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Class
Chilopoda
Characteristics –
Size: Most found around buildings rarely measure longer
than 2 inches. In Texas and the desert southwest, however, a couple
of species can measure 6 inches or longer and may wander into homes
and other buildings.
Color: Varies depending on the species. Most are brownish
or orange-brown. The large Texas species has a bluish-black body,
orange-red head and yellow legs.
Behavior –
Centipedes are predators that live in moist areas. These nocturnal
creatures hunt down insects and spiders at night. Centipedes are
distinguished from millipedes in that they have only one pair of
legs per body segment, while millipedes have two pairs of legs per
body segment. They are seldom seen inside homes, except for the
house centipede which may breed in crawl spaces and basements. The
house centipede is recognized by its extremely long legs.
Habitat – Outdoors, centipedes keep to moist,
protected areas such as landscape mulch and beneath items in contact
with the soil. Indoors, they will usually be seen near baseboards
and around doorways and windows. The house centipede may be observed
wandering on walls in crawl spaces, basements, garages, and
sometimes in other rooms of a house.
Tips for Control – The following actions will
help in controlling centipedes:
 | Sealing
cracks and holes in the home s exterior should help prevent
centipedes from entering.
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| Mulch
and heavy vegetation, such as ivy, should be kept away from the
foundation to reduce the number of centipedes and their food
supply.
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| House
centipedes may require treatments that are best applied by a
professional. |
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