The house centipede occurs in damp environments and regular sightings inside the home may indicate that an underlying moisture problem will be found somewhere.
Commonly subfloor ventilation and/or drainage may be inadequate, creating perfect conditions for centipedes and other damp-loving creatures.
The house centipede has fifteen body segments with a pair of fragile jointed legs on each (30 total). Colour is pale brown with dark markings.
The house centipede only lives for about a year. If handled carelessly or hurt the centipede can “drop” legs as a defence strategy. Generally harmless.
The giant centipede is Australia’s largest centipede reaching up to 150 mm in length. Most are orange but variances include colours such as green, brown and yellow.
The giant centipede can live for around 2-3 years, favouring damp environments like under leaf or garden litter.
The giant centipede is known to bite with the jaws under the head, causing much pain with localised swelling but no fatalities.
The giant centipede will be found in the open at night when it is searching for insects and other small creatures to eat.
It is common for the casual observer to confuse millipedes with centipedes… Millipedes come in a variety of colours and sizes. Millipedes have two pairs of legs for each body segment (centipedes have one pair for each body segment), and the body shape of millipedes is rounded, not flattened like centipedes.
Body segments may be telescoped and variable in number. When walking millipede legs appear to have a “wave-like” motion, running from the front to the rear. Millipedes may grow up to 20 cm in length, feeding on any organic and vegetable matter available.
Millipedes favour a variety of environments to rear their young, however damp conditions is usually where you will find them active. Millipedes do not usually inflict a wound, however they do possess an effective defence mechanism; the production of a fluid which has repellent properties, effective on other insects and spiders.
Usually no more than a nuisance pest around the damp areas of our gardens, pest controllers are seldom called upon to treat for these creatures.
If however they are in large numbers these garden pests may inadvertantly draw attention to themselves by crossing paths or “bumping” into our fences and homes, at which point they are seen as unsightly.
PESTKILL Australia recommends that you engage a professional pest controller who has had experience dealing with this despised pest. Do-it-yourself efforts are likely not to succeed unfortunately.
Please consider carefully before attempting your own pest control. Remember……