Centipedes
Centipedes are a common pest found across the GTA. Professional treatment is required to fully eliminate an infestation.
The Centipede
Centipedes are common arthropods with long, flattened, segmented bodies with one pair of legs per segment. The house centipede can be up to 1 1/2 inches long and has 15 pairs of very slender legs. The body is brown to grayish-yellow and has three dark stripes on top. Centipedes are found outside in damp moist environments often in decaying organic matter. On the inside of the house, centipedes prefer to live in cracks and crevices in damp portions of basements, bathrooms, closets, and unexcavated areas under the house. Centipedes feed on small insects, their larvae, and on spiders, as such they are often seen as a beneficial insect, however most homeowners would beg to differ. While they can bite, it is rare and a bite produces a reaction comparable with a wasp sting.
Interior Treatment Preparation
- Access is required to baseboards in your home by moving all furniture 12 inches away from the wall; please take care not to move the heavy furniture.
- Access is required to baseboards, walls and shelves in the basement and closet / storage areas.
- Closet floors must be clear; hanging clothes may remain.
- Turn off all fish tanks and seal the openings with plastic.
- All adults, children, and pets must leave the house for a period of 4 hours after the service.
Exterior Treatment Preparation
- Centipedes are attracted to moisture so leaves, wood, compost, and other organic material should be removed from the foundation wall of the structure
- The technician will do a residual treatment to the structure both on the interior and exterior of the structure if the client would like both interior and exterior treated. The client will likely see centipedes for 2 -3 weeks after treatment.