house centipedes pest control

Introduction

  • Scientific name is: Halyomorpha halys
  • Named for its defense mechanism of spraying an odorous liquid when threatened
  • Originally from China, Taiwan, Korea, and Japan.
  • Has become a season long pest in the United States as it invades homes and feeds on crops.

Identification

  • Grow up to three to four inches long.
  • Have up to fifteen pairs of legs.
  • Yellowish gray in color with striped bands around the legs.

Mannerisms of House Centipedes

  • Run at speeds of one foot per second.
  • Has developed auto-mimicry in its back legs making them have the same movements as their antennae.
  • Have well developed faceted eyes.
  • Females lay eggs in the spring.
    • Lay between sixty-three and one hundred and fifty-one eggs.
  • Feed on spiders, bed bugs, termites, ants, silverfish, and cockroaches.
  • Inject venom into prey with modified legs.
  • Can detach any of its legs to escape predators.
  • Prefer to live in cool damp places such as basements.
  • Can bite humans and they are painful, but not dangerous.

Prevention

  • Drying up areas they live forces them to find another habitat.
  • Eliminating other household pests that the centipedes eat has proven to be an effective centipede pest control method.
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