A home is often considered the lifeline of every family. Once it has become infested with creepy crawlies, problems will occur. That includes having centipedes that are lurking in each corner of the house. One might agree that when looking at these arthropods, things might go crazy because they are so very creepy that you can’t even properly sleep at night.
These creatures often love to show off their crawling abilities at bedtime. Often so, they can disturb everyone’s peaceful periods of sleep. Centipedes are known for how painful they are when biting people, and the larger that’s living in your home, the scarier it becomes. It is very understandable that when it comes to seeing one crawling towards you, automatically, your body will move to stay away from it.
With that, we will show you some methods how to keep centipedes out of your bed to sleep well every night. Follow the tips below to ensure that no centipede visitors will wake you up during a night of deep sleep.
Why do centipedes love to go inside every house?
We all know that we are not the only ones who live inside our own homes. In fact, there are so many living entities roaming around that you often ignore them. One of these is centipedes. These creatures love looking for a warm place to live, especially when winter nights are coming. Or it might have been that your house is infested by pests or bugs that centipedes like.
Even though they often seek warm environments, their native habitats are often damp. When you look at the very corners of your homes and even in dark locations, you can see them lurking and wiggling. You may often find them beneath the sink or under closes and, worst, on your bed. If you are not cleaning your bed sheets every day, bugs and pests will come live on them, and these centipedes will follow. And you don’t want them to sleep beside you because once you feel their hundred legs, it will certainly give you the creeps.
Are centipedes harmless?
Centipedes are actually arthropods and not insects. As the name implies, they have a flat body structure with several numbers of legs. Their elongated bodies are usually of dark or red colors. They have slender-like bodies that allow them to slide through any holes and cracks in anyone’s home. And this makes it difficult to keep them out.
One major point is that centipedes are actually harmless, and they only consume other bugs and pests, including the pseudo butterflies the cockroaches. And because of them, they eliminated roach infestation easily, and it’s the most effective strategy to get rid of them.
Often, people get scared of centipedes because of how they look. And since they crawl in every location on your premises, they might actually scare you unknowingly. You need to keep them out of your home, especially in your bedroom. Centipedes seldom bit people despite their frightening appearance, and their bites are not venomous. However, the pain you can experience from one bit of a centipede is excruciating.
Having said that, these kinds of creatures are beneficial to the environment by aiding and maintaining balance in the ecosystem. Avoiding clutter, insects, and wet areas inside your home may help limit and prevent them from coming in.
Where can I find centipedes?
Centipedes are often found in wet, sheltered environments such as under your sink, beneath the logs and stones in your backyard, under the bushes, lurking in your cabinets, and the worst, living on your bed. Sometimes, centipedes love to crawl when you sleep at the end of the day.
When the outdoor gets cold at night, centipedes seek shelter in everyone’s homes, and they are such wise creatures that will always find a way to get inside. Generally, you can find centipedes mostly in your house’s damp and dark areas.
They are also rather fast, so it may take you some time to detect them anywhere in your house. Because their rear legs let them move swiftly, you may see a yellow to brown coloration dashing on the floor and your bed as well. Aside from that, they are nocturnal creatures which means that they are only moving around at night. Thus, it would be very hard to find them during the daytime.
How to keep Centipedes out of your bed: Detailed Insights
Now, we will discuss how to get these centipedes out of your bed. These methods will surely protect you from centipedes waking you up. Hence, giving you a good night’s sleep.
Method # 1: Investigate your bedroom
To remove them from your residence, you must first figure out what drew them there in the first place. One factor is they consider your home to be a source of their food and also their home. House centipedes usually get inside houses in the winter, seeking a warmer, cozier habitat with plenty of food. So, if you notice a centipede crawling along the edge of your bed, it’s seeking some warmth.
The first thing you should do is investigate all the premises and corners of your bedroom. Their native homes are wet, gloomy places, and when they go inside, they look for similar, although warmer, environments. If there is dampness in the home, it might be a perfect area for centipedes or other insects to dwell. Check if some holes and cracks might give the centipedes an entranceway to your bed. This creepy crawlies are relatively tiny, allowing them to squeeze through many holes and crevices.
Upon checking, bring yourself with your sealants to block the holes you can see in your room. This will keep these centipedes from entering, and it can also prevent other bugs out. Check also the interiors of your walls and doors. And don’t forget your bed, for it might have been living on it for a long time. The worst thing that could happen if you have been infested by bugs and pests because the home is considered a place for them to find their grub.
Centipedes are mini-predators that eat a variety of bugs. Worms, silverfish, bed bugs, spiders, roaches, and moths are among these that centipedes consume. If you have a pest infestation of any of these insects on your property, centipedes are likely to follow. So attempt to figure out what is drawing the centipedes to your bedroom and solve the issue. If things could go worst then follow the next method to get things done.
Method # 2: Do some pest control
The best thing that you can do is eradicate all the bugs in your bedroom. As we’ve said earlier, centipedes always seek food, and they love insects and bugs that much. So, in order to prevent them from staying inside your bedroom, start from the source. Centipedes are always crawling to fill themselves up, and one of their favorites is cockroaches. Some of them also love mosquitoes, spiders, and other bugs that can usually be seen inside every house.
In doing pest control to every corner of your house, you need to clean every area of your home, which is a must! A clean house will entitle you and your family to be free of creepy crawlies because these kinds of creatures don’t love a clean environment. Upon cleaning, purchase some pesticides or insecticides to get things done and it is encouraged to buy organic pesticides to help also the environment. There are a variety of pesticides on the marketplace that you may use to get rid of the bugs swarm and eliminate the centipedes. Simply be sure to follow the directions on the pesticide to get the greatest results.
However, if your house has been infested with these pests already and you can do nothing about it, it is time to call a professional pest control expert to eradicate them. Then, they will begin by thoroughly decontaminating the whole household to eliminate not just centipedes, but all other types of insects and bugs that may make your home. Complete fumigation should be performed yearly or so and having yearly maintenance of pest control is one way to keep this creepy crawlies from getting inside your own home.
Method # 3: Keep everything dry
Centipedes are small living creatures that love to be in wet environments. If you don’t want to discover these pests in your house, you must get rid of them. That’s why you need to seal all of the leaks that you can find within your home. Check your sink, bathroom, and even your bedroom if any watery splashes could invite centipedes.
It is often also suggested to get an air dehumidifier because it can remove moisture content from the air. In that manner, it helps to dehumidify your bedroom, making it dry and cozy. And when you see leaks from the pipes, fix them immediately because those leaks smell trouble in the long run.
Furthermore, distribute silica sachets in sections of the floor that are likely to be humid including the corners of the bathroom, basement, under cabinets, below the pipes, and so on. These sachets will absorb moisture from the air, making the area less wet.
It’s also a good idea to maintain your drains clean and to keep stuff like recycling bins and damp firewood away from your house. Check those downspouts outside your property don’t have leaks, causing moisture in the area. When they do, fix them immediately by calling home improvement experts to avoid centipedes.
Method # 4: Install exhaust fans
If you might notice, the best place to find centipedes is within your bathroom premises. Yes! You will likely see a once-in-a-while centipede when you go for a bath because there is a lot of dampness in your bathroom, and there aren’t many options for dealing with it. And nobody loves that experience; thus, you need to install exhaust fans to prevent this from happening.
Installing bathroom exhaust fans, on the other hand, is a better way to allow air to circulate and exit through the windows. These ventilation devices can help stop moisture build-up inside your bathroom and are an excellent solution for dealing with humidity in the bathroom. It will eventually dry up any wet area after taking a bath. And it will help keep your bathroom from getting smelly also.
One fun fact is that your bathroom drain is one of the possible entry points for the great majority of bugs and insects in your home. By installing exhaust fans, you will make the area much less appealing to these centipedes and pests and they will keep away from it. This is another low-cost method for dealing with not just centipedes, but also other bugs and insects. If you don’t know how to install it, get a plumber or a handyman to install it properly for you. Lastly, exhaust fans can be bought for cheap depending on their size and design.
Method # 5: Have some spring cleaning outside
Have you been so very busy that you didn’t even bother to check things around your area, especially on your front lawn or in the backyard? Don’t you have the time to get it cleaned once in a while? When you see that your front yard or backyard is full of tall grass and bushes, it’s time for you to remove and clean it. As most people say, start from the outside if you cannot do it inside. Centipedes are always lying on bushes, and there they will build a nest to multiply. They love to stay in shrubs and bushes because the soil there is very damp.
To prevent centipedes from entering your home, cut them down and ensure that your yards have been thoroughly cleaned up. Get a lawnmower or a grass-cutter to remove these unattended grasses, thus preventing centipedes from producing more of their kind. See to it that you have removed any organic materials such as logs, woodpiles, and stacks of leaves. Moreover, organize your pots and plants in a way that these centipedes wouldn’t love.
You can do the cleaning challenge if you have the spare time to do so. But, if you are so busy with your work and busy schedule, you can get a cleaning expert to remove the weeds and grasses on your property. Sometimes, calling some assistance will lead you to the best possible outcome because they know their thing and they will surely find a way to prevent these centipede pests from roaming around your area.
Method # 6: Release them outside being unharmed
You may be wondering why some of us grow hostile to these centipedes if they represent no threat to humans. There are some cases where they often bite people when sleeping but the good thing about centipedes is that they are harmless creatures, and they won’t even bother you. However, some do crawl into your body without you knowing it. And once you see a centipede crawling on the floor, please do not kill it because they are just living their own way to find food to eat.
Centipedes don’t normally bite people, but once they are threatened, they become aggressive. They can also help remove pests and insects from your house, so, on another note, they serve as helping hands to free your house from being infested. You don’t have to murder them if you don’t agree to live with them. Instead, you may bring them out and unleash them in a location where you know they won’t find their way back into your home or any other. You can just pick up them using gloves and release them on your lawn.
However, this approach will only work if you just have a few of them in your bed. That’s usually the case if you find the issue just as it’s getting started. After you’ve taken only those that you discover in an area, they’ll grow without becoming a bother to the populace, and it’s a great idea to literally sweep them out of your home to ensure that there aren’t any more hidden in some hidden corner. Next, you should consider purchasing a dehumidifier or installing bathroom fans to ensure that the issue does not reoccur. If you disregard them, you’re probably choosing not to act when there are signs that the issue is just getting underway.
Method # 7: Use pesticides and set traps
One centipede is enough for the day, but if you have seen lots of it in your bedroom, it’s time to handle it properly. Purchase a pesticide from a nearby store to remove them from your property. If you are out of the budget, you can use a natural way to get things done.
One way is to get tree oil or peppermint and put it inside a spray bottle. Dilute it with water and fully fill it up. Spray the naturally made mix on each corner and side of your bed. Get some for your windows and doors as well. Don’t miss every stuff that you can see inside your room to make sure that every area is spot clean. Routinely do this weekly or monthly as you desire, and don’t forget to clean your room regularly.
Another best way to keep centipedes out is to get a sticky trap, and surely when you wake up, you will see some creepy crawlies trapped in it. You wouldn’t only get centipedes but other pests as well. Place these traps around the corners of your room and even at your doorstep. Check also if there are holes and place on around it. You can also put one over your walls next to your windows just in case.
Method # 8: Lighten things up
Light up every section of your home well, especially your bedroom. Centipedes don’t like the light, so you can momentarily scare them away. But when it happens that you turn off the lights when you sleep, that will be the time that they will go out and do horrors.
Leaving your lights on may deter centipedes. However, this is just a temporary solution. The centipedes will rapidly slither back into their dark wall crevices and other hideout spots if the lights are immediately turned on. That is why you should not let any cracks alone for too long. As soon as you see them, block the area so that the bugs have no place to hide.
Nonetheless, keeping your house lighted will keep the ambiance of your room bright. It will keep them from moving to and from since they will stay in one place to keep away from the light source. And the best place that you can see them from this moment on is in the darkest corners of your home.
Method # 9: Declutter and clean everything inside
One event that most centipedes love is when you eat on your bed. And if you are not fond of cleaning your bed when sleeping, these food crumbs will actually invite centipedes. That’s why it is important to clean your bed before you sleep and make sure that there are no food leftovers.
Do some decluttering to some of your stuff and take away any organic materials that can be found in your bedroom. As much as possible, empty your garbage bin every night so that you won’t invite centipedes to roam around your room at night. Get rid of any food crumbs and leftovers that bugs and insects like cockroaches love to munch.
Not only that you should do this inside your bedroom but also do this outside of your property. If you can see some logs lying around, remove them immediately, for that will become a place that centipedes might stay. Get rid of any organic materials that have been lying around the area, including leaves, grasses, and woodpiles.
Finally, as much as possible, do not let your bed be near your walls. Give your bed enough space so that if there are cracks on your walls, centipedes won’t easily reach you. One tip is to seal your mattress with plastic or wrap a piece of fabric so that centipedes won’t live inside it.
Conclusion
Centipedes can often be beneficial to us, and often so, they can be quite frightening. And when you have observed lately that centipedes are crawling most often in your bedroom, that will signal that there is a slumber party happening when you are away. This will indicate that you might have been infested with pests.
Don’t let these pesky critters disturb your sleep, and use the methods in this guide to help you prevent centipedes from crawling around. Remember that cleanliness is a virtue; keep your house clean to prevent any scary visitors from coming. In that way, you may live a comfortable life without any inconvenience.
