Can you pick out a millipede or a centipede in a line-up of bugs? They are common pests in Providence, so we're betting you can. But while most Providence residents can recognize a millipede or a centipede, a surprising number do not know what it means when these bugs get inside. Today, we're lifting the shroud of mystery.
These long, multi-legged bugs, which curl up into a spiral when you pick them up, cannot complete their life cycle indoors. If you're seeing millipedes in your home, it means that the conditions outside have driven them in. This might be extended drought conditions that have made it too dry outside. It might be an oversaturation of the soil around your home caused by heavy rain. It might be due to a dropping of the temperature outside. Millipedes prefer to be outside. Your home does not provide the environment they need to reproduce and live.
If you're seeing millipedes in your home, it also means that you have entry points. These bugs don't eat wood or make holes to get into homes. They use entry points that are already available. This might be a gap around a pipe. It might be cracks in your foundation wall. It could be a missing door sweep or a gap in the weatherstripping around a door. It may also be a hole created by a wood-damaging pest. If you have millipedes, you have entry points.
Millipedes in your Providence home could also indicate a moisture problem. These bugs eat decaying organic material, like rotting wood particles. When a home is damaged by rainwater, millipedes come to feed. They aren't destructive like termites or carpenter ants but they can indicate conditions that are attractive to those pests.
How do you get rid of millipedes in your home? You don't have to do anything. Millipedes can't survive in your home. They will eventually die. But, if you're not keen on waiting, you could reach out to Big Blue Bug Solutions for a faster resolution to your problem. When you do, you'll also get guidance and assistance for keeping a new infestation from taking root.
Centipedes
What does it mean when centipedes are in your home? It means you have a food source inside your home. Centipedes eat insects, both living and dead. A home that has lots of food will be attractive to these creepy, multi-legged bugs that look like something your cat coughed up.
Just like millipedes, centipedes in your home means you have entry points. These bugs don't chew their way in. How do centipedes get in the house? They get in through holes created by wood-destroying pests, damaged screens, gaps around doors and windows, cracks in foundation walls, chipped mortar, gaps around pipes, and more.
Will centipedes go away on their own? Not likely. Centipedes can complete their entire life cycle indoors. Once they get in, they don't have to leave, and they're not expected to die off.
Are centipedes dangerous? No. Besides being extremely gross and having the ability to jump you out of your skin, they're mostly harmless. While they can bite you, it is highly unlikely. But that doesn't mean you want them hanging out inside your home.
Millipede and Centipede Control
For assistance with control of these and other common household pests in Providence, contact Big Blue Bug Solutions. We have the solutions for what's bugging you. We can provide a one-time service or put in place a residential pest control plan to keep these and other pests out of your Providence home all year long. Contact us today to request an inspection. Life is better without creepy, multi-legged bugs. We guarantee it.