Picture this__a centipede jumping__seems ridiculous, right? It's almost impossible to imagine that centipedes can jump with their multiple legs, long bodies, and twitchy antennae. But they actually do jump!
Centipedes are venomous carnivorous. They feed on prey like insects and worms. These dynamic hunters utilize their long antennae to locate prey and legs to jump on the targeted prey.
Their first pair of legs is modified into venomous claws, and once centipedes fold the legs over their prey, they inject venom and paralyze it! According to specialists, this nasty venom is highly toxic, and it wreaks havoc on a pests nervous and cardiovascular system!
In fact, giant centipedes have been found to battle and kill pests 15 times their size (mice) in only 30 seconds! Small house centipedes are powerful enough to kill insects such as spiders and termites.
In the event a centipede is at the risk of becoming prey itself, it simply detaches any trapped legs and runs away.
So yes, centipedes can jump. But it's highly unlikely that they jump at you.
Why Do Centipedes Get Into Your Home?
House centipedes will typically get into your home in search of warmth and food. In theory, centipedes love tropical and humid areas. However, over the years, they have proven to adapt incredibly and survive in nearly all climates.
But when the weather becomes too harsh outside, for instance, during extreme winter, centipedes will seek refuge in your house. You will most likely spot centipedes in your house at night since they spend the day hiding. That's because their eyes are pretty sensitive to light. If you turn on the lights, these multi-legged creatures will scurry back to safety.
The most common centipede hiding spot in your home is humid and wet areas like basements and bathrooms. Another common hiding spot is beneath the floor of your building, thanks to the plenty availability of insects and relatively wet conditions there.
How Did Centipedes Get Into My House?
Centipedes are clever and quite crafty! They will take advantage of any cracks, crevices, spaces under the door, and pretty much any other opening to get into your house.
They are especially attracted to warmth and a safe place to hunt prey. The best way to keep centipedes away from home is by sealing all cracks and crevices in walls, foundations and ensuring door screens are fixed.
Are Centipedes Dangerous To People?
Centipedes can be creepy, and the mere sight of them crawling at super-speed can be terrifying. Luckily, your uninvited guests are not poisonous to humans. Though centipedes can bite, pierce your skin, and inject venom, the venom cannot put yours or the health of your loved ones at risk.
In fact, it's pretty hard for centipedes to bite you unless you're handling it. Additionally, they'd rather not waste their venom on you and save it for something else on their menu.
Why Do Centipedes Bite Humans?
A centipede will most likely bite you in self-defense. If you're picking up or handling a centipede roughly, it feels endangered, and it's most natural response will be to bite/sting you.
If you mistakenly step on a centipede, it will bite. How do centipedes bite? They simply puncture your skin with their sharp, pointy legs. Note that smaller centipedes species may not be able to puncture or sting human skin.
How Do Centipede Bites Look Like?
It's quite easy to distinguish centipede bites from those of other insects. That's because these scary insects pierce your skin with the pincer-like tips (forcipules) of their legs, leaving behind two red marks on your skin. Because of the way the forcipules are positioned, you'll notice a V-shape near the bite.
The Symptoms Of Centipede Bites
While most people will be left unaffected by centipede bites, some are highly sensitive to insect bites, including centipedes.
Generally, centipede bites cause two puncture marks, redness, and swelling. Depending on how much venom the pest injects into your skin, the intensify of the pain may be more or minimal.
Little venom, usually associated with the smaller centipedes, causes the type of pain you'd feel from a bee sting. Comparably, bigger centipedes deliver more venom resulting in more intense pain.
Victims highly allergic to bites may experience the following symptoms:
- Severe itching
- Chills and fever
- Nausea
- Extreme swelling accompanied by swollen lymph nodes
Though rare, you're advised to see your doctor if you notice a severe reaction.
5 Most Interesting Centipede Facts You Probably Didn't Know
Though centipedes are disgusting bugs, they are particularly passive, and they do not pose you, your loved ones, or pets to any serious health risks. But their unsightly appearance has resulted in many misconceptions about them.
Below are the most interesting centipede facts that will hopefully demystify any centipede myths and misconceptions:
No, Centi Does Not Mean One Hundred and Pede Does Not Mean Feet
You probably already believe that centipedes have 100 feet! Well, you need to unlearn that. In fact, centipedes do not have feet! Secondly, they don't have 100 legs.
Typically, the number of legs in a centipede depends on the number of body segments, with each segment having a pair of legs. Therefore, while some centipedes may have 10 legs, others can have 30 legs but no more than 50 legs!
Centipedes Are Not Your Ordinary Insect
In fact, centipedes are not insects at all! They are not arachnids either. While insects have 6 legs, arachnids have 8 legs. Clearly, centipedes do not fall into either of these categories.
Wow, so what are these creatures? Centipedes are chilopods. That's because they possess 15 pairs of legs and a long body made up of a chain of flattened segments that allows them to move very fast!
Centipedes Are Night Owls
You will ever so rarely spot a centipede roaming during the day! They prefer to hide in dark, damp places like bathrooms, basements, closets, and more. Because their eyes are very sensitive to light, centipedes are more active at night.
Centipedes Are Carnivorous, And They Can Live Up To 6 years!
You read that right! While the house centipede lives up to a year, other tough species can live up to 5-6 years! Additionally, centipedes feed on insects like silverfish, roaches, and even flies. Due to their poor eyesight, these invaders use their antennae to detect prey.
Centipedes Are Not Dangerous, and They Can Be Beneficial
Most people are so afraid of centipedes because of the assumption that they are dangerous. But contrary to popular belief, these ugly intruders are pretty passive and will rarely bite you.
Though some big species can puncture your skin and inject a poisonous venom, it can't kill you like it does insects. The worst that can happen is itchiness around the bitten area, developing redness and swelling.
Additionally, centipedes can help you eliminate common household pests like spiders, roaches, bed bugs, moths, etc. But of course, introducing these fast runners into your home for pest control would not be the best idea.
The Best Way To Get Rid Of Centipedes From Your Home
The best way to control centipedes is by keeping them away from your home in the first place. Centipedes have a flat body that allows them to slip even through the tiniest cracks and crevices. Therefore, you want to ensure that all small openings in the foundation, doors, windows, and walls are sealed.
But again, the presence of these leggy creatures may be a sign that you have other pests invading your home. Therefore, the most effective way to deal with a centipede attack is to contact professional pest controllers to do a thorough inspection, determine the source/cause of the infestation and customize the best treatment plan that will render your home pest free. The pest experts will also create a protective barrier to ensure zero chances of future centipede infestations.
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