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Pest Index

Centipede

Centipedes

Binomial Name: Scutigera coleoptrataCentipede

Identification:

  • Overall Length: 13-40mm
  • Colour: Greyish yellow to dark brown
  • Other Features:  One pair of legs per body segment

Life Cycle:  The centipede has six larval molts, and four post-larval molts before the centipedes reach maturity.  Females have been known to survive for several years and produce up to 150 offspring.

Behaviour:  During the daytime, centipedes inhabit dark, damp locations in the home and come out at night to forage for prey.  House centipedes feed on silverfish, firebats, carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, spiders and other small arthropods.  Although bites are rare, they produce a reaction comparable to a wasp sting.

Signs of Infestation:  Common harboring sites include: beneath concrete slabs; behind baseboards; inside cement block walls; in floor drains; under and in cardboard boxes; wood piles; and in any damp, cool location such as a crawl space.