House Centipede Extermination in Richmond VA

Optimal Termite & Pest Control provides professional house centipede extermination in Richmond, VA, helping homeowners eliminate these fast-moving pests and prevent them from returning. House centipedes are often a sign of excess moisture and hidden insect activity inside the home, and while they rarely cause harm, their sudden appearance can be unsettling. With over 14 years of hands-on residential pest control experience, we use targeted treatments and long-term prevention strategies designed specifically for Richmond homes.

• When it comes to treating house centipedes, the process is fairly simple, but it has to be done the right way. House centipedes need moisture to survive, which is why they’re most often found in bathrooms, basements, and crawl spaces. In Richmond homes, they usually come up from damp crawl spaces or basement areas where moisture levels stay high.

• For crawl space homes, I start by power treating all interior crawl space foundation walls, supporting piers, and the area up to the sill plate. This is done using a gas-powered skid sprayer, which allows me to apply the right amount of product to cover these areas thoroughly. This is the same approach I use for moisture-loving pests like camelback crickets, and it works very well for centipedes.

• In heavier infestations, there’s an added step. I apply dust treatments into wall voids by accessing small gaps around light fixtures and outlets on the lower level of the home. This helps reach areas where centipedes hide and travel but are hard to treat with liquid applications alone.

• For homes with basements, the approach is a little different. Because of the volume a skid sprayer puts out, I use a one-gallon pump sprayer indoors instead. I also place extra-large glue boards in key areas. These boards help catch house centipedes as well as the insects they feed on, since centipedes are predatory. Glue boards are also placed in lower-level living areas to help monitor and reduce activity.

• To finish the treatment, I power treat the exterior foundation of the home and apply granular bait outside of the treatment band. This helps eliminate other insects around the home. If there are no insects, there’s no food source for house centipedes, which is key to long-term control.

• The reason most homeowners have house centipedes is simple: high moisture levels and other insects inside the home. House centipedes need moisture to survive, which is why they thrive in damp crawl spaces, basements, and bathrooms. When moisture stays high, it creates the perfect environment for them to move in.

• The other major reason is food. House centipedes are predatory, which means they feed on other insects. If your home has ants, spiders, roaches, or other small pests, centipedes will follow. Where there’s food, they’ll stay.

• For long-term results, moisture remediation has to be the main focus. Without addressing moisture issues in the crawl space or basement, centipede activity will often return, even after treatment.

• Our quarterly residential pest control service is also a great addition. By keeping other insects under control year-round, we remove the food source that house centipedes depend on. When moisture is reduced and insects are eliminated, house centipedes don’t have a reason to stay.

• House centipedes are easy to recognize once you know what to look for. They are often referred to as “thousand leggers” because of their long, flat bodies and many thin legs extending out from each side. Most adults are yellowish-gray with darker striping and can grow up to about an inch and a half long, not counting their legs. Because of their size and speed, they often catch homeowners off guard.

• These pests are mostly active at night. During the day, they hide in dark, undisturbed areas like wall voids, under sinks, behind baseboards, and in basements or crawl spaces. At night, they come out to hunt, which is why people usually see them running across floors or walls after dark.

• House centipedes are predators by nature. They feed on insects such as spiders, ants, roaches, and other small pests. They use their front legs to inject venom into their prey, but they rarely bite people and are not considered dangerous to humans. Most sightings happen when their hiding places become too damp or when insect activity increases.

• House centipedes do not build nests and do not damage wood, wiring, or structures. Their presence is usually a sign of environmental conditions inside the home that allow them to survive, rather than a standalone infestation.