Tips to Control Centipedes in Your Yard

Our yards and gardens can become a haven for creepy crawlers but why are they there, this is one of nature’s ways to bring balance to our ecosystem. Our yards and gardens can be considered mini ecosystems that provide wildlife as well as pollinators, beneficial insects, and garden insect pests with an environment to seek out food and water sources. This biodiversity or small community works hand in hand to sustain life, to rear their young, and in the production (pollinators) of foods.

Among the many visitors that come to our yard and gardens are centipedes, centipedes are predatory arthropods that feed upon soft-bodied insects such as roaches, spiders, worms, termites, flies, moths, fleas, silverfish other centipedes, etc… there are more than 1500 species of centipedes that can be found outdoors.

“As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.”

Keep your Garden Area Free of Debris

Centipedes love to be hidden out of sight and will seek out hiding places for their protection it is therefore important to ensure that your yard and garden area is free of debris.  A yard or garden that’s full of fallen leaves, branches, and other debris does not only look unattractive but will create the perfect environment for centipedes, rodents, snakes, and other garden pests.

Clean up these areas by the removal of debris, this will create a yard or garden area that is beautiful and will lessen the chance of centipedes and other uninvited guests that can hurt our garden plants. The ideal time to perform yard work is in the morning when it is cool or during the evening hours right before the sun sets.

Avoid Dump Conditions

Dump conditions will encourage the presence of centipedes because they love moisture, garden plants need water to survive but a good rule to follow is to allow your plants to dry out between watering which will limit the buildup of moisture that will help in centipede control. Avoid overwatering garden plants will also be good for their health safeguarding them against root rot and other fungal diseases.

Repair Broken Irrigation Lines

Water leakage from your irrigation system whether a pipeline or sprinkler head will attract centipede because of moisture so repair your sprinkler system. Broken irrigation lines will also increase your water bill.

Repair Leaky Faucets

Centipedes love moisture if you have a leaky faucet in your garden or yard get right on it and fix it because a leaky faucet will encourage the presence of centipedes and will also increase your water bill.

Make Sure that Outside Faucets are Completely Shut Off

After using your outdoor faucet make sure that it’s completely shut off to avoid centipedes and to avoid and increase water bill. Remember centipedes love moisture.

Keep Firewood Of the Ground

Keeping firewood on the ground will create the perfect breeding spot for centipedes therefore it’s important to store firewood of the ground on a shelve or stacked on a platform of the ground.

Your Garden Lawn

Make sure that your lawn is not overgrown which centipedes will use as a hiding place and monitor the amount of moisture your lawn is receiving to discourage the presence of centipedes, to safeguard fungal disease, and to avoid the increase in your water bill.

Keep Weeding

Weeds are unattractive and can also serve as a haven for centipedes, weeds will also compete with garden plants for moisture, sunlight, and nutrients, and weeds are also a breeding ground for disease and insect pests. Keeping your yard and garden free of weeds will benefit greatly. The ideal time to weed is early in the morning when it is cool or just before the sun sets, if you must weed during the day hours make sure that you’re comfortable by using the proper weeding tools, for example, a weeding bench, good strong pair of garden gloves, a garden hat, garden clothing and tools like a rake, stand-up weeder, weeding knife, a hoe, garden gloves with claws, a fine-bladed hand trowels etc…

Insecticide Treatment for Centipede Control

When spraying for centipedes outdoors apply liquid insecticide label for centipedes as a barrier around the entire foundation of the building, going 3 feet up and 3 feet out from the base. Treat outside door and window frames, vents, and pipe openings. Use a one-gallon liquid sprayer, if you have a small or medium-sized lawn to treat for centipedes, add half a gallon of water to your sprayer followed by adding the right amount of insecticide according to the manufacturer’s directions now finish filling the sprayer with water. Return the cover on your handheld sprayer then tighten it, for a thorough mixture shake the sprayer several times pump your sprayer a few times to pressurize now engage the sprayer over the surface of your lawn moving the wand of your tank sprayer from side to side. Do this until the entire lawn has been treated, treat ornamental beds, walkways, and along bricks  Next spray around door and window frames, voids in the wall, vents, etc…this process should be repeated every 30-60 days or according to the manufacturer’s label. Note this sprayer application will not only treat centipedes but other insects centipedes use as a food source.

Reduce Yard Clutter

Get rid of old and unused items, for example, old tires, worn boxes, old furniture, old and broken containers and pots, and old wood piles that have not been used for a long time should be removed or stored off the ground on a platform, invest in a storage box for outdoor soft furnishing, old appliances should be removed and discarded properly. Pipes and lumber should be stored off the ground on shelves or platforms, discard old buckets and other containers that will hold water becoming a breeding ground for mosquitoes. Remove old cardboard, paper, canvas, and plastic.  Decluttering will tidy up your yard decreasing hiding places for centipedes and rodents but will also create more room or space that can be utilized for a garden, extend your garden, or other project you may have on the table.

Conclusion

Centipede control is important to reduce their population and to discourage them from your yard and garden area, as mentioned their presence can send shivers down one’s spine but the good news is you are in complete control with the right information. This guide is here to help you to create a centipede-free zone, if you can’t do the job yourself then call in the professionals who will do the job for you. With the proper measures in place, centipedes don’t stand a chance.