No doubt you have seen at least one house centipede crawling on the floor of your Carlinville, IL home at one point or another. These creatures are classified as arthropods, meaning they are invertebrate animals that have both a segmented body and an exoskeleton. Centipedes of sets of legs for every single segment of their body. The longer it is, the more legs it will have. They have been observed to have up to 300 legs at their largest sizes. Despite their frightening appearance to some, these insects do not pose any danger to humans at all. Want to learn more about these critters? Check out these cool facts about centipedes.
House Centipedes Are Nocturnal Hunters
Centipedes are nocturnal hunters, which is why you may find them scurrying around your kitchen for a midnight snack. Their prey includes several different types of spiders and soft-bodied insects. They will attack their targets from behind and they can also sometimes grab their victims with their back legs.
Dehydration Is a Large Issue
Dehydration can be a major issue for centipedes. This is a big reason why they seek out damp and dark environments such as a pile of leaves outside. If your basement has any moisture in it, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see a centipede or two down there.
House Centipedes Have Regenerating Legs
If any of their legs fall off, a centipede can regrow them. They can escape predators by leaving some of their legs behind in their mouths. If you happen to see a centipede walking around with some legs shorter than the other, it could be a sign they are recovering from an attack.
They Are Cleaner Than You Would Think
These critters are known to groom themselves after every meal. They carefully drag their mouth over each leg to clean them. For insects, they are very clean.
House Centipedes Are Fast Moving
Despite being so small, centipedes can travel more than a foot in just a measly second. Their bodies are built for speed and allow them to move quickly. This makes them fairly challenging to catch.
They Can Be Considered Pets
In some parts of the world such as Japan, these critters are kept as pets. When kept in captivity, they are known to grow very large.
House Centipedes Are Harmless
The only thing that a centipede can do to a human is to bite them with their fangs. These creatures are quite delicate so they will only rarely ever bite you enough to pierce the skin. They can, however, cause allergies if you get bitten by one.
While centipedes can be cool, you might not want to just have them crawling around your home. If you have a centipede problem, call our team over at IMEL Pest Control today. Our expert team has all the knowledge and experience needed to rid your home of these pests.
