How To Keep Centipedes Out Of Your House With One Natural Repellent They Can't Stand

Centipedes may look absolutely horrifying with their fifteen sets of legs, but they're primarily harmless. Still, having insects in your house can give you the creepy crawlies. If you're tired of finding these hundred-legged bugs in your space, there's a simple trick that'll help keep centipedes out of your home. Diatomaceous earth is a natural pest control option that kills bugs like centipedes and other household pests, including cockroaches, ants, millipedes, and silverfish. 

Made from fossils of single-celled diatoms, diatomaceous earth is a powder and doesn't contain harmful chemicals like other pesticides. When centipedes and other insects come into contact with it, diatomaceous earth dehydrates and kills them. Insects are also known to stay away from diatomaceous earth, making it an effective natural product that repels centipedes.

Though centipedes don't cause any damage to the home and usually aren't harmful to people, seeing a lot of them in your house could indicate a bigger problem. Centipedes eat other arthropods and are sometimes considered helpful exterminators of household pests like spiders and cockroaches, but an abundance of centipedes could point to other pests invading your home. While some types of centipedes are known to bite when aggravated, most won't bite or have teeth that are too small to affect humans. By using diatomaceous earth in your home, you can kill the other insects inside your house and make your space less appealing to centipedes.

When insects come into contact with diatomaceous earth, the tiny particles stick to the bug and scratch away the protective coating on its body. This slowly causes dehydration for centipedes and other unwanted critters, eventually killing them. It doesn't work instantly like many other pesticides, but this powdery substance is very effective. 

To use diatomaceous earth against centipedes, spread the dust in areas where these insects could be hiding. Centipedes prefer dark and damp environments, so consider applying your diatomaceous earth to your basement, attic, between walls, or other small, inconspicuous areas. A dry, empty squeeze bottle can be used to disperse puffs of the diatomaceous earth to help the powder spread farther and evenly and catch those pesky centipedes. Sprinkling diatomaceous earth around the outside of your house near foundations and possible insect entrances will also help to deter more centipedes from coming inside.

While diatomaceous earth is a natural pest control remedy that keeps bugs at bay, you should still use caution when applying it. The dust can be harmful to inhale or get in your eyes, so it's a good idea to wear a mask and protective goggles while working with diatomaceous earth. Even though food-grade versions of this natural pesticide are generally considered safe for humans and pets, you should try to keep the diatomaceous earth in areas away from your animals to prevent them from unintentionally inhaling or ingesting it.