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New York Centipede Identification
If you’ve ever seen a house centipede, you’ve probably never forgotten it. Their long skinny legs and skittering movements make them hard to forget. These are the most commonly found centipedes inside of buildings. Other species of centipede tend to stick to the outdoors, but house centipedes prefer to live alongside humans, taking advantage of the shelter and easy food access.
Centipedes are generally harmless to humans, but their creepy appearance still means that many people want them gone. If you need centipede pest control, you’re in the right place.
What do House Centipedes Look Like?
Size: Counting their legs and antennae, house centipedes can be up to 3 or 4 inches long.
Color: Brown, grey, or dark “dirty” yellow, semi-translucent looking. The centipede’s back bears three dark longitudinal stripes. Its legs are banded light white or yellow and dark brown or black.
Centipedes vs Millipedes: How to Tell the Difference
Centipedes and millipedes are easy to mix up, but they have a few differences.
- Number of legs. Millipedes have more legs than centipedes. Centipedes also have one pair of legs per body segment, while millipedes have two.
- Body shape. Centipedes have flattened bodies and their legs are spread out further to the side. Millipedes’ bodies are rounded and their legs fit underneath.
- Movement speed. Centipedes tend to move much faster than millipedes.
- Diet. Centipedes tend to eat other bugs, but millipedes eat decaying plant matter.
Either way, whether you’re dealing with a millipede problem or a centipede problem, if you need pest control services, give us a call.
Diet and Behavior
House centipedes are opportunistic predators, hunting and feeding on a wide variety of insects including spiders, smaller arthropods like silverfish, sowbugs, millipedes, roaches, fly larvae, beetles, and more. They aren’t picky; they’ll eat whatever they can catch.
Centipedes are nocturnal predators that wait until late at night to forage for prey. They prefer to live in dark spaces, like basements, attics, and crawl spaces, so they can hunt anytime.
Can Centipedes Sting?
They can! House centipedes’ two front legs are actually fang-like piercing implements, which they use to paralyze their prey while hunting. Centipedes rarely “sting” humans with these leg implements, though. At worst, a house centipede sting hurts about as much as a bee sting. Generally, though, they’re even more scared of you than you are of them. They will leave you alone unless you bother them.
Signs of a Centipede Infestation
The easiest way to tell whether you have a centipede infestation is to find them beneath an object they were using as shelter. House centipedes hide in dark and humid locations during the day and come out at night. When their cover is blown, house centipedes will hurry to find a new place to hide.
House centipedes frequently infest areas where they can access moisture because they will die in dry places. They’re commonly encountered in bathrooms and boiler rooms, especially at night. Finding a house centipede may also be a sign that there’s a nearby plumbing leak.
Since they prey on other bugs, an increase in house centipede sightings may indicate another underlying pest problem. The only way to know for sure is to get in touch with the pros at Assured Environments.
Call Assured Environments for House Centipede Control in New York
Centipedes tend to leave people alone, but if you’re dealing with an infestation, there’s no better way to do it than with help from pest control professionals. The Assured Environments team will build a custom solution for your property after a comprehensive inspection to make sure the pests know not to come back.
Don’t hesitate; contact Assured Environments for reliable centipede control. Our team is ready and waiting to help. Give us a call today to get started with a free inspection.
Centipede FAQ
Do centipedes have 100 legs?
No. House centipedes can grow up to 30 (15 pairs) of legs depending on the number of body segments. Other species of centipedes can grow up to 177 pairs of legs-one per body segment. You’ll never see a centipede with 100 legs because they always have an odd number of pairs.
What do centipedes eat?
Centipedes are predacious and hunt insects, spiders and other arthropods. A key to reducing your centipede population is reducing their prey. A good pest control expert can help with both.
Are centipedes poisonous?
Yes. They carry a small amount of venom in their front fangs which they use to subdue their prey.
Do centipedes bite?
They can. Centipedes are normally very shy. If you’ve ever picked up a rock or box with a centipede underneath, you’ve probably seen it scurry away. Centipedes only bite when they are picked up and feel threatened, otherwise they won’t attack you.
Are house centipedes dangerous?
Centipedes are mostly a nuisance pest. A house centipede bite is similar to a bee sting – it may hurt a little but shouldn’t cause severe damage. While house centipedes do bite humans, you shouldn’t be worried. And they won’t eat your plants.
Why do I have centipedes in my house?
Centipedes seek two things: food and moisture. If you have a nice damp basement or garage with a lot of spiders or other prey, chances are, centipedes will move in too. Eliminate other pests along with leaks and humidity and household centipedes won’t hang around for long. Centipede traps and other pest control products may help. Your Assured Environments technician can recommend the fastest course of action.