CENTIPEDE CONTROL

Centipedes have been known to do the same, but usually in much smaller numbers. This article will try to provide some information about these pests, why they are a problem and how you can treat for them.

Centipedes like to live in the same environment as millipedes. There are two common species of centipede in the United States. The common house centipede has long antennae and 15 pair of long legs.

And this video gives you a good idea of how them move.

They are able to move rapidly and will randomly stop and go when on the move. The other centipede is a larger and longer specimen. Most common in the south, this centipede can grow to over 5 inches long. Like millipedes, centipedes are slow to develop. They like moist areas to live including mulch, pinestraw, thatch, leaves and under rocks or logs. The big difference is that centipedes like to eat other insects. In fact, centipedes have a poisonous bite. Do not handle them. Like scorpions, their sting will hurt like a wasp or bee sting. However, certain people may have extreme allergic reaction to their venom so keeping your hands off them will prevent you from finding out if you are overly sensitive. Centipedes are one of the few predators which feed on spiders. They prefer to move at night, but like millipedes will migrate under certain conditions. It is not uncommon to have several of them migrate when water levels rise following a rain. Centipede nests may harbor several hundred and when they migrate they seem to move in the same direction. This will lead to infestations in the home if left untreated.

CENTIPEDE CONTROL

Controlling centipedes can involve a series of steps. The first is identifying nest sights. This will allow you to minimize the conditions these pests need which will lead to less getting inside. Look to see where they are invading. In most cases, you will find them along one side or wall of your home. Look around this side of the property. Inspect nearby mulch, compost piles, wood piles, large rocks, pinestraw, sheds, cracks in cement walkways or driveways and stoops. Any of these locations can breed, feed and shelter these pests. If you know where they are coming from, you will be able to treat the area precisely and even remove excessive organic matter available for them. Clean up leaves. Replace old straw that is decomposed. Move log piles away from the home. Seal cracks in cement which allow water to gather. Rake thatch buildup from your lawn. By reducing these conditions, you take away food and harborage these pests need for survival. Lastly, if you have a lot of access points through the siding of the home, you should consider a “seal” job. Most homes that get invaded have lots and lots of small cracks, crevices and gaps through which centipedes enter. These entry points should be reduced and/or eliminated with the use of some FOAM SEALENT. These cans are self charged and good for small jobs. If you have a lot of work to do, it would be wise to invest in one of the professional FOAM GUNS and maybe even the 24″ FOAM GUN. These tools will enable you to apply the sealent quickly and precisely without much waste or missed applications. In other words, they will more then pay for themselves. You’ll need the FOAM CANNISTERS for these guns, which easily fit on either applicator, and cover a much larger area then the smaller cans. If your home is prone to animal invasions, consider the FOAM WITH REPELLENT. This cannister comes with expanding foam but includes a strong repellent which insects and animals do not like. It may be just what you need to make sure ladybugs and other undesirable home invaders aren’t able to find their way inside quite as easily as they have in the past. Be sure to keep your guns clean by using some FOAM GUN CLEANER. This will help keep the gun functioning and ready to go to work when next needed.

Once you have done step one, you can treat the problem. Step two is deciding which method of control you need to employ to stop the invasion. Remember, centipedes are not true insects. Although many insecticides have centipedes on their labels, most don’t work well for controlling a migration. If you want to stop them quickly and keep them from getting into your home, use a product called BIFENTHRIN. It works well because the liquid form is a micro encapsulate. This means it is essentially a bunch of small capsules which will open up over time exposing the active ingredient. Because these “capsules” are too big to sink down into porous surfaces, they’re able to provide longer residual compared to normal or more traditional liquid concentrates. The end result is that you’ll have more of the active ingredient up high on top of the ground where centipedes are active. Although you can use it inside, treating outside will keep them from coming in.

CENTIPEDE CONTROL SPRAY

Spray around the home using one of the SPRAYERS we offer. Be sure to treat on the foundation spraying a deliberate swath at least three feet up from the ground. Go as high as you have them crawling on the home to kill what is there and stop new ones from re infesting. It is most common that one or two sides of the house will have the most activity. Be sure to concentrate your efforts where the activity is. Since both pests like to live adjacent to the foundation, it is recommended that you treat the ground around the home as well. Pay attention to the plants, shrubs and root systems of plants. Spray around the trunks and the ground of any plant you think may have a nest. Watering after you spray will help the product to sink down and work it’s way deep to where nests may be feeding.

CENTIPEDE CONTROL GRANULES

If you simply have too much mulch or turf area to treat with liquid, use BIFEN GRANULES. This product is a granule material which works by killing as well as repelling these pests. Broadcast the granules into mulch or turf that you think is infested. The GRANULE SPREADER applicator is easy to use and will let you get even and uniform coverage when making the application. The granules are weather resistant and will last longer than the spray. The granules won’t work as quickly as the spray, but they will enable you to treat large areas economically and effectively. If you have a lot of activity in the home, you may use the Bifenthrin inside.

CENTIPEDE CONTROL IN WALL SPACES

If you believe the nests may are behind walls or in hard to treat cracks, DFORCE AEROSOL is designed to let you treat these areas. It uses Dforce as the active ingredient and with it’s special tube injector, you will be able to get into tight cracks and joints these pests like to hide. Centipedes are most likely to nest in the home and will thrive in moist basements or crawl spaces. From these areas they will move into wall voids. Use the Dforce aerosol for neat and penetrating applications.

For longer control in these wall voids compared to the Dforce, go with DRIONE DUST instead. This product is highly active on centipedes and will last a year or more. Blow small amounts into wall voids, under counters, into ceiling spaces and basically any open space or void you suspect they might be nesting. Use a HAND DUSTER when making the application and be sure to get in between all the studs and insulation where centipedes like to nest. Drione will kill them on contact but more importantly, make the area uninhabitable by any pest. This means once you treat it thoroughly, you shouldn’t get future problems in the same area.

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