Here is a disgusting trivia question for you, "What looks like something your cat coughed up and can run across your wall at 16 inches per second?" Yup- It’s a centipede. It is hard to put into words just how disturbing a centipede can be. So, it is not surprising that when we get a request to take care of a centipede problem, it is usually followed by, "How soon can you get here?" It is this perfectly understandable hysteria that has inspired this article. While you're waiting for your Parkway Pest Specialist to show up and fix your centipede problem, here are a few fun facts about this bizarre creature to help make them feel less like extraterrestrial monsters and more like the lovable household pests they are.
Fact: Centipedes are nocturnal creatures, except when they are hungry. Hunger will draw them out into the daylight for an afternoon snack. So, if you have a centipede problem, don't be surprised if they're on the wall of your bathroom when you switch the light on in the middle of the night.
Fact: Centipedes are quite the groomers. After they eat a tasty bug, they'll spend time carefully cleaning each of their legs with the forcipules of their mouth. So, how bad can they be? You probably had a college roommate who was filthier than a centipede.
Fact: Centipedes are a predatory bug that is known to eat a lot of other bugs in your house that you probably don't want around, like silverfish, carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, spiders and other small arthropods. So, they're not so bad, right? Maybe it's time to go buy a crate of centipedes and let them do their thing - Or, maybe not. We're just trying to make you feel a little less freaked out until we get there and fix your problem.
Fact: Centipedes regenerate lost legs. It's like having Wolverine living in your house, but like the comic-book hero turned blockbuster movie hero, centipedes have a bad temper. This is one bug you do not want to get frustrated. Though it has no desire to bite you; it will if you scare it. And, some centipedes have a bite that feels like a bee sting.
Fact: Some of the creatures that feed on centipedes are birds, snakes, frogs, mongooses, mice and shrews. But, before you get the idea of letting a thousand snakes loose in your home to kill all those centipedes, you should know that our pest services are a lot less invasive.
If you contact Parkway Pest Services today you should be getting a knock on the door from one of our friendly, certified technicians very soon. So, don't worry. Your centipede ordeal is almost over. Plus, now you have some cool centipede facts to share with your friends and family the next time you have a cookout. How great is that?