropod is light brown, with a yellowish tint;
- thin legs (20 pairs) are located on the sides. Limbs grow back when damaged;
- in a second, an arthropod can move 30–40 cm;
- an adult grows up to 2–3 cm, sometimes up to 4–5 cm;
- dim light, a lot of moisture and food (harmful insects) attract a strange creature into the home;
- the creature seems almost weightless, but the appearance is very scary, especially when moving along the surface;
- During the day, arthropods hide and come out to hunt for flies, ants, and cockroaches at night. A typical situation when owners discover a centipede: the light is on during a night trip for natural needs and a furry creature is on the wall or floor of the bathroom.
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Most owners believe that this terrifying-looking arthropod must be destroyed. Many people do not know what is beneficial: it eats flies, ants, cockroaches, and other harmful insects that live in a person’s home.
The centipede does not touch supplies in the kitchen in the house, does not carry diseases, and does not damage furniture. The only unpleasant moment is the unattractive appearance. A creature with numerous legs that suddenly appears on a wall or floor frightens even people with strong nerves.
Does this strange creature pose a danger to humans? Pest control specialists and doctors do not consider the arthropod an enemy: the bite is not dangerous, the centipede attacks only in defense. Fear due to the terrible appearance of an arthropod is all the unpleasant consequences that await a person after “acquaintance” with a flycatcher.
Effective methods of control
How to get rid of centipedes in an apartment? The easiest way to kill an insect is with a slipper. You will have to contrive, muster up the last of your courage and hit the arthropod (flycatchers run quickly, which causes even greater panic in humans). This is exactly what most people do. But this method of control is inhumane, given the benefits that the flytrap brings.
It is advisable to catch the centipede and take it outside the apartment. This method is recommended by exterminators, but it is difficult to resist killing the furry creature on the wall or floor in a panic attack.
If there are a lot of centipedes, not only large individuals that accidentally got into the apartment are noticeable, but also small creatures, you will have to carry out a set of measures. A nest of centipedes is too much of an irritant for humans and disrupts the state of the nervous system. There will definitely not be flies in your home, but frequent encounters with furry creatures can lead to a heart attack.
Five rules for fighting centipedes:
- Deprive arthropods of food: remove harmful insects from the home.
- Carry out cosmetic repairs, seal cracks, holes in the floor, baseboards, and near the drain.
- Create an optimal microclimate, get rid of dampness and mold.
- Do not allow moisture to accumulate in the bathroom, leave only the necessary towels, dry floor rags on the balcony, not in the apartment.
- Take an interest in the condition of the basement, call sanitary services and plumbers in case of accumulation of water, dangerous inhabitants: centipedes,.
If there is a large concentration of arthropods or a nest is identified in the bathroom or hallway, you should not waste time on traps: this method is ineffective. Potent drugs will quickly rid your home of proliferating arthropods. Application is an inhumane, but effective method.
It is worth using toxic solutions and aerosols only if the fight against excess humidity and the destruction of harmful insects has not helped. The first and mandatory stage is the elimination of an environment favorable for the life of flycatchers.
Effective drugs:
- Medilis – Ziper. The working solution is sprayed using a spray bottle in areas where flycatchers are spotted. The product is toxic; disinfestation is carried out with gloves and a medical mask.
- Lambda - Zone. An effective, odorless product based on granulated lambda-cyhalothrin (2.5% concentration). The drug has a low toxicity class and is harmful to insects, but has virtually no effect on pets and humans.
- Raid. A popular aerosol with the scent of lavender destroys many flying and crawling insects. The composition is low-toxic for humans, but after spraying, additional ventilation of the apartment is required.
- Combat from Henkel. An effective product with a convenient applicator for treating hard-to-reach areas. The drug has a pungent odor and quickly destroys arthropods in the home.
- Globol Original. Toxic paste for killing various insects adjacent to humans. The mildly odorless product is applied in a thin layer to areas where centipedes most often appear. Arthropods cannot tolerate the action of the active components - deltamethrin and diflubenzuron. A toxic drug cannot be used if there is a cat or dog at home. The composition is not recommended for use if there are small children.
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There are other effective means:
- Startex. High quality spray with high efficiency. Spray the preparation over all areas where centipedes run, carefully treat baseboards, floors, and cracks near entrance doors.
- Clean house. An effective aerosol with an active insecticidal effect. Kills crawling and flying insects. The volume of the bottle is 600 ml, which allows you to treat an apartment or house with an area of 80 square meters. Centipedes most often occupy areas with high humidity; one can is enough for two or three treatments. The product is suitable for controlling flycatcher nests during active reproduction of arthropods.
- Dichlorvos Neo. An improved formula with three active components and a special synergist substance provides a noticeable effect in the fight against many types of harmful insects and arthropods that attack the home. The toxic composition is odorless, but the treatment of secluded places where the flycatcher can hide is carried out using protective equipment. Some varieties of Dichlorvos have a slight odor. Prolonged action – up to two weeks.
Important! Before disinfestation, it is important to understand what caused the arthropods to enter the house and reproduce. Harmless creatures often appear in an apartment due to the fault of the owners, who create favorable conditions for flycatchers to live. First, you will have to eliminate the factors that attract arthropods, then it will be the turn of toxic aerosols and solutions.
Traditional methods and recipes
With a small number of flycatchers, folk methods will help. There are natural and synthetic components that have a detrimental effect on harmful insects and arthropods. Poison baits can be placed in the bathroom, kitchen, or hallway if there are no children or pets at home. Accidental or intentional use of mixtures out of curiosity can result in severe poisoning.
Proven methods:
Centipedes do not get into the home if there is no dampness and a sufficient amount of food in the form of harmful ones. And you shouldn’t wait for the furry creatures to get into the house, it’s easier to spend a little time creating conditions under which the arthropod will not be able to settle in the apartment.
How to proceed:
- destroy the insects that the centipede feeds on. Favorite delicacy: flies, cockroaches, ants;
- eliminate leaks in pipes, check drains in the bathroom. While the house is damp, flycatchers will visit areas of high humidity again and again;
- always wring out rags and washcloths, do not place them on the floor or in baskets;
- Dry towels on special devices, straighten the folds well so that the moisture dries faster;
- to fight with . Fungus is a sign of dampness in an apartment or house; the absence of mold indicates normal humidity in the room;
- after water procedures, ventilate the bathroom;
- monitor the condition of the basement, promptly call sanitary services for disinfestation, and employees of the management company to eliminate leaks in pipes;
- check the quality of fastening of baseboards, seal cracks in the floor, use putty to eliminate holes near pipes passing between floors;
- every week thoroughly clean all areas of the bathroom, reach hard-to-reach places, remove moisture and debris.
When a centipede appears on the bathroom wall, you need to remember the benefits of a frightening-looking creature. Do not be afraid of bites and attacks: the arthropod is not dangerous to humans. Compliance with preventive measures is the best protection against encountering a flycatcher.
Learn more about the house centipede from the following video: