You’ve got centipedes in your house and now all you can think of is getting rid of those centipedes! One of the tried and true solutions for bugs of many kinds is boric acid, but it will not cure you of your centipede problem.
What is Boric acid? It is the original pesticide you probably had it around the house as a kid. Moms even used to put it in baby diapers to prevent diaper rash, until we found out that this was harmful to the baby in the long run. Boric acid is toxic to bugs (and people as mentioned, but only in really high doses), and it kills them. The good news, it will kill centipedes, the bad news, it won’t rid your house of them permanently.
Why won’t Boric Acid Cure the Problem?
Because the boric acid you spread around the base boards etc will wear away over time, and once it’s gone the centipedes will come right back into the home. Especially if you haven’t taken steps to eliminate what is drawing those little pests into your home!
So what should you do?
Learn a little bit about why they are in your home. Centipedes need food and water to survive, and they need more water than other bugs, like spiders. One of the ways to get rid of centipedes is eliminate the moisture in the home. Look for damp spots under sinks, and in the bathroom. Look under the home if you have a crawl space and see if you have any small drips.
Once the moisture issue is solved, it is time to address their food. Centipedes are carnivores, so you need to figure out what they are eating, and get that bug out of your home. One strategy for this is to use bug traps, and analyze what you catch. For example, if you catch ants, then you need to take measures to get rid of your ants, so the centipedes don’t have any food.
