Q&A for How to Get Rid of Centipedes

Sure, but then you'll have to clean up the mush! If you need to get rid of a single centipede quickly and you don't want to deal with a mess, vacuum it up with a hose attachment instead.

Spray a chemical insecticide that contains pyrethroids around baseboards, windows, crevices, doors, and the outdoor perimeter of your home. If you prefer a natural solution, sprinkle diatomaceous earth or boric acid across your home's entry points and around the exterior.

A direct hit of Lysol might slow a centipede down and it could possibly even poison/kill it, but it's really not an effect control measure. If you have a large infestation, try using a synthetic insecticide that contain pyrethroids instead.

Yes, it's normal! Warm or hot air coming from the dehumidifier is a normal part of the dehumidification process as long as the unit is drawing moisture from the air.

Yes. Spray it several times. Just use pure vinegar, though, no need to be gentle!

Assuming they're​ coming up through the drain, use a stopper. Otherwise, use a spray bottle with bleach and spray your sink before going to bed.

There's a good chance other pests consumed it. Since centipedes are hunters, their presence usually indicates other pests in the home. In this case, the hunter may have become the meal.

Close the windows as these can be access points. Also, in the summertime, air conditioning removes air moisture and, combined with cooler temperatures, will deter centipedes.

Simple, if you see a lot of them, then there's many more. Centipedes are attracted to spiders, crickets, and moisture.

Windex works as an instant killer. Anything with ammonia will kill them on sight.

Keep the light on. They don't like light. It won't kill them, but you probably won't see them around.

The desert centipede, which can grow up to four or five inches, are poisonous. Their venom may not be so harmful to humans, but their bites will likely hurt.

Clean the bite with wound cleaner/antiseptic solution, apply antibiotic ointment and band-aid; apply heat to help with the pain and irritation. Take some Benadryl and Ibuprofen for pain and inflammation. Keep a close eye on bite due to high rate of infection. Bite can be extremely painful. If symptoms persist or increase such as lightheaded, nausea or vomiting, or a line develops from bite moving up extremity bitten, go to the doctor/ER.

Seal entryways to your home, like cracks or windows that don't quite close all the way. Eliminate standing water on your property and clean every crevice to eliminate food sources. If this doesn't work, contact a professional exterminator.

Severe pain, swelling and redness, headache, palpitations, nausea, vomiting, anxiety, itching and burning sensations can all indicate exposure to centipede venom.

A shoe stomp or a light spray of insecticide should work.

Hit the centipede with a hard object, like a shoe, or spray it with hairspray or fabric starch.

Make sure that the outside of the dehumidifier is completely sealed. I had a similar issue when I left my coffeemaker open. Since they like moisture, they will enter if the opportunity is there.

Yes, they can climb just about anything, including a bed, regardless of the bed's material.

It is best to call pest control as they have the proper equipment to kill them. Just make sure you know where they enter from. It will help pest control.

Yes. Kerosene and bleach can work. In my experience, stomping on the carpet is not very effective. One actually reared up at me!

You can spray them with a mixture of peppermint oil and water. They won't die immediately, but they will start to die as they scurry away from you.

Sweat and water can easily get absorbed into a pillow, especially if you go to bed after showering.

You should call an exterminator.

Through pipes, cracks, and crevices. They are more afraid of you than you are of them and it is unlikely they will bite you unless you are holding one.

You can't get rid of them for good, but you can try to simply seal the home up. Centipedes are large, and they're probably getting in through a door bottom that has an opening/gap.

No they won't. This is why during the winter, they try to get into your home for warmth.

No, centipede venom is generally not fatal to humans, although a bite can be very painful.

The better idea would probably be to leave the drain plug in overnight so they don't have a way into the tub.

Not necessarily. Occasionally, centipedes will abandon their young, especially if food supply is sparse. Female centipedes are most likely to move on.