Where do centipedes prefer to hide?

Where do centipedes prefer to hide?

Centipedes like damp, warm, dark, and creviced environments. Both indoors and outdoors have favored hiding spots; knowing these locations enables precise control.

Common indoor hiding places

1. Bathroom, wall and floor corners, under the sink cabinet, behind the toilet, these damp, dark spots are preferred. Common centipedes in China range from 6-15 cm in length; these sizable creatures can be easily missed in corners.
2. Around the washing machine, gaps between the machine and the wall, damp and undisturbed, are ideal habitats.
3. Under the kitchen sink cabinet, pipes running through, often damp and rarely disturbed.
4. Basements and storage rooms, poorly ventilated, cluttered with boxes and debris, allowing long-term hiding.
5. Door and window gaps, especially the bottom of doors; centipedes' flat bodies can squeeze through very narrow gaps.

Common outdoor hiding places

• Under bricks, tiles, and stones stacked against walls.
• Under flower pots and between pot trays.
• In piles of rotting leaves and weeds.
• Under logs and firewood piles.
• In foundation cracks and crevices.

How to detect centipede activity?

• Find shed skins (translucent, thin shells) in corners or along walls.
• Presence of small insects in damp corners, food sources for centipedes.
• At night, use a flashlight to scan corners; centipedes are nocturnal foragers.
• Centipedes are most active at 20-25°C and above 70% humidity; spring and summer are peak discovery periods.

Targeted control

After locating potential hiding spots, spray bifenthrin-containing household insecticide in these areas. Once dry, the film kills centipedes that crawl over it; residual effect lasts about 2-4 weeks.