Centipedes in Worcester are one of those pests that seem to give just about everyone the heebie-jeebies. They are just so creepy with their segmented bodies, their tiny little legs, and their painful bites. While some centipedes can grow truly massive, we, fortunately, do not have any footlong centipedes in Massachusetts. However, that does not mean we are out of the woods. You can still wind up with plenty of centipedes in your Worcester home or business. That is why you should consider commercial or residential pest control from Big Blue Bug Solutions before you wind up with a huge centipede infestation.
How To Identify Centipedes in Worcester
Sometimes, it can be tough to tell the difference between a centipede in your house and a millipede. They are both segmented, have tons of legs, and are long and narrow. However, there are a few ways to tell the difference.
First off, centipedes have fewer legs than millipedes. Millipedes have two pairs of legs per body segment, while centipedes only have one leg pair. Centipede legs also jut out from the sides of their bodies, while millipede legs are seated underneath their body.
Millipede bodies also look a little different than centipede bodies. While both are segmented animals, millipedes have round bodies that look alike earthworms with legs. Centipede bodies are much flatter. Millipedes can also roll into a ball, which centipedes cannot do.
Can Centipedes Damage My Worcester Garden?
A centipede in your house might be the stuff of your nightmares, but these creepy crawlers go from pest to ally in your garden. Centipedes in plants around your house are natural protectors for your garden, as centipedes are predators that do not damage plants. Centipedes can help protect your garden from other critters that can do harm, such as caterpillars or aphids. If you see a centipede in your home, you might consider safely catching it and moving it outside to your vegetable or flower garden, where it can shield the plants from harmful insects.
Do Centipedes In Worcester Have A Stinger?
Centipedes do not have a conventional stinger as bees or wasps do. Rather, they have a pair of legs near their head that carry venom. Centipedes use these legs to inject venom into prey. However, if threatened, centipedes won’t hesitate to use their venom in self-defense against humans. Luckily, aside from the pain, centipede bites are harmless, with the worst case often involving two little puncture marks and mild redness or swelling at the site of the injury. Moreover, there are no poisonous centipedes in Worcester, meaning bites rarely require medical attention.
Natural Ways To Keep Centipedes Away From Your Worcester House
While a few avid gardeners might make a few centipede friends to keep their plants healthy, nobody wants a huge centipede infestation in their home. Fortunately, there are plenty of measures you can take to avoid getting centipedes in your Worcester home:
- Get rid of clutter to deny centipede spots to hide.
- Fix moisture issues such as leaky plumbing or clogged drainage.
- Use dehumidifiers to dry out places like basements and crawl spaces.
- Seal up all cracks and holes in your home’s exterior.
- Install weather stripping in any gaps on doors and windows.
These measures make up the first line of defense against centipedes in Worcester. If properly implemented, home and business owners reduce the odds of their property enduring an infestation.
Big Blue Bug Solutions Can Solve Your Centipede Problem
If you do wind up with a centipede infestation, you don’t have to take it lying down. Here at Big Blue Bug Solutions, our commercial and residential pest control programs can help you get rid of these multi-legged creepers and make sure they never come back. Give us a call or visit our contact page to get started!