Centipedes are unpleasant neighbors who can settle in an apartment or private house without permission. In order to take a liking to a human home, insects need two conditions - the presence of an area with constant high humidity and “prey” for daily hunting. Centipedes feed exclusively on “domestic” insects, so to some extent they are even useful to humans. However, it is unlikely that anyone will want to voluntarily live with such intimidating “orderlies” in the same apartment.
To get rid of centipedes, you will have to clean up your home. It is necessary to ensure a healthy (but not excessive) level of humidity in the room, to drive all insects out of the door. General cleaning of the apartment and treating the premises with insecticides will help you cope with the task.
Protection of flycatchers
Photo: Flycatcher from the Red Book
Most people, when they see flycatchers in their home, panic and immediately try to catch and crush them. And it’s not surprising - they look quite terrifying. However, it is worth knowing that they are one of the most useful arthropods living near humans. After all, the diet of these representatives of centipedes mostly consists of harmful insects: flies, cockroaches, fleas, carpet beetles, ants and other parasites that violate human comfort.
Flycatchers, like all centipedes, are very ancient creatures and the question of their origin has not yet been fully studied. Centipedes are also an important part of the biogeocenosis. Since ancient times, people have become accustomed to being afraid of what they do not understand, so useful information that fills this gap will never be superfluous. So if you ever see a flycatcher in your house, then do not rush to kill it, but simply leave it alone and let it run away calmly - it is quite possible that this creature will still bring considerable benefit.
The flycatcher, or as we often call it, the centipede, but this name is not at all true, since it has only thirty legs (15 pairs), not forty. Another misnomer is house scolopendra. It is worth knowing that centipedes have much more differences than similarities with centipedes. After all, the flycatcher is a harmless and very useful creature that destroys insect pests, while the scolopendra is a very poisonous insect, which can cause considerable harm to health.
Tags:
- Notostigmophora Verhoeff
- Panarthropoda
- Scutigera
- Scutigeridae
- Labiopods
- Bilaterally symmetrical
- Animals of Africa
- Animals of Belarus
- Animals of Eurasia
- Animals of Europe
- Animals of India
- Animals of the Caucasus
- Animals of Kazakhstan
- Animals of the Red Book
- Animals of the Red Book of Russia
- Animals of the Red Book of Ukraine
- Animals of Crimea
- Animals of the forest
- Animals starting with the letter M
- Animals of the Volga region
- Animals of Russia
- Animals of the Subtropical Zone of the Northern Hemisphere
- Animals of the Subtropical Zone of the Southern Hemisphere
- Animals of the Subequatorial Belt of the Northern Hemisphere
- Animals of the Subequatorial Belt of the Southern Hemisphere
- Animals of the tropics
- Animals of the Tropical Zone of the Northern Hemisphere
- Animals of the Tropical Zone of the Southern Hemisphere
- Animals of Ukraine
- Animals of the Temperate Zone of the Northern Hemisphere
- Animals of the Temperate Zone of the Southern Hemisphere
- Animals of the Equatorial Belt
- Interesting animals
- Shedding
- Centipedes
- Insects of the Red Book
- Insects of the Red Book of Russia
- Unusual animals
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- Predators
- Arthropods
- Eukaryotes
- Eumetazoans
Habits, instincts and life of the flycatcher: the most interesting
You should know that the centipede (the photo will not allow you to make a mistake) is an insect that is equally active at any time of the day. Every hour, every minute she looks for prey. As soon as the victim is identified, the flycatcher injects a portion of a toxic substance into it to neutralize it and only after that it eats it without haste. The insect is very fast, capable of covering up to 40 centimeters in one second.
On average, a female flyeater lays up to 6 dozen eggs at a time. All of them are protected with a sticky substance and placed in a hole or deep crack carefully dug by mom. The insect carefully wraps its body around the clutch of eggs and tries to close it from the outside world with its paws. In this way, the scolopendra “nurses” the eggs for many weeks, without leaving the nest even a centimeter, and does not eat or drink anything.
The common centipede is an insect with a mission. Being a representative of the most ancient inhabitants of the planet, it deserves special attention. At first glance, scary and unpleasant insects actually provide invaluable assistance to humans by eating a lot of pests, for example:
- flies;
- cockroaches;
- fleas;
- ants;
- bedbugs, etc.
There are up to 8,000 species of this insect in the world, but only 3,000 of them have been officially documented, such as the Chinese centipede, which reaches a quarter of a meter in length with a body of 23 sections, or the bright black African centipede with a body up to 28 cm long!
Almost none of the discovered species of centipedes are dangerous to humans. Yes, arthropods can bite, but all that a centipede bite can do is cause allergies, and then only in people who are prone to this kind of reaction with a slight increase in temperature and swelling at the site of the bite.
In the insect world, the centipede is one of the dominant predators with claws on the first segment. She is a carnivore, so she prefers clean meat from small insects. Large species can cope not only with invertebrates, but also with small reptiles, as well as worms, frogs, spiders and even birds.
How to get rid
Many people are concerned about how to get rid of centipedes in a private home, since they find them on their territory quite often. But there are also those who are interested in how to get rid of centipedes in an apartment.
Arthropodologists argue that it is not necessary to immediately resort to aggressive methods. To begin with, it is advisable to use simple, non-toxic methods.
Folk remedies
When flycatchers appear in an apartment, experienced housewives will tell you what to do. They tried folk remedies from personal experience.
The following methods are popular:
- Keeping clean and dry. Centipedes are attracted to moisture. If the room is warm and damp, then arthropods will willingly live there. To remove them, try to wipe dry all wet places in the apartment or house. They also carry out regular cleaning and get rid of fungal growths on the walls.
- Freezing of living space. Family members leave the house or apartment and leave the room without heating for 2-3 days in winter. During this time, not only centipedes die, but also other pests. But since many residential premises use a central heating system, not everyone will be able to use this method of control.
- Use of boric acid. This inexpensive pharmaceutical drug gets rid of insects and rodents. Arthropods such as the centipede are also afraid of it. Fragments of boric acid, when they come into contact with the body of the flytrap or inside, cause a strong burning sensation, causing death.
Experienced housewives also recommend installing fine-mesh grilles on all ventilation openings, which must be cleaned regularly. In addition, it is advisable to make a classic cosmetic repair when peeling wallpaper, cracks in the plaster or fallen tiles appear.
Mechanical methods
Centipedes are interesting arthropods. Some claim that they have a good memory and are able to compare certain events. If you catch several centipedes and then release them on the street far from the house, then the remaining arthropods will also not claim this living space.
But not everyone is so humane towards such creatures, so most often they get rid of them using a fly swatter or slippers.
Chemicals
When resorting to the help of chemicals, it is important to think carefully about how to poison centipedes, since not all the usual poisons that kill harmful insects act on them. Modern methods of combating centipedes include the following:
Modern methods of combating centipedes include the following:
- Glue traps. Some try to catch centipedes using this product, which has proven itself in the fight against cockroaches or ants. But doing this is pointless, because even if the centipede falls into a trap and sticks with several legs, it will lose them without regret. This will not prevent her from running, and the damaged limbs will grow back.
- Medilis-Ziper. This toxic agent has proven itself well in the fight against arthropods. It is sprayed using a spray bottle in those places where centipedes run most often. This product is good because it does not harm pets.
- Global Original. The product is available in the form of a paste. It has a toxic effect on many pests. The product has an unpleasant odor, but it is faint, so the paste is used in apartments with pets. The insecticide is applied in a thin layer along baseboards and where centipedes often appear.
If you decide to fight centipedes with toxic drugs, you should take care of your personal safety by using gloves and a protective mask. And before returning to your apartment or house, they should be thoroughly ventilated.
The benefits and harms of flytraps
Knowing what a centipede looks like and seeing it in your apartment, country house or private house, you should not be scared and immediately try to destroy it. This creature does not cause any harm to wallpaper, clothing, furniture or kitchen products. It will never attack a person for no reason. However, few owners would agree to live next to such unsightly and nimble neighbors, so they try to get rid of them.
If house flycatchers are found on the territory of a personal plot or in beds, then there is no need to fight them at all, because there they will be useful, regularly destroying garden pests and their larvae.
On a note!
The most poisonous centipedes are scolopendras, which belong to the same class of arthropods; they live only in the southern regions of Russia, as well as in tropical countries. The larger its size, the more toxic the bite and its negative consequences will be.
Large centipedes and centipedes up to 20 cm in size are also found in nature, but they live in the countries of Asia, America and others, preferring a warm tropical climate.
Symptoms of intoxication after a centipede bite (photo below):
- severe pain at the site of the bite, itching and burning;
- swelling and redness of the skin;
- swollen lymph nodes;
- headache, palpitations, nausea and vomiting, anxiety.
If such signs appear, it is necessary to treat the wound with a disinfectant and take antihistamines.
Flycatchers in the house - how to get rid of them
There are not many flycatchers in a living room, because this is an unusual habitat for them, and they are unlikely to breed in an apartment. Therefore, flycatchers can be easily caught and sent outside.
If you decide to get rid of flycatchers in your apartment using radical methods, that is, destruction, you need to take into account the peculiarities of their nutrition, body structure and behavior. For example, if sticky traps are removed, they are ineffective in combating insects - the insect tears off the stuck legs and runs away. Baits for cockroaches and ants also have no effect on them, because flycatchers are predators; they feed on live insects.
You can kill a flytrap with any hard object, boiling water or insecticide (it’s more convenient to use sprays). Any insecticide will do; flycatchers are not resistant to them.
You can make the flycatchers leave the apartment on their own. For example, if you get rid of all the insects in the apartment, they will have nothing to eat and will have to go in search of a more suitable place.
They love humidity, so you can often encounter them in the bathroom. If you do not allow moisture to accumulate in the bathroom and ventilate it regularly, the flycatchers will soon become uncomfortable here and will leave.
You can block access to the house for flycatchers, as well as various insects, by caulking all the cracks in the walls, floor and basement, as well as installing mesh on the ventilation outlets.
Danger to humans
The flycatcher poses no threat to humans. The insect is very secretive and tries not to be seen, and when faced with danger it tries to escape. It can only bite in self-defense if you try to pin it down. Centipedes also do not tolerate any diseases or parasites.
People are most often afraid of flycatchers because of their unpleasant appearance - many long, quickly moving limbs inspire horror and disgust . In addition, this harmless centipede is often confused with its poisonous relative - the scolopendra, which is similar in appearance, and therefore they mistakenly try to get rid of it.
The centipede will also not cause any harm to a person’s home. This insect feeds exclusively on flies, mosquitoes, cockroaches and other bugs and does not touch human food supplies. Furniture, clothing, wallpaper and paper products are also not included in his diet. Thanks to this, flytraps in the house are very useful - they quickly exterminate pests without side effects. Some summer residents even specially bring them to the site in order to remove flies, cockroaches, moths, ticks and other harmful “neighbors”.
How does it reproduce?
Reproduction of this exotic representative of the flora is possible in several ways.
To propagate by cuttings, you need to cut the leaf without a trap. The cut site is treated with “Kornevin”, the leaf is planted in a container with peat, to which sand can be added. The substrate should be moist, but not wet. The lid is closed and the container is placed in a warm place with good lighting. Such conditions must be observed for three months - until sprouts appear. From this moment, another three months will pass before a full-fledged sprout can be planted in a permanent place of “residence.”
Separation of the bulbs is only possible when the plant is mature. The Venus flytrap feels comfortable in close proximity to its babies. Each branch of daughter bulbs is stressful for an adult plant, then this procedure can be carried out once every three years. The children are carefully separated from the mother plant and placed in separate containers. It is better to treat the cut with crushed coal. During the rooting period, the children are covered with film and placed in a bright place without direct sunlight.
Seed propagation is also typical for Dionaea. This method is the most difficult of all existing ones. Moreover, it is also unpredictable, since the new plant may be completely different from the mother one. Only an adult Dionaea, which is more than three years old, can produce seeds. To propagate Dionaea by seeds, you must adhere to the following guidelines:
- in the spring, during flowering, it is necessary to collect pollen with a brush or cotton swab and transfer it to other flowers;
- with successful pollination, a seed capsule is formed, which will ripen only in the fall and produce full-fledged seeds;
- planting material must be immediately planted in the substrate, since their germination rate will decrease in the future;
- seeds are planted in containers with a lid filled with sphagnum and sand (2: 1);
- seeds treated with “Topaz” are laid out on a damp substrate, the container is closed and left in a sunny place;
- for a month you need to maintain maximum humidity, temperature within 25 - 30 degrees and illumination at least 12 hours a day;
- when the first leaves appear, the container must be ventilated, gradually accustoming the seedlings to fresh air;
- stronger plants can be pruned.
To obtain a plant in this way, you must adhere to the following recommendations:
- a low, young peduncle about 5 cm long is cut off;
- placed in wet peat with a depth of 1 cm;
- greenhouse conditions are created - the container is covered with a film or cap made of transparent material;
- the rooting process will take up to 2 months - during this period you need to maintain a high level of humidity and do not forget about ventilation;
- The peduncle may dry out, but you need to wait the specified time and your patience will be rewarded.
Where do centipedes come from and where do they live?
The centipede belongs to the class of labiopods and has dozens of pairs of limbs. It reaches 3 centimeters in length. Her entire body is covered with hairs. Most of all, centipedes love damp places: toilet, bathroom, basement. On the street, flycatchers can often be found in wet leaves. If there is a house nearby with damp and warm rooms, the insect will try to move there.
Looking for food (cockroaches, flies, beetles), they stay in cozy houses forever, since they have the best living conditions. They sleep in winter, but become active in spring. Hating the cold, they hide from drafts and sub-zero temperatures.
Centipedes love damp and warm rooms
Having noticed an insect, you need to immediately begin exterminating it. Getting rid of centipedes using folk or chemical remedies is not difficult. But before that you need to prepare the premises for this. Necessary:
- Adjust ventilation in the bathroom and toilet. Avoid stuffiness or high humidity, so doors to rooms should always be open.
- Centipedes love moist conditions, so it is advisable to install a dehumidifier.
- It is necessary to seal all the holes through which insects most often get through, and repair the taps and pipelines.
- If centipedes have settled in the basement, you should do a general cleaning there, getting rid of trash. You need to walk through the room with the dehumidifier, treat it with a remedy for mold and dampness. Otherwise, centipedes will penetrate from the basement into the house.
- Since flycatchers often penetrate through windows, they need to be equipped with a mosquito net. Inject foam into holes around window frames and door frames.
- There should be no puddles in the room. The sink, bathtub, and toilet should be perfectly dry.
- The sewer pipes need to be inspected. If there are holes between them and the wall, they are filled with foam for installation.
- Often, after watering flowers in pots, liquid remains in the trays. This should not be allowed, since centipedes love damp soil.
Proper care
Before you place such a plant in your home, you need to carefully study all the points for caring for it. It is imperative to take into account those conditions that are as close as possible to natural ones.
The eastern part of the room is most suitable for the flycatcher. It is in this part that the flycatcher will be able to get as much time in the sun as it needs (approximately five hours). If it is not possible to place the plant in the eastern part, then you will have to provide light artificially. Otherwise, when there is too much sunlight, the flower will have to be protected from the sun.
Humidity
The Venus flytrap needs plenty of water in its soil. It is because of this that the plant is often grown in aquariums, but in this case the plant will definitely need lighting, which can be provided using a regular incandescent lamp
It is important to maintain a distance of 20 cm, and it should be turned on for 14-16 hours
Ventilation
The Venus flytrap is a plant that is accustomed to swampy areas and requires increased humidity levels to maintain it, but the flytrap cannot tolerate stagnant air. Taking this into account, it is necessary to periodically check the room in which the flytrap is located, but at the same time avoid drafts. In summer, it is best to display the flower at least on the balcony or veranda.
Temperature
It is important to consider the temperature at which the Venus flytrap will be kept. In summer, the plant likes an air temperature of at least 21 degrees, but not more than 30, and in winter, temperatures that drop below 6 degrees can destroy the plant
Watering
The plant cannot process microelements contained in tap water, so it should be watered only with special distilled water.
If you follow all the conditions for caring for a Venus flytrap, then it will grow for a long period of time and delight everyone around with its unusual appearance and the fact that it will fight insects indoors. This plant is suitable only for those who are ready to take responsibility and fulfill all requirements.
the original article
and other tips on how to grow a beautiful home garden on the MyOrchids
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Source
Lifestyle
A centipede is an arthropod that has a unique lifestyle, habitat and food preferences.
Where does it live?
The common flycatcher is found where the climate is temperate. Millipedes can live in Europe, the Middle East and northern Africa. They prefer to hide under stones, fallen leaves or plant debris. The house centipede primarily hunts at night.
Common flycatchers flock to people's houses and apartments with the arrival of cold weather.
Choose dark and damp places to live:
- basements;
- bathrooms;
- restrooms.
Despite their appearance, centipedes are not the most harmful living creatures trying to live near humans.
Video
Flycatcher eating
How to get rid
Many people are concerned about how to get rid of centipedes in a private home, since they find them on their territory quite often. But there are also those who are interested in how to get rid of centipedes in an apartment.
Arthropodologists argue that it is not necessary to immediately resort to aggressive methods. To begin with, it is advisable to use simple, non-toxic methods.
Folk remedies
When flycatchers appear in an apartment, experienced housewives will tell you what to do. They tried folk remedies from personal experience.
The following methods are popular:
- Keeping clean and dry. Centipedes are attracted to moisture. If the room is warm and damp, then arthropods will willingly live there. To remove them, try to wipe dry all wet places in the apartment or house. They also carry out regular cleaning and get rid of fungal growths on the walls.
- Freezing of living space. Family members leave the house or apartment and leave the room without heating for 2-3 days in winter. During this time, not only centipedes die, but also other pests. But since many residential premises use a central heating system, not everyone will be able to use this method of control.
- Use of boric acid. This inexpensive pharmaceutical drug gets rid of insects and rodents. Arthropods such as the centipede are also afraid of it. Fragments of boric acid, when they come into contact with the body of the flytrap or inside, cause a strong burning sensation, causing death.
Experienced housewives also recommend installing fine-mesh grilles on all ventilation openings, which must be cleaned regularly. In addition, it is advisable to make a classic cosmetic repair when peeling wallpaper, cracks in the plaster or fallen tiles appear.
Mechanical methods
Centipedes are interesting arthropods. Some claim that they have a good memory and are able to compare certain events. If you catch several centipedes and then release them on the street far from the house, then the remaining arthropods will also not claim this living space.
But not everyone is so humane towards such creatures, so most often they get rid of them using a fly swatter or slippers.
Chemicals
When resorting to the help of chemicals, it is important to think carefully about how to poison centipedes, since not all the usual poisons that kill harmful insects act on them. Modern methods of combating centipedes include the following: Modern methods of combating centipedes include the following:
Modern methods of combating centipedes include the following:
- Glue traps. Some try to catch centipedes using this product, which has proven itself in the fight against cockroaches or ants. But doing this is pointless, because even if the centipede falls into a trap and sticks with several legs, it will lose them without regret. This will not prevent her from running, and the damaged limbs will grow back.
- Medilis-Ziper. This toxic agent has proven itself well in the fight against arthropods. It is sprayed using a spray bottle in those places where centipedes run most often. This product is good because it does not harm pets.
- Global Original. The product is available in the form of a paste. It has a toxic effect on many pests. The product has an unpleasant odor, but it is faint, so the paste is used in apartments with pets. The insecticide is applied in a thin layer along baseboards and where centipedes often appear.
If you decide to fight centipedes with toxic drugs, you should take care of your personal safety by using gloves and a protective mask. And before returning to your apartment or house, they should be thoroughly ventilated.
The centipede is an ancient and harmless animal
In fact, it is an animal, not an insect. An arthropod that also has other names:
- centipede;
- flycatcher;
- scolopendra.
And she actually has 30 legs, all of which are capable of completely regenerating if injured or lost. There is also a respiratory organ.
Her body consists of segments that allow her to be nimble and agile. The forelimbs have claws for capturing and holding prey, and the remaining legs have sharp spines, with which it easily moves across any surface. Having grabbed onto the victim, the centipede bites it and injects it with paralyzing poison, and then eats it.
But meeting a person for the latter does not pose any particular danger. Except that psychologically her frightening appearance is impressive. Scolopendras come in different sizes - from 2 to 15 cm, but large individuals can hardly be found in human habitats, except in the tropics, and in Russia species larger than 5 cm have not been found.
Flycatchers are predators, and in nature their role is extremely important in maintaining the natural balance and balance of the number of organisms. The name of this living creature speaks for itself - they catch flies, as well as:
- cockroaches and worms;
- midges and moths;
- wood bugs, spiders;
- larvae of other insects.
Without centipedes, it would be more difficult for humans to fight numerous pests of gardens, vegetable gardens, and nature reserves. In total, there are several thousand species of flycatchers in nature, and they are the oldest inhabitants on Earth.
What to do if bitten by a centipede (flycatcher, centipede)
When bitten you need:
- Wash the wound with soap and water.
- Disinfect with any suitable means: for example, alcohol, vodka, cologne, boric acid or calendula tincture.
- Apply a cold compress for 40 minutes if the burning sensation is severe and swelling has formed.
- Take a pain reliever or antihistamine if necessary.
Next, you need to observe changes in your well-being. If alarming symptoms appear (severe malaise, nausea, confusion, vomiting), you should consult a doctor. As a rule, nothing like this happens.
In the case of scolopendra, everything is much more serious - the result can be severe swelling (if a limb is bitten, it will swell entirely), an increase in temperature and a sharp deterioration in well-being.
If you are bitten by a scolopendra, instead of a cold compress, you can apply a heating pad with a temperature of 45 °C. Under the influence of this temperature, the scolopendra venom is partially destroyed, and the person feels better. But still, in this case, it is better to immediately seek medical help, and if a child or small pet is bitten, it is imperative to seek help from a doctor.
Appearance and features
Photo: What a flycatcher looks like
As mentioned earlier, an adult flycatcher can be up to 6 cm long. It simultaneously looks like a very hairy spider, a worm or a centipede. Its body color varies from yellowish, brownish to grayish with contrasting purple or bluish stripes running along the entire back. Her long legs also have stripes. The newborn centipede has only four body segments and a corresponding number of pairs of legs.
The flycatcher has two tiny facet-type eyes on its head, which provide it with excellent, almost all-round visibility. There are also rather long mustaches, consisting of many segments, the number of which can reach six hundred. These antennae are very sensitive and can detect many parameters of the external environment, as well as the approach of danger.
Thanks to the large number of legs and the mobility of all body segments, the centipede is capable of running very quickly. Its movement speed can reach 45-50 cm/sec. The most “multifunctional” are the front legs of the flycatcher. They allow her to both run at a fairly high speed, unusual for other insects, and firmly hold the caught victim, and also serve as reliable protection in the event of an attack by enemies.
Now you know what a flycatcher looks like. Let's see where this unusual insect is found.
Description
Having seen a centipede once, you will no longer confuse it with anything, because its appearance is too memorable.
This arthropod can be yellow, pinkish, gray or brown. An adult specimen measures from 3.5 to 6 cm. Its body is divided into 15 segments and is flattened, thanks to which the centipede is able to crawl into the narrowest crevices. On the sides there are 15 pairs of legs that regenerate when lost, and their length is not the same (the further the pairs of legs are located from the head, the longer they are). The front legs are crowned with tenacious pincers, with which the centipede securely captures its insect victims, after which it injects its poisonous paralyzing secret into them, immobilizing the prey.
The centipede sees perfectly in light and in the dark: its compound eyes provide it with excellent vision. The arthropod also runs very quickly on all its legs, which lift its body above the surface while moving, so it is quite difficult to catch it with your hands. When running away, she is able to make sharp turns, while perfectly orienting herself in space thanks to her antennae.
Prevention
Prevention of centipedes:
- carry out regular cleaning;
- ensure that no puddles form near the pipes;
- make cosmetic repairs if necessary;
- do not litter the adjacent area;
- seal all holes and cracks in the walls to prevent unwanted neighbors.
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Multi-story houses
In apartments, centipedes travel through the highest rooms, especially if the building is old. Not everyone knows how to get rid of them at home on their own without harming themselves or their pets. Sometimes it is enough to seal the pipes in the bathroom and toilet or install a new seal on the front door.
If such primitive measures do not help, you can use chemicals to kill cockroaches:
Medilis Center against centipedes
- Medilis-zipper. Super concentrate, kills all living creatures within a kilometer radius from the apartment. The working solution is prepared from a mixture of the drug and water and applied to all cracks. The only drawback to its use is its high toxicity for all household members. During the duration of the insecticide's effect, all residents of the living space will have to live with friends or relatives.
- Raid. The aerosol is prepared on the basis of parametrin, which is harmless to people and animals. Manufacturers claim that you can stay indoors while treating secluded centipede habitats, but it is better not to risk it and take a walk outside. Then ventilate the apartment well.
- Liquidator. The gel is applied in a thin strip to baseboards, near pipes, openings in walls and insulating wells. It has no odor and is harmless to residents and animals.
Interesting: How to get rid of fleas in an apartment at home: tips
The most effective remedies for centipedes
It is undesirable to use sticky compounds and devices to kill centipedes. The insect will lose a limb or two and move on. The flycatcher will grow new legs in a few days.
“Mashenka” from centipedes
Destruction of centipedes in the apartment
Getting rid of centipedes in your home is actually not that difficult. The main thing is to deprive them of favorable conditions, and the chances that these unpleasant “neighbors” will leave the premises themselves will increase significantly. What should be done:
- Monitor humidity (if the apartment becomes drier, arthropods will stop reproducing and may leave the room altogether).
- Ventilate the bathroom more often by opening the door at night.
- Dry the room using special ventilation and heating devices.
- Repair plumbing (bathtubs, pipes, toilets, etc.) if the cause is high humidity in the bathrooms.
- Eliminate mold.
- Fill with silicone or seal in other ways the cracks in the walls, at the junctions of the bathtub and walls, near the doors, from where arthropods get inside.
- Install mesh on windows and ventilation holes.
- Breed “domestic” insects – the main food of centipedes.
- Clean up the area around the house (remove heaps of garbage, last year's rotting leaves, old trash - these are where centipedes breed and then appear through cracks in the living room, and especially in a private wooden house, where there are usually an abundance of cracks).
The listed measures can be equally classified as preventive, and directly combating the goal of destruction can be done more radically.
Insecticides
It is permissible to poison flycatchers if they have proliferated excessively in the apartment or when it is planned to destroy them immediately along with other insects (cockroaches, bedbugs, etc.). There is no special remedy against centipedes, so you can use poison against other crawling parasites, and it will work with equal effect (Medilis - Ziper, Combat, Raid, Clean House, etc.).
Time-tested, reliable chalk “Mashenka” will also have the expected effect not only against cockroaches, but also against centipedes. Insect repellent gels also give a great chance of getting rid of arthropods.
But before it is decided to remove centipedes using chemicals, it is necessary to seal the cracks and restore order in and around the house. Otherwise, after the extension expires, the problem may return again.
More gentle ways
Another proven and almost universal remedy for unwanted “guests” is boric acid. To destroy a creepy-looking centipede, acid can be used both in the form of a powder (spread around the perimeter of the room and at the entrance) and in the form of a solution (pour in according to the same principle).
Diatom powder is an absolutely safe product, but not for centipedes. This product can be used in the same way as boric acid (sprinkled).
If the centipedes in the house have not bred in large numbers, you can limit yourself to trying to catch them manually (but this can be done, remembering that the arthropod will either try to escape or defend itself).
Fighting flycatchers is not very difficult. Most often, it is enough to competently deprive them of all the necessary conditions, and the uninvited “guests” will leave the house themselves
As a result, you will not have to resort to chemical methods of destruction, which is important, especially when children and pets live in the apartment
Source
How to deal with it
Despite the positive qualities that insects have, not every person can see them in their home. Insects, no matter how useful they are, provide too little pleasure. The fact that an insect can bite does not make it a good neighbor for humans. Getting rid of the centipede that lives with you at home requires a lot of effort, but initially you need to determine the reasons why it appeared in the house.
If a centipede appears inside a building, in a bathhouse or basement, it is recommended to remove all rotting wood or other organic matter and dry the room. It is also recommended to remove all vegetation and organic waste located near the house. Centipedes are attracted to corrugated cardboard and paper, as well as shredded tree bark and clumps of straw.
Centipedes do not live in large colonies, and if you see one of them, it is advisable to catch it, although this is quite difficult.
For those who do not have time to evict the centipede from the apartment without causing harm to it, an effective method is to use a toxic substance designed to destroy the flytrap.
The best thing is to turn to professionals involved in pest control, but it is worth remembering that in some countries the law is to protect these insects and their appearance in the apartment is considered a blessing.
To get rid of centipedes, you need to remove dead grass and rotten wood
According to scientists, many people, after reading this material, will not consider their home the same as before. Almost none of us knows or imagines how many species of insects live inside an apartment. According to research scientists at North Carolina State, it could be hundreds! Experts involved in the research counted more than 500 species:
- insects,
- crustaceans,
- spiders,
- scolopendra, etc.
Researchers visited 50 homes located in different areas of North Carolina in the United States from May to October 2012. Carrying out research, experts took samples of the living creatures they discovered to determine the species. The number of species turned out to be terrifying: 579 species of arthropods belonging to 304 families. Even in the cleanest houses, about 100 different species of insects were found, belonging to one hundred and twenty-eight families. The most common:
- flies,
- worms,
- spiders,
- beetles,
- skin beetles,
- cockroaches,
- ants, centipedes,
- arthropods, etc.
Based on the research results, it was concluded that hundreds of species of different living creatures live with humans in symbiosis, without causing harm or disturbing him.
“No one has ever conducted such studies, so one should not expect that these insects cannot be hiding in other houses. We crawled on all fours with flashlights, collecting everyone who appeared on the way into bottles. Like it or not, there are different types of insects living in your homes. Species such as spiders and the house centipede can be considered harmless to humans,” says one of the study’s authors, Professor Matt Bertone, an entomologist at North Carolina State University.
Bertone says that of the 550 rooms examined, only five of them (four bathrooms and one bedroom) were not found to contain any “uninvited” creatures.
Therefore, despite the appearance and horror that the centipede inspires in you, it is worth considering whether it is necessary to destroy it and fight it. Maybe she will turn out to be a reliable ally in the fight against a whole army of other no less nasty and harmful insects inhabiting your apartments.
Who does the flycatcher protect against?
When you see a flycatcher in your home, you immediately want to kill it and quickly get rid of the dead insect so that it never comes to life. However, there are several reasons not to kill the house centipede, but to let it run the house a little:
- The flycatcher does not damage furniture, does not touch human food, and does not bite people and their pets.
- The arthropod perfectly cleans the apartment of flies, cockroaches, lice, moths, termites, cockroaches, spiders, fleas, silverfish and other unpleasant household pests.
- The flycatcher also helps in fields and gardens: in many southern countries it is a welcome guest, helping to protect crops from agricultural parasites.
Nutrition
All representatives of the superclass are predators. They usually eat:
- ants and their larvae;
- domestic cockroaches;
- flies, ticks.
Some species, such as the giant and ringed scolopendra, found in South America and Jamaica, are capable of hunting mice, frogs and lizards.
Centipedes use poison to paralyze and kill their victims. However, there is no need to be afraid of them: the poison produced by centipedes is harmful only to small arthropods, but not to mammals. In rare cases, the poison can provoke allergies.
Centipedes feed as follows. Having caught the victim, they inject poison into them and hold it with strong jaws and paws until the insect is completely immobilized. Only after this do they start eating.
Centipedes also destroy insects that harm agriculture. In some countries, for this reason they are under government protection.
Destruction of centipedes in the apartment
Getting rid of centipedes in your home is actually not that difficult. The main thing is to deprive them of favorable conditions, and the chances that these unpleasant “neighbors” will leave the premises themselves will increase significantly. What should be done:
- Monitor humidity (if the apartment becomes drier, arthropods will stop reproducing and may leave the room altogether).
- Ventilate the bathroom more often by opening the door at night.
- Dry the room using special ventilation and heating devices.
- Repair plumbing (bathtubs, pipes, toilets, etc.) if the cause is high humidity in the bathrooms.
- Eliminate mold.
- Fill with silicone or seal in other ways the cracks in the walls, at the junctions of the bathtub and walls, near the doors, from where arthropods get inside.
- Install mesh on windows and ventilation holes.
- Breed “domestic” insects – the main food of centipedes.
- Clean up the area around the house (remove heaps of garbage, last year's rotting leaves, old trash - these are where centipedes breed and then appear through cracks in the living room, and especially in a private wooden house, where there are usually an abundance of cracks).
The listed measures can be equally classified as preventive, and directly combating the goal of destruction can be done more radically.
Insecticides
It is permissible to poison flycatchers if they have proliferated excessively in the apartment or when it is planned to destroy them immediately along with other insects (cockroaches, bedbugs, etc.). There is no special remedy against centipedes, so you can use poison against other crawling parasites, and it will work with equal effect (Medilis - Ziper, Combat, Raid, Clean House, etc.).
Time-tested, reliable chalk “Mashenka” will also have the expected effect not only against cockroaches, but also against centipedes. Insect repellent gels also give a great chance of getting rid of arthropods.
But before it is decided to remove centipedes using chemicals, it is necessary to seal the cracks and restore order in and around the house. Otherwise, after the extension expires, the problem may return again.
More gentle ways
Another proven and almost universal remedy for unwanted “guests” is boric acid. To destroy a creepy-looking centipede, acid can be used both in the form of a powder (spread around the perimeter of the room and at the entrance) and in the form of a solution (pour in according to the same principle).
Diatom powder is an absolutely safe product, but not for centipedes. This product can be used in the same way as boric acid (sprinkled).
If the centipedes in the house have not bred in large numbers, you can limit yourself to trying to catch them manually (but this can be done, remembering that the arthropod will either try to escape or defend itself).
Fighting flycatchers is not very difficult. Most often, it is enough to competently deprive them of all the necessary conditions, and the uninvited “guests” will leave the house themselves
As a result, you will not have to resort to chemical methods of destruction, which is important, especially when children and pets live in the apartment
Source
Methods to combat centipedes
Understanding what a scolopendra looks like, what habits it has, where it hides and what it eats, you can develop a plan to get it out of the house. To get rid of insects in an apartment forever, you need to conduct a thorough analysis of the premises, solving problems with dampness and moisture in individual areas.
Considering that centipedes feed on small insects, you need to try to make sure that there are no insects in the house at all. No food, no arthropod predators.
A wooden floor with cracks in a room attracts insects, opening up a lot of opportunities for home improvement and reproduction. A simple coating of mastic or varnish will help solve the problem; insects cannot tolerate the smell of chemicals.
Leaking pipes in the bathroom or toilet must be repaired or replaced. Otherwise, none of the methods of combating flycatchers will work. Comfortable indoor conditions will attract more and more individuals there.
It is worth paying attention to the pallets under house flowers. Excess stagnant water will also attract insects
If arthropods in the house feel more than at ease despite all preventive measures, continue to reproduce and are increasingly seen even during the day, it is worth trying to use repellents or insecticidal sprays for crawling creatures
It doesn’t matter whether it’s a flytrap, an insect or not, drugs of this kind most often have a wide spectrum of action.
In conclusion, we note that killing living beings, even if they are not the most pleasant in appearance, is inhumane. Therefore, in order to prevent an uncomfortable neighborhood at home, you need to try to create conditions unfavorable for insects. Scolopendra, also known as the flytrap, is of little danger to humans; its appearance in an apartment is the result of a violation of sanitary standards, which means that responsibility for solving the problem also lies solely with the owners of the apartment.
A centipede encountered in one's own apartment often terrifies people. An insect running quickly seems dangerous and aggressive. In fact, such statements have a basis. The centipede insect is a predator; it is indeed capable of attacking and biting, but not a person, but a fly or moth. She tries to avoid contact with people, hiding in hard-to-reach corners. If there is a clear threat, the centipede may bite; the insect's venom causes problems for people with allergies.
House centipede moves along walls
Why is it dangerous for people?
If a flycatcher appears in an apartment or house, you should not panic, since this insect does not spoil either food, compared to some insects, or household items. This insect does not show aggression, but, in extreme cases, when it is in danger, it can bite. At the same time, the bite does not cause serious damage to the skin, since its jaws are quite weak and cannot pierce human skin. Its bite can be compared to a bee sting, although the venom it injects is much weaker than that of a bee. Despite this, the bite site may become red and swollen. The flytrap is also not dangerous for pets.
The centipede is considered a beneficial insect because it brings benefits by destroying cockroaches, moths, flies, fleas, spiders, etc. in a house or apartment.
As a rule, they try to get rid of it not because it is dangerous to humans, but because it has an unpleasant, terrifying appearance. For people who are simply afraid of various insects, this is a reason to get rid of the centipede. Who else she can scare is children. At the same time, it is worth noting that in some southern countries centipedes are protected.
Why you CAN'T kill a FLYTRAP, 10 facts about the flycatcher, or the house centipede
Watch this video on YouTube
Why do centipedes appear?
Centipedes (or centipedes, flycatchers, fly swatters), found in comfortable apartments, usually do not exceed 2-3 cm in length. But under natural conditions, specimens of this insect grow up to 6 cm.
Flycatchers can be easily identified by the following characteristics:
Gray-yellow body with three stripes (often purple, red or blue). The body consists of 15 separate segments, each of which is equipped on the sides with a pair of legs. The centipede's legs are shorter at the head and noticeably lengthen towards the back of the body (thanks to this herringbone structure, the insect does not get tangled in its limbs and moves at an enviable speed - up to half a meter per second). The insect's jaws are located not only in the mouth, but also on the front pair of legs. The fly swatter's head is equipped with a pair of antennae.
In the wild, centipedes live under stones, in tree roots, and under a layer of mulch in garden beds. They need a damp environment to live.
Centipedes often settle in human dwellings - in damp basements of apartment buildings or private houses, on the first floors (close to the basement), in bathrooms, bathhouses. If there is a humid environment they need, in human housing the presence of other insects in the house is attractive to centipedes. After all, flycatchers are hunters. They feed on flies, midges and mosquitoes, spiders, cockroaches, woodlice, leather beetles, moths, ants and any other insects that are attracted by the warmth and availability of food in human homes.
If there are centipedes in the house, this means that the house is already infested with a large number of other insects. It was the availability of available food (along with the necessary dampness) that became the decisive factor when the centipede chose a place to settle.
The centipede is capable of simultaneously capturing up to several insects - eating one and holding others with its legs.
Are centipedes dangerous for people?
In defense, the centipede is capable of biting a person quite strongly (its bite is comparable to that of a bee or aspen). However, this will not cause any harm to health, at most a small tumor, possibly an allergic reaction (if you have a general allergy to insect bites). The centipede will not specifically attack a person.
However, when they reproduce in large numbers, centipedes become unpleasant neighbors. They look scary and start crawling all over the house in search of food.
How to get rid of it: effective methods
To get rid of centipedes in an apartment, you need to solve two global problems:
eliminate sources of high humidity (since flycatchers will not live in dry rooms); bring other insects into the home, which are daily food for centipede hunters.
Otherwise, measures to eliminate centipedes will be crowned with only temporary success.
Additionally, surfaces in insect habitats are treated with insecticides
When cleaning, pay special attention to:. cracks in the floor and walls (centipedes usually hide in them during daylight hours, since the insect hunts at night); ventilation hatches through which centipedes can enter the apartment; bathroom and toilet; skirting boards (it is optimal to dismantle and treat the surfaces underneath them)
cracks in the floor and walls (centipedes usually hide in them during daylight hours, since the insect hunts at night); ventilation hatches through which centipedes can enter the apartment; bathroom and toilet; skirting boards (it is optimal to dismantle and treat the surfaces underneath them).
Note! Treatment with toxic agents is carried out in compliance with safety measures. Small children and pets must first be removed from the house
After a few hours, the room is washed with clean water and ventilated.
To wash surfaces, you can use folk remedies (at the rate of a tablespoon of concentrate per liter of water):
chlorine-containing gels, solutions (for example, Belizna bleach); food vinegar 9%.
The rating of electric kettles and characteristics of household appliances can be seen in this article.
Powder products that allow you to effectively destroy uninvited flycatchers in your apartment - boric acid and diatomaceous earth powder:
Boric acid is laid out directly in powder along the “paths” of insects. Diatom powder is laid out using the same principle - this food additive is poisonous to centipedes.
For catching, sticky tapes and tape are used, which are stretched directly across the floor. Such traps, however, are ineffective, since centipedes are strong and often get out of the sticky surface, having lost several legs (they have the property of growing back).
Of the purchased poisons, any means to combat cockroaches are suitable - crayons, dusts, aerosols, gels.
Preventive actions
To prevent a centipede from starting up in an apartment, you need to avoid excessive dampness and remember that the creature will not live in a dry room. To do this, the following preventive measures should be taken:
- systematic cleaning of “wet” rooms: bathroom and shower, thorough dry wiping of pipes and tiles;
- timely sealing of cracks and crevices in windows, on the floor, at the joints of water pipes;
- fighting insects in the house;
- destruction of mold in the apartment;
- Do not allow water to stagnate in the trays of flower pots;
- Periodically you need to ventilate and dry your home.
- At our dacha in Alexandra, centipedes crawl into our house in the fall.
Disgusting creatures! Huge and scary! It is very difficult to fight them. We poison them with dichlorvos before leaving the dacha for the winter. Answer - Ivan I had a flycatcher living at home. No matter what I tried, it still crawled out of some cracks. And even bit a child when he tried to pick it up. Complex baiting using chemicals helped
Sources
- https://prusakam.net/mnogonozhki-v-kvartire/
- https://bioros.net/nasekomye/sorokonozhka-doma-chem-opasna-i-kakoy-vred-nanosit.html
- https://TaraKlop.ru/mnogonozhki/sorokonozhka/
- https://VrediteliSOS.ru/nasekomye/skolopendra-foto.html
- https://apest.ru/nasekomye/domashnyaya-sorokonozhka/
- https://klopkan.ru/nasekomye-v-kvartire/sorokonozhka/
- https://stoppestinfo.com/ru/454-vse-o-sorokonozhkakh.html
- https://belt-wrestling.su/vshi/vidy-sorokonozhek.html
- https://izbavitsya-ot-vrediteley.ru/kvartirye-mnogonozhki.html
- https://VrediteliSOS.ru/nasekomye/nasekomoe-muholovka.html
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Diseases and pests
- Surprisingly, a plant that eats insects can also suffer from them. For example, an aphid, having settled in a trap and sucking out the juice, deforms it, and the trap stops functioning. To combat aphids, you need to use aerosol insecticides, which are sold in flower shops.
- In dry conditions, spider mites can appear on Dionea. You can get rid of it by treating it three times with an acaricide solution at intervals of a week. In the future, the humidity needs to be increased. Spider mites cannot tolerate excess moisture.
Due to the increased humidity of constantly wet soil, the flycatcher is susceptible to various fungal diseases:
- If a black coating appears on the leaves of the plant, then most likely it is a sooty fungus infection;
- Gray rot appears as gray fluff. All infected parts must be removed immediately;
- If the trap captures a large insect, it cannot digest it and begins to rot. If you notice blackness appearing on a closed trap, it will have to be removed.
The following drugs are recommended for use: Fitosporin M paste, Fundazol for fungal diseases, and Aktara for small insects (aphids, mites).
Reasons for appearance
As a rule, flycatchers, also called centipedes, are attracted to an apartment by high humidity and the presence of food. These arthropods destroy beetles, ants, flies and other harmful insects.
If there are such insects in the apartment, the fungus is visible on the walls and water flows from the taps, then these are ideal conditions for the existence of flycatchers.
It is quite natural that arthropods enter a person’s home through cracks in the floor, baseboards, and through openings located where various communications, such as water and sewerage, pass.
The structure of his body is such that he can easily crawl into almost any crevice. Therefore, there are no obstacles for her.
