The instinct to squish a centipede when you spot one in your home can be hard to resist. However, recent findings suggest that killing a house centipede might not be the best decision.
Centipedes typically thrive in dark, damp areas, often making an appearance in places like bathrooms or basements. When encountered, many people instinctively want to squash them or flee.
What makes centipedes so unsettling to us is also what makes them effective predators of other pests. Their speed and agility allow them to hunt down various insects.
Seeing a centipede scurry across your bathroom floor in the middle of the night can be alarming. However, it might be comforting to know that these creatures help keep your home free from pests like cockroaches, spiders, and ants.
Centipedes have a voracious appetite for these insects, making them valuable allies in preventing infestations.
For those still determined to eliminate these creatures, reducing humidity levels in your home and capturing them in glass containers are some humane options. You can then release the centipede in a more suitable outdoor environment, like an area with moist soil or rocks.
It’s also important to note that house centipedes are not harmful to humans. Unlike some of their relatives, they are not poisonous and are unable to inflict bites on human skin. The minuscule amount of venom they possess is effective only against their tiny prey, which is why they are beneficial in controlling unwanted pests.