This Is How to Keep Centipedes Out Of Your Bed

​Do the thoughts of having centipedes in your home and bed give you nightmares? Well, you must do everything you can to eliminate them. But how do you go about doing that?

Below are some of the strategies you can use to keep centipedes out of your bed:

1. Set up barriers to prevent them from entering your home
2. Seal cracks that allow them entry into your home
3. Set up sticky traps
4. Get rid of moisture within your home
5. Get rid of clutter
6. Use pesticides to get rid of insects
7. Remove them from your bed and carry them outside
8. Hire professional pest removal service providers

Nobody likes having their bed invaded by these multi-legged creatures known as centipedes. So, understanding what attracts them and what to do will reduce your likelihood of dealing with them.

What Attracts Centipedes Into Your Home?

The multi-legged creatures that you know as centipedes are highly adaptable. They can be found in kinds of climates. You can find them in hot areas in deserts worldwide, warm and wet climates in tropical rainforests, and cold climates in the Arctic Circle. So, you can’t outrun them no matter how much you want to.

You need to keep them away from you because they are venomous. While centipedes are unlikely to kill you, their bite can cause people to experience fever, chills, swellings, and general body weakness. In some people, the centipede venom may cause anaphylactic shock, eventually leading to death.

Since you can’t outrun centipedes, you must keep them away from your bed. So, it helps to understand what attracts them to your home. Some of the conditions that attract centipedes include:

• The presence of dark spots in which they can hide
• A lot of warmth and dampness
• The presence of food in the form of other insects

How to Keep Centipedes Out Of Your Bed

It is much easier to keep centipedes from your bed once you understand what attracts them. Below are some strategies you can use to do so.

1. Set Up Barriers to Prevent Them From Entering Your Home

If you want to keep centipedes from your bed, try to keep them from your home from the beginning. You can do this by setting up a barrier outside your home that makes it harder for these insects to breach. The barrier could be an insect repellant or pesticide.

The boundary you use could be either a natural or chemical pesticide. Try to find something that contains Lambda-cyhalothrin as an active ingredient because it is compatible with other insecticides and has a long-term effect on centipedes and other insects. When the centipedes crawl over the treated surface, they die, thus reducing the chances of getting into your home.

You can also use natural repellants such as peppermint oil or cayenne pepper.

2. Seal Cracks That Allow Centipedes Entry Into Your Home

The cracks in your home will also enable centipedes to get into your home. They also provide hiding places for these annoying insects. They may be found in your walls, floors, and piping. So, you may want to seal these cracks to prevent centipedes from making themselves at home in your home and laying eggs.

Take the time to inspect your home and determine where the cracks are. Then fix them. Pay close attention to the openings near windows and doors since that is where you are more likely to find cracks. Recaulk your seams and joints. You can also replace piping and boards whose cracks cannot be resealed.

3. Set Up Sticky Traps

Setting up sticky traps is another way to try and get rid of centipedes so they don’t show up in your bed. If you opt for this strategy, place the traps in areas where centipedes are more likely to be found. These areas include the basement and other corners and crevices within your home.

However, you should bear in mind that traps are not always effective. The centipedes may free themselves by leaving behind a few legs. And you would still find them in your bed at the end of the day.

4. Get Rid Of Moisture In Your Home

Moisture creates ideal conditions for centipedes. So you need to get rid of it if you don’t want to find these insects in your bedroom.

One of the best ways to get rid of moisture is by using an air dehumidifier. The appliance will suck in your air, eliminate moisture, and release it into your home. The dry air is less conducive for centipedes.

Also, consider installing air fans, especially in the bathroom areas. It will force the air in your space to escape through the windows and other openings, thus reducing the moisture within that room. That will reduce the chances of centipedes showing up through your drains and other outlets and finding their way into your bedroom.

Additionally, ensure you place silica packets in areas of the room that are most likely to be humid. These include your basement, corners of your bathroom, etc. These packets will draw in moisture from the air and make the space less damp.

It would also be wise to keep your gutters clean and place items such as compost bins and wet firewood farther away from your home. Ensure that tarpaulins near your home don’t leak, thus increasing dampness around it. If they do, replace them or move them farther from your home to prevent centipedes from showing up.

5. Get Rid Of Clutter

Clutter inside and outside your home is conducive for insects to breed, eat, and hide. Even if those insects are not centipedes, they will attract them since they are food for centipedes. 

Therefore, you should get rid of clutter in and outside your home. So, take the time to clean those gutters, get rid of your rubbish, shake those beddings, and regularly clean up your entire home. 

6. Use Pesticides To Get Rid Of Insects

If you spot insects in your bedroom, you should consider spraying them and killing them. Insects tend to provide food for centipedes, which are carnivorous. Remember to spray directly onto the insects for the best chance of killing them. That also applies to centipedes. 

Natural pesticides like diatomaceous earth or boric acid are much safer if you don’t want to use the more toxic chemical versions, such as those that contain lambda-cyhalothrin.

7. Remove Centipedes From Your Bed And Carry Them Outside

If you don’t believe in killing insects, you should find a container, put the centipedes you spot into it, and then take it outside. Ensure you cover the container when transporting these insects. You don’t want it to escape while it is being transported.

8. Hire Professional Pest Removal Service Providers

It may be time to hire professional pest removal service providers if you have a severe infestation of insects, including centipedes. Professionals of this nature are experts at locating centipedes and their eggs. They also know the most effective pesticides to eliminate these insects from your bed, bedroom, and home.

A complete home inspection will help you identify some problem areas that provide entry points, hiding places, and breeding grounds for these nightmarish centipedes. Then once you are armed with this knowledge, you can get rid of them or hire pest control professionals to do it for you.

Final Thought

We know that centipedes can be extremely frustrating, especially if you have a lot in your area! Nevertheless, there are many solutions for this particular problem you are facing. We are confident that you will be able to deter them from your bed.