Are centipedes poisonous? How to repel and kill centipedes that get into your home

The centipede is a terrestrial arthropod, flat and elongated in shape, 9-17 cm long and 0.5-1 cm wide, made up of 22 segments. It likes to live in damp, dark places, is relatively common in summer, and generally comes out at night. So, are centipedes poisonous? How do you repel or kill them when they get into your home?

1. Are centipedes poisonous?

1. Centipedes are poisonous and rank first among the “five poisons (centipede, snake, scorpion, gecko, toad).” All of their venom is concentrated in the head, which has one pair of venomous claws. It is just that different species and genera of centipedes have different venom components, and centipedes of different sizes also differ in how toxic they are.

2. Centipedes are divided into three types: red-headed, green-headed, and black-headed, among which the black centipede is the most toxic; in general, larger centipedes are also very toxic; at the same time, the more antennae a centipede has and the faster it moves, the stronger its toxicity. If you are bitten by a small centipede, there will only be localized redness, swelling, and pain; if you are bitten by a large centipede, symptoms such as headache, fever, dizziness, nausea, vomiting, delirium, convulsions, and coma may occur; if you are bitten on the hand by a red-headed, black-bodied, yellow-legged centipede, severe pain will quickly follow. Therefore, be careful not to be bitten by a centipede, because no non-venomous centipede has yet been found, only differences in how toxic they are.

3. Although centipedes are poisonous, they can be used as a medicinal material, with the effects of calming wind and relieving spasms, counteracting toxins and dispersing masses, and dredging collaterals and relieving pain. They can treat infantile convulsions, spasms and cramps, stroke with deviated mouth and eye, hemiplegia, tetanus, stubborn wind-damp impediment, sores and ulcers, scrofula, venomous snake bites, and other conditions. Therefore, some people also farm centipedes artificially.

2. What should you do if bitten by a centipede?

First, find a strip of cloth and tie it tightly above the bite wound. This can prevent the venom from continuing to spread, but you must loosen it for 1-2 minutes every 15 minutes to avoid necrosis of the bitten area. Then, wash the wound with soapy water, or disinfect it with alcohol, which can effectively remove the venom and prevent wound infection. If the bite is not very serious, you can mash houttuynia or dandelion and apply it externally. If you do not have these, you can apply ice to relieve pain, then cut open the skin at the injury, use a suction device or cupping to draw out the venom, and choose potassium permanganate solution or limewater to rinse the wound; if the poisoning symptoms are especially severe, go to the hospital quickly for treatment.

3. How to repel or kill centipedes in the home?

Centipedes like damp living environments, and when there is a lot of clutter in the home, centipedes are very fond of coming in. If you touch one, you may well be bitten by it. Therefore, if there are centipedes in your home, you must find a way to repel or kill them. Here are several methods for repelling or killing centipedes.

1. Fumigation with chemicals, such as sulfur, pyrethroids, and dichlorvos. It is just that these chemicals are toxic to humans and livestock, so they are not suitable for indoor use and are only suitable for use in unoccupied warehouses and similar buildings.

2. Killing with insecticides: aerosol insecticides that kill mosquitoes, cockroaches, and other pests can effectively kill ordinary small centipedes, but cannot kill some of the larger centipedes, and the smell of the insecticide can also drive them away. This type of insecticide is low in toxicity and is very suitable for use in the home environment.

3. Baiting or trapping with food: centipedes like to eat chicken and eggs. You can coat chicken or eggs with rat poison and other toxic substances, then place them where centipedes appear; you can also put chicken or eggs in a sealed wire cage and then place it where centipedes appear, and close it promptly after the centipede goes in.

4. Repelling by smell: you can fumigate with mugwort or chili peppers, or sprinkle realgar wine on the ground or in places where centipedes hide, and you can also scatter quicklime, sulfur, realgar wine, and the like near doors and windows outside, which can repel centipedes.

5. Keep a rooster and let the rooster catch the centipedes.

Centipedes are poisonous. Usually be careful not to be bitten by them, so as to avoid poisoning. The home should also be kept dry and clean. You can use quicklime to remove moisture, and in places such as wall corners and wardrobes you can place insect-repelling chemicals such as camphor balls, which can effectively repel centipedes. Centipedes all come in from outside, so try to avoid leaving them passages, and you can also scatter lime powder at doorways and windows and in places where they might possibly get in.