How to prevent house centipedes from entering the home?

How to prevent house centipedes from entering the home?

House centipedes prefer damp environments (requiring humidity above 75% to survive). The core of prevention is to reduce indoor humidity below 60%.

Control indoor humidity

• Install exhaust fans in bathrooms; ventilate promptly after showers.
• Fix leaky pipes and faucets to eliminate water sources.
• Ensure basements are well-ventilated; do not store damp cardboard boxes.
• Keep the area under the kitchen sink dry; check for leaks.

Seal entry routes

• Install fine mesh or insect-proof floor drains.
• Seal door and window gaps; install weather stripping under doors. House centipedes have flattened bodies and can squeeze through gaps as small as 2 mm.
• Seal air conditioner pipe entries and wall cracks with expanding foam.
• Check if floor drain seals are worn.

Outdoor environmental cleaning

• Remove leaf litter and brick piles from the yard to reduce hiding places near the house.
• Keep plants and compost piles away from the foundation.
• Do not stack debris or firewood against the wall.

Chemical control

If necessary, spray a small amount of bifenthrin-containing household insecticide along entryways, baseboards, and wall corners. House centipedes that crawl over the treated surface will die. However, spraying only addresses the symptoms; humidity control is the fundamental solution.