Houseplants can harbor centipede families. Watering these centipede-infested plants can be a painful exercise. Whenever you water them, you would see some centipedes crawl out or drown in them. Most centipedes emerge and flourish from this area of your garden. Moreover, these centipedes bite when provoked. You may have to handle them with care. These creatures often find refuge in the soil of your house plants.
Furthermore, dark, damp, and moist places attract centipedes more. If you eliminate their safe and preferable hiding spots or breeding ground soon, these pesky critters will become just a memory for you. You can employ several eradication methods to get rid of the centipedes in your house plants.
You can effectively dispose of these bugs without hurting your plants through this basic procedure:
- Blend a natural multipurpose creepy-crawly executioner in with water
- Utilize the combination to water your plants
- Do this for about 2 to 3 days in a row.
Plants are not harmed by natural multifunctional insect killers. They are quite effective in eliminating any pest. Any centipede will be killed instantly by the insecticide and water mixture. All hatchlings will be targeted if you repeat this way for 2 to 3 days. This makes it impossible for them to return.
What Are Centipedes?
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Centipedes are savage arthropods with the class Chilopoda of the subphylum Myriapoda, an arthropod bunch incorporating millipedes and other multi-legged animals. Centipedes are prolonged metameric animals with one set of legs for each body portion.
Why do you have centipedes in House Plants?
Centipedes are diverse arthropods found in North America and many other areas. They have 15 to 177 pairs of legs. Their legs help them move faster. The last pair of legs of females is twice in length when compared to their body. These creatures are nocturnal and carnivores.
Centipede Life Cycle
Centipedes never undergo metamorphosis for development like other bugs. They go through a series of moults to become fully mature and functional as well as develop more body segments. Centipede lifecycle consists of three stages: eggs, immature, and adults.
Does neem oil kill centipedes?
Yes, you can use neem oil to get rid of centipedes in your house plants.
Are Centipedes bad for House Plants?
Centipedes never eat up plants or damage them. They only inhabit them to feed on the insects and pests that surround the area. Additionally, these centipedes get moisture from the soil of these houseplants. The organic material, such as fallen leaves, also attracts these centipedes.
Also Read: How To Get Rid Of Centipedes
How to Eliminate centipedes in house plants Naturally
You can use natural methods to eliminate centipedes in house plants rather than using other chemical or organic insecticides. Some home remedies can help solve this problem.
Neem Oil
Neem plants are known to have medicinal properties that kill pests and insects. It is a natural insecticide that can help to get rid of the centipedes in your house plants. When a centipede ingests neem oil, it loses its hormonal balance; thereby, it may soon struggle to perform any life activities.
Boric Acid
Boric acid offers an effective solution to the centipede problem. Moreover, it also doesn’t harm kids and pets. The process of getting the centipede killed here can be slow. You will have to sprinkle acid and wait for few days so that you could see the desired result. As soon as centipedes eat this boric acid, boron accumulates in their body. Thereby, it disables the centipede from absorbing nutrients. Moreover, the centipede is now unable to excrete boric acid out of its body. Centipede then dies due to starvation, or its exoskeleton dries up, and they live no more.
Soap Solution
Using soap solutions is another cheap and safe way to get rid of centipedes from your garden. Add few drops of dish wash liquid in water and spray on the centipede’s usual hiding spots or habitats. The soap solution will make the centipede’s exoskeleton go dry as well as dispose of the oil and wax in the centipede’s body that will make the water in that area escape. When the exoskeleton dries up, the centipede will soon die.
- Pepper
This cayenne pepper acts as an insect repellent and is effective for centipedes too. Pepper contains a compound, Capsaisin. Insects avoid eating chilli plants due to the compound. It acts as an insect repellent due to its spicy quality. If you sprinkle some pepper in the corners where centipedes may step in, you may see them exit such spots.
Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is another natural insecticide that contains seashell fossils. It helps to scratch out the centipede’s exoskeleton, thereby drying it out.
You can utilize these natural methods to get rid of centipedes in your house plants.
How to Prevent Centipedes in House Plants?
Utilize the below approaches to prevent centipedes in house plants:
Get rid of debris that lies on top of the soil of houseplants. Pour just adequate water to grow these houseplants so that the soil can get dry until you water the plants again. Centipedes will then avoid taking refuge in these houseplants.
Consider placing sticky traps for centipedes similar to those you use to catch roaches or ants within your house or outdoors. Place your traps near these houseplants where these centipedes often visit. Centipedes make contact with these traps while coming in search of food and end up sticking to them and die.
Use a vacuum to clean up centipedes surviving and thriving on the houseplant soil. You can get rid of them in one go quickly, without disturbing the soil much.
Reduce the food source available to the centipede at the site. You can eliminate other pests around these houseplants, such as roaches, spiders, and flies. Keep the area clean by removing clutter, food, or traps to make the place an unfavorable location for these centipedes.
