Sasha CampbellCentipedes can be unsettling to find crawling across your floor or hiding in damp corners of your home. With their many legs and fast movements, they tend to spark instant discomfort.
The good news is that there are effective ways to control and prevent centipedes using simple ingredients and smart home habits.
Are Centipedes Dangerous?
While most household centipedes are not aggressive, they can bite if disturbed. Their bite may cause pain, redness, swelling, and other potentially serious allergic reactions [1].
In some cases, the discomfort can feel similar to a bee sting.
Centipedes also carry venom, which they use to paralyze their prey. Although it’s usually not dangerous to humans, it’s still something most people would rather avoid in their living space.
On top of that, their presence often signals a larger pest problem, as they feed on other insects such as cockroaches, termites, and bed bugs.
How to Get Rid of Centipedes Naturally
Below are some home remedies and natural methods to keep centipedes away.
1. Reduce Moisture in Your Home
Centipedes love moisture.
Bathrooms, basements, kitchens, and laundry rooms are some of their favorite hiding spots. That’s because these areas provide the damp environment they need to survive.
Therefore, start by fixing any leaks, drying wet areas, and using a dehumidifier if necessary. Even something as simple as opening windows to improve airflow can make a big difference.
When your home is dry, it becomes far less inviting to centipedes.
2. Neem Oil
Neem oil spray can also help repel centipedes in the soil.
Combine 3 tablespoons of neem oil with 3 tablespoons of liquid soap, then add it to a gallon of water. Use this solution to drench the soil where pest activity is obvious.
3. Use Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth can kill house centipedes if they crawl through it. It works by damaging the outer layer of insects, causing them to dry out and die.
Sprinkle a thin layer where you’ve spotted these pests. Focus on baseboards, under sinks, and in corners.
4. Try Essential Oils
Certain essential oils act as natural repellents for centipedes. Peppermint, tea tree, and eucalyptus oils are especially effective.
Use these oils to make a homemade centipede repellent spray. Just mix 15 to 20 drops into a cup of water, then spray around entry points and problem areas.
The strong scent helps keep centipedes away.
5. Keep Your Home Clean and Clutter-Free
Centipedes also like to hide in dark, cluttered spaces. Piles of paper, cardboard boxes, and unused items give them perfect hiding spots.
Regular cleaning and decluttering remove these shelters, making your home less appealing to them. Also, vacuum often, especially in corners and under furniture where they tend to hide.
6. Use Sticky Traps
Sticky traps are a simple, non-toxic way to catch centipedes. Place them along walls, near baseboards, and in areas where you’ve noticed movement.
While they won’t solve the problem on their own, they can help reduce centipede numbers.
7. Eliminate Their Food Sources
Centipedes feed on other insects and pests, such as ants, spiders, and cockroaches. So, reducing the number of bugs in your home automatically makes it less attractive to centipedes.
Keep your home clean, store food properly, and take out the trash regularly. By cutting off their food supply, you discourage them from sticking around.
8. Apply Vinegar Spray
Vinegar is another natural solution that can help repel centipedes. Its strong smell disrupts their environment and discourages them from staying.
For this recipe, mix equal parts white vinegar and water. Spray the solution around entry points, cracks, and other affected areas.
9. Maintain Your Yard
Centipedes usually come from outside. They like damp, shaded areas in your yard.
Therefore, keep your lawn trimmed, remove leaf piles, and avoid stacking firewood close to your home.
Creating a dry, tidy outdoor space reduces the risk of centipedes entering the home.
10. Use Baking Soda
Baking soda can help absorb moisture and make areas less attractive to centipedes.
Sprinkle it in damp areas, such as under sinks. While it may not kill centipedes directly, it contributes to an environment they do not enjoy.
11. Install Proper Drainage
Poor drainage around your home can lead to excess moisture, which attracts centipedes.
Therefore, make sure your gutters are clean and functioning properly. Also, direct water away from your foundation.
12. Use Natural Light to Your Advantage
Centipedes love dark environments [2]. So, allowing more natural light into your home can make spaces less appealing to them.
Open curtains during the day. Also, consider adding lights to dark areas, such as basements and closets.
Bright spaces are far less inviting to these pests.
13. Try Cedar Products
Cedar has natural insect-repelling properties. Using cedar chips, blocks, or sprays in problem areas can help deter centipedes and millipedes.
Place them in closets, basements, or along entry points.
14. Keep Drains Clean
Drains can provide both moisture and entry points for centipedes. So, clean your drains often.
Use natural solutions like baking soda, vinegar, and hot water. This helps remove buildup and keeps the area less attractive to pests.
15. Seal Entry Points
Centipedes can also slip through small cracks and gaps. They often get in around windows, doors, and foundations.
Therefore, carefully inspect your home and seal any openings. Pay attention to areas around pipes and vents as well.
16. Avenger® Insect Killer Aerosol Spray
If you want something ready-made but still natural, this plant-based aerosol spray is a great option. It’s a contact insecticidal spray made with botanical ingredients.
You can spray it directly on centipedes or in areas where they hide.
Takeaway
Getting rid of centipedes naturally is all about making your home and yard less inviting to them.
Reduce moisture, eliminate food sources, and seal entry points. These steps can help tackle the root of the problem.
Natural remedies, such as essential oils, vinegar, and diatomaceous earth, offer added protection. They do this without exposing your family to harsh chemicals.
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