Finding a multi-legged creature crawling on the floor of your home can be a scary experience. If you see a centipede in your home, you may wonder what attracted the pest. This article highlights possible factors that may attract centipedes into your home.
Moisture
Centipedes, just like other living things, depend on water for survival. Although these pests have a waxy coating on their exoskeleton, the protective layer can only prevent a certain amount of moisture loss from the body. As a result, these pests usually look for moist places in your home, like the kitchen, bathroom, and basement, so that they can stay hydrated.
Dampness can occur in your home. A common way is through a leaky faucet in your kitchen or bathroom. Clogged or damaged gutters can also cause dampness in your home. Additionally, poor drainage can make the area around your home moist.
The best way to handle this problem is by drying your bathroom or kitchen each time you use water. You can also repair the leaking faucets in your home to ensure your surfaces are always dry. Another good solution can be unblocking clogged gutters and repairing the broken ones. Finally, improve the drainage system around your home to prevent water from standing each time rain falls.
Food
A house centipede is a unique pest. Unlike cockroaches that rummage through dirty dishes in search of food, this pest feeds on other pests, including:
- Spiders
- Crickets
- Earthworms
- Moths
- Flies
- Bedbugs
- Beetles
In some instances, large centipedes may feed on other centipedes, lizards, or small mice.
If your home has the pests above, centipedes will crawl into your home, searching for food. To prevent this issue, seek professional pest control services to get rid of the other pests in your home.
Undisturbed Shelter
Centipedes usually live in dark and quiet environments. Therefore, you may find these pests near a woodpile, under rocks, or even old rubber tires. Old and abandoned toys, furniture, and construction material can also become a home for centipedes. After some time, the pests may come out of their shelter and crawl into your home.
Once you discover centipedes in your home, check whether a wood pile, rocks, or old tires are around your home and get rid of the dirt. Also, clean your property regularly to prevent pests from infesting your home.
Warmth
Centipedes are overwintering pests, which means they can’t endure the cold. As a result, these pests usually crawl into your home at night, searching for warmth. The warm environment is also conducive for the pests to reproduce. If you live in a cold region, centipedes are also likely to come into your home.
Often, these pests find their way into your house through the cracks in your foundation. The space on your windows and doors may also allow centipedes to pass through. You can fill the cracks on your foundation using caulk and prevent these pests from crawling into your home. Also, seal the doors and windows.
Uncovered Garbage
Trash cans are a popular method of disposing of waste in America. When you dispose of garbage, cover your trash can with a lid. Otherwise, the trash may attract other pests like mice, cockroaches, and flies.
Since centipedes depend on other pests for food, they are likely to go into the garbage and may find their way into your home thereafter.
Besides covering your trash cans, place them far from your house to reduce the chances of centipede infestation.
Understanding factors that attract centipedes to your home is important since you can look for ways to prevent these pests from coming into your home. However, if you already have a pest infestation problem, seek professional pest controllers. For reliable services, contact Quality Pest Control.