One of our readers recently reached out to us from Pennsylvania. She explained that she recently moved and has been seeing worm-like organisms “running rampant” throughout her new home. She isn’t sure what these creatures are, but they scare her. This is the picture she sent:
She explained that this is the only picture she was able to take, and unfortunately only after she accidentally squished one of the creatures. She said the organisms are about 2 inches long, and move very fast. They have a lot of legs, have a worm-like body, and long antennae. Whenever she approaches one, they run off quickly and are almost impossible to catch. She would appreciate any suggestions on how to say goodbye to these unwanted visitors.
Although the photo doesn’t show a clear image of the specimen, it still provides some great information, especially in combination with her description. When we read that the creatures have lots of legs and antennae, we instantly thought these creatures were probably centipedes or millipedes. Both centipedes and millipedes have segmented bodies with lots of legs and antennae. However, it was the photo that convinced us she is dealing with centipedes. While millipedes have short antennae, the antennae that centipedes have are much longer, just like the ones in the photograph!
We have a few suggestions for our reader about how to get rid of these organisms. First, she can clean up damp closets and basements and install dehumidifiers throughout her home. Since centipedes need a moist environment to survive, they will dry out and die without one. Our reader can also install sticky traps in the corners along the floorboard where centipedes hunt for insects. These traps will help capture centipedes as well as the insects they are feeding on. Finally, she can seal up entry points that centipedes might be sneaking in through. This includes sealing cracks in the foundation and concrete walls, eliminating any open space around windows and doors, and covering drains and vents with window screen. We hope these steps help our reader get rid of these worm-like houseguests!
To wrap up, a reader keeps finding centipedes running throughout her home. We provided a few suggestions about how to get rid of them.
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