The house centipede was first recorded in the mid 19th century in Pennsylvania, and since then, it has been found in homes throughout the US. You’ve likely come across and been creeped out by one of these insects, and you’ve seen them crawl around to a hiding spot, especially when you shine a light on them. In fact, back when women wore long dresses, the centipedes would run towards them to hide in the cover provided by the dresses. Naturally, this gave them a very bad reputation. So let’s take a look at some other interesting facts about these insects.
- It is impossible for them to have 100 legs
Centipede literally means “100 legs” but it is impossible for this insect to have exactly 100 legs, because it always has an odd number of leg pairs. House centipedes have 15 pairs, so 30 legs in total, and larger centipedes can have more, but never 100. Of course, if you look at them, you can see where they got their name from.
- Your bathroom is not their first choice
You will usually come across house centipedes in your bathroom, when you turn on the light at night. Centipedes are drawn to this area of the home because of the high levels of moisture. However, centipedes do not actually like the bathroom that much, because it is well lit throughout the day, and intermittently throughout the night. Instead, they would prefer to be in areas such as basements and crawl spaces when they are indoors.
- Centipedes are predators
House centipedes are actually ferocious predators. They are capable of stinging other insects with venom, and holding multiple insects with their legs at the same time. They will also go after much more dangerous insects such as wasps, if they are within reach. Despite this, they are not very aggressive towards people, and their venom causes mild pain at best.
- Centipedes can be more than pests
Some people will keep centipedes as pets. They might not go for house centipedes, but other species, such as the Amazonian giant centipede or the giant desert centipede, are often kept as pets. To each their own.
If you have a house centipede infestation, it’s important to get it under control fast so they don’t multiply. Contact us today, and we can set up an appointment and remove it for you.
