I need a natural repellent for house centipedes. They come from my basement up my kitchen walls. Creepy. I hate to spray insecticide near food.
By lynnski from RI
When I had centipedes (a lot of them), I called an entomologist (bug guy) at the university. He said the only effective way to get rid of centipedes (as opposed to continually killing them) is to get rid of "sow bugs". Evidently, sow bugs are the only thing centipedes eat, and centipedes will only come into your house if you have sow bugs. (Sow bugs, I think, are small, oval-shaped, somewhat furry looking bugs that primary set up housekeeping in the basement or around foundation of the house.)
Get rid of the sow bugs, and you'll get rid of the centipedes. Sow bugs love and need moisture, so the guy told me to keep my basement as dry as possible and don't leave damp laundry lying around. He recommended that I get a dehumidifier and run it (in basement) pretty much constantly during the wet and humid season. He said I could caulk cracks in the houses foundation, but that centipedes could get in the tiniest of cracks.
This whole sow bug/dehumidifier advice all seemed unlikely to me, but I did it anyway. It totally worked! I rarely see a centipede anymore, usually only when I forget to run the dehumidifier. Yes, it was an expense, but living centipede-free is worth it. Hope this helps. (05/19/2010)
By Amy
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