How To Keep Centipedes Out of Your Bed?

If you find yourself in the unfortunate situation of finding a centipede in your bed or having to deal with an infestation of them, then here are some tips on how to get rid of them.

• First, try vacuuming up the centipedes from the bedding. Next, wash all your bedding thoroughly in hot water and detergent before drying it completely. Lastly, use rat poison to eliminate them from the premises.

• You will usually find that the centipedes only come out at night. Use this to your advantage. Place them in a jar with something to attract them (a “snake” ball works well). Place the jar somewhere in your house where they will be visible during the day, but not able to escape back into their hiding places. Leave the lid loosely on so they don’t suffocate. Watch them go!

• Pour molasses (a black sticky syrup that is mostly used in baking) onto your bedding. It will act as a food source for the centipedes, resulting in their eventual death. Place this somewhere in your house where they can be seen during the daytime, but not able to escape back into their hiding places.

• You can try spraying with insecticides like Raid. It may work for a short while but will eventually have to be repeated. Also, note that some people are sensitive to the chemicals found in Raid, so if you use it, you should be aware of your tolerance level. An alternative is simply applying an insecticide directly onto the centipedes themselves. An example of this would be dipping Q-tips into rubbing alcohol and swabbing them down with it.

• Spray everything, including your food and drinks.

• You can also try using a strong-smelling insecticide like Pet Safe Garlic Spray. It will only work as long as you don’t mind it lingering in your house (it even has a light strawberry scent, so it’s not all bad). The results of this will be immediate, but it can also result in stomach cramps and dizziness.

• Place sticky fly tape around the edges of your bedding and the room (if you have very little space). The centipedes may still manage to get into the area where they can see or hear you from their hiding places. Use rat poison along the edges of furniture and carpets.

• You could place mothballs in cracks and crevices around your residence, or even put lighter fluid in your shoes to help drive them out. You can also keep them separate (or at least moving) by placing a few live centipedes in their bedding. However, this is not usually recommended as they will frequently not be killed and may eat the other centipedes while they are still alive, leading to infestations of other centipedes in the future.

• Most gardeners who are trying to get rid of centipedes will spray insecticide on their entire house, including all their beds and under surfaces. It is dangerous if the insecticide is the type that has to be reapplied every few days or so because it will eventually kill off your bird or pets. To make it effective, spray frequently, but not frequently enough to kill off your pets or birds.

• The best way to eliminate them from your house is to use traps and poison. You can use black lights and glue traps to find the locations where they are hiding; after you find them, then use rat poison to eliminate them. Centipedes will hide in dark nooks and crannies such as behind baseboards, inside electrical outlets, or under cabinets. Use a flashlight or a black light (if you can get one) to hunt for them at night; pay close attention to the underside of chairs and tables as well as inside closets and under beds.

• An easy way to find the location of centipedes is by using a broom and some soapy water. Put soapy water on the bottom of the broom and then move it along the baseboards. The centipedes will climb up to escape from you, thus giving you an idea of where they are hiding. After finding them, they use rat poison to get rid of them.

• Regular insecticide sprays such as roach spray can kill centipedes, but it is not a good idea to allow children or pets in the room when spraying insecticide, because they may breathe in or ingest some of it. If you have children, make sure they are out of the room.

Also, while it is true that some centipedes can give you a painful bite, it is not true that they are all poisonous. According to the University of Florida Extension Service, most North American centipedes are not poisonous at all; only one species in the US—the Southern Fire Centipede—is known to be poisonous.

Most of the centipedes found in the US are beneficial because they help kill other pests such as roaches and ants. Some species of centipedes even eat bed bugs, but that is a method that you do not want to employ as an average homeowner.

• If you find a centipede in your house, you can call a pest control company to get rid of it; alternatively, you can kill them yourself using some methods we described earlier. They are not dangerous and will not cause any damage to your house or property; rather, they will save you money by getting rid of other pests on your own.

• The best thing to do is locate the centipedes’ hiding spots, then seal them up by sealing up cracks and crevices where they are found. The next step would be to eliminate all sources of food for centipedes. The easiest way to do this would be to use some mothballs.

• Mothballs are made from long-lasting insecticides that are available at any store or store you can choose from. These insecticides have long been used as bed bug repellents through the years, but now people have realized that they are good for other purposes too.

Now use some heat source such as a heat lamp or heat tape under your mattress to keep the other pests away. You can also use some moth repellents such as those made by D-Con and make sure all your closets and boxes are sealed tight.