Pennsylvania Centipede Control
An invasion of pests into your Pennsylvania home or business is never a fun experience. While centipedes aren’t harmful in the toxic sense — they’re a nuisance and have a nasty bite. If you’re looking to rid your place of these pests, then consider our effective centipede control services!
What Are Centipedes?
A centipede is an arthropod. If you’d like to get specific, they’re part of the phylum Arthropoda. Basically, this means that they’re invertebrates featuring antennae, segmented bodies, and jointed legs. They’re a nocturnal insect that thrives in moist environments and loves tropical climates, explain the exterminators at Viking. They’re quite fast, look intimidating, but will generally leave you alone.
Identifying Centipedes in Pennsylvania
Centipedes, in my Pennsylvania home? It’s more likely than you think!
These insects mostly come out at night so it’s sometimes difficult identifying them. They rarely leave a trail behind beside the odd leg or two, or when they’re molting. When you do see them — you’ll recognize them right away.
Centipedes have these characteristics:
- Yellowish to dark brown color
- Sometimes have markings/stripes
- Tend to have 15-177 legs
- Have long antennas that look like claws
- A pair of legs trailing behind the body
Centipedes can range from under an inch to several inches long. There are over 8,000 species of centipedes. The Pennsylvania house centipede you’ll tend to find is the Scutigera coleoptrata.
How a Pennsylvania Centipede Gets In
You may be wondering, “Where are centipedes coming from? Isn’t it too cold here in Pennsylvania?”. Those are great questions with surprisingly simple answers.
For starters, centipedes are predators so they’re looking for food. There are hundreds of bugs in your home at any given time (if you don’t use pest control). Centipedes make their way in, gorge themselves on household bugs, and settle down.
Second, pest control experts at Viking explain moisture and dark environments are the perfect breeding ground for centipedes. Your nice, warm home or business is where they’ll thrive. Centipedes can’t survive the harsh Pennsylvania cold/winter, so they make their way inside.
Are Centipedes Dangerous?
Centipedes aren’t dangerous to yourself and pets. These bugs can coexist without clashing. Yet, their creep factor is a little too much at times which is why they’ve got to go. A centipede can bite and pierce skin if large enough. This “sting” is much like a bee sting with some discomfort and swelling. But it’s nothing serious and those centipedes would need to be massive.
Preventing Centipedes from Entering Your Home or Business
Centipedes in Pennsylvania, as noted, come into your home because it’s the perfect place to thrive. Therefore, centipede prevention is simply removing what attracts them in the first place. This means keeping your place clean from bugs they like to eat, and the moisture they enjoy.
Exterminators at Viking recommend doing a sweep of your basement, under the sinks, crawlspace, and other dark/dank areas. Look for signs of molting and/or discarded legs. Clean up the exterior, too, so there aren’t cozy spots for them to call home. If these activities are beyond your abilities, consider getting in touch with a pest management professional.