How Dangerous Are Centipedes In North Carolina?

Identifying a Centipede:

Most people don’t want to have any kind of pests in their homes or on their property. While some pests are more of a concern than others, even nuisance pests are frustrating to deal with. Centipedes are disturbing to look at. They are creepy and have many sets of legs and a worm-like appearance, making them rather off-putting. Despite their appearance, however, they aren’t particularly dangerous.

Knowing how to identify these pests can be helpful as centipedes are often misidentified as millipedes. Here are
what centipedes look like:

• They have long antennae.
• They have long, worm-like bodies.
• They have many legs, but they don't have thousands of them. They can have between 15-170 pairs of legs.
• They have claw-like appendages that come from their mouths.
• They can be many colors that range from yellow to dark brown.

Are Centipedes Dangerous Pests?

One interesting fact about centipedes is that they are carnivorous insects and also venomous. However, they can’t cause any harm to humans or pets. They have venom that they use to kill their prey, but this venom can only hurt insects. And centipedes don’t cause property damage. They aren’t dangerous pests, so they are just considered a nuisance. However, this doesn’t mean you want to have them in your North Carolina home or business.

How To Prevent Centipedes

No one wants to have centipedes or any other pests in their home. If you’re dealing with centipedes in your North Carolina home, there are some things you can do to help prevent them in the future or reduce a current infestation.

The best thing to do when it comes to preventing centipedes is to get rid of excess moisture in your home. Since they are attracted to moisture-rich environments, it’s all about making your home less hospitable to them. In the outdoors, they can usually be found under piles of leaves, in rotting logs, or under stones. While indoors, they will look for moist, dark areas like bathrooms, basements, and crawl spaces.

Here are some tips you can take to prevent them:

• Get rid of decaying wood, leaves, and grass piles on your property.
• Keep firewood away from the outside of your home and try to store it in a way that it doesn’t hold moisture.
• Use dehumidifiers inside your home.
• Fix leaky pipes and faucets.
• Make sure that areas like attics and crawl spaces are well ventilated.

Getting Rid Of A Centipede Infestation

While centipedes are mostly just nuisance pests, they still aren’t pleasant to have in your home. They can be gross to look at, and, just like with any bug, they make your home feel dirty and infested. If you need help dealing with an infestation, or just advice on how to prevent centipedes, contact the pest control professionals at Aruza Pest Control. With over 20 years of combined experience, we can help you with centipedes or other pest problems.