Centipedes usually live outdoors in damp areas such as under leaves, stones, boards, tree bark, or in mulch around outdoor plantings. When these centipede habitats are near a home's foundation, centipedes will wander inside where they may be found at floor level almost anywhere. If accidentally injured, larger centipedes may bite, causing some pain and slight swelling. Actually, their "bites" are not caused by their jaws or mouthparts, but by the front legs which are modified to look and function like jaws and contain venom glands. Smaller species are not large enough to penetrate human skin. Centipede bites are usually not serious, but an antiseptic should be used on the wound and a physician consulted in all cases where the skin is punctured.
Centipedes are usually brownish, flattened, and elongate animals which have many body segments. One pair of legs is attached to most of these body segments. They differ from millipedes in that millipedes have two pairs of legs on most segments and bodies which are not flattened. Centipedes range in length from 1 to 6 inches and can run very rapidly. The female in some species stays with the young after they have hatched, guarding them until they are ready to leave. If disturbed the females tend to either abandon the eggs of their young or eat them; abandoned eggs tend to fall prey to fungi rapidly. They develop by gradual metamorphosis, so immature have a similar appearance to adults but are smaller. Eggs are laid in the damp places that they live in, as well as behind baseboards or beneath bark on firewood. All life stages can be observed running rapidly across floors or accidentally trapped in bathtubs, sinks, and lavatories.
Centipedes are found in moist microhabitats. Water relations are an important aspect of their ecology, since they lose water rapidly in dry conditions. Water loss is a result of centipedes lacking a waxy covering of their exoskeleton and excreting waste nitrogen as ammonia, which requires extra water. Centipedes deal with water loss through a variety of adaptations.
Centipedes do not damage food supplies or household furnishings. Since they eat insects, spiders and other arthropods, they are beneficial; but most people consider them a nuisance when they wander indoors and want them controlled.
Chronic problems with centipedes should be addressed by addressing their habitats in a professional way and we are capable of doing that.
The control involves the following;
- Inspection
Inspection is essential to solving pest problems. It includes asking questions of you and examining your premises thoroughly to learn as much as possible about the problem. During the inspection, the technician will look for the harborage areas of pests, any conditions of moisture, heat or darkness which favor infestations, food and water that can be utilized by the pests, the most probable ways that the pest is entering the premises, and the evidence of infestation (such as damage, droppings, tracks, as well as actual specimens or their cast skins). The inspection will also give the technician some idea of the measures that may or may not be used as well as safety precautions that may be necessary. - Identification
Positive and accurate identification many times is the key to the success of the program due to the fact that all pests are different in nature and in habitat. All pests have unique characteristics which make them a pest. One may only cause problems while in the beginning of there life cycle, others may be a concern only while laying there eggs on items which may become damaged, while others are a concern and a health hazard throughout all stages of there existence. So it is very important to know the problem before going after the solution. - Recommendation
Recommendation of how we can help you eliminate the pest problem will be made after the inspection and all the facts surrounding the problem are known. The recommendation will include two things:- What material we will be using and in what areas it will be applied.
- What you should do in the way of harborage elimination, building repairs, as well as any sanitation measures that should be done in order to assist in effective control of the pest.
- Treatment
Treatment may include sanitation and harborage removal services, the use of traps or other devices to catch or prevent pests from entering your premises, as well as using pesticides. The pesticide chosen will be the type that is most effective in controlling your specific pest and will be applied correctly and in a safe manner. The technician will choose where to apply a barrier. - Evaluation
Generally, the best way to serve you is on a monthly service program. The reason why is because the technician will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of our pest management program by re-inspecting your place to determine the effectiveness of any recommendations he may have given you as well as evaluating the effectiveness of the treatment of material