The Brown Recluse Spider, inhabits many southern and Midwestern states, and it often lives around human dwellings. It is found in bathrooms, bedrooms and closets as well as under furniture, behind baseboards and door facings or in corners and crevices. It also likes cluttered cellars and garages and is most active at night. People are sometimes bitten while they sleep, when they roll on a spider in bed. Others may be bitten by spiders trapped in the folds of clothing that has hung undisturbed for a long time. The brown recluse is a non aggressive spider that spins white or grayish, nondescript webs. Its body and legs together cover about the same area as a quarter or half-dollar, and the body is only 1/4 to 1/2 inch long. The coloring of the recluse varies from an orange-yellow to dark brown or almost black. The most distinguishing characteristics are the spider's eyes and back markings. It has six eyes in three pairs arranged in a semicircle on the forepart of the head. This eye pattern is uncommon in spiders and will help eliminate many species suspected to be recluse spiders. The eyes also form the base of a violin-shaped marking on the back. The neck of the "violin" is formed by a distinct, short, median groove. The effects of a brown recluse spider bit may be immediate or delayed, depending upon the amount of venom injected and the victim's sensitivity. The bite usually causes a stinging sensation and then intense pain. within 24 to 36 hours a systemic reaction may occur, characterized by restlessness, fever, chills, nausea, weakness and joint pain. The bite also produces a small blister surrounded by a large congested and swollen area. The venom usually kills the affected tissue, which gradually sloughs away and exposes underlying tissues. The edges around the wound thicken, while the exposed center fills with dense scar tissue. Healing may take 6 to 8 weeks, leaving scars of various sizes. TOP of Page

• Norway Rats thrive particularly in areas where garbage is not properly stored. Although Norway rats generally prefer to eat fresh meat, fish, and grain, they can survive quite well on an ounce per day of garbage or decayed food along with an ounce of water. Frequently they range 100-150 feet from harborages in search of food or water. Norway rats are burrowers and often dig in rubbish and under buildings or concrete slabs. Burrowing can cause damage by undermining the foundations of buildings, eroding banks of levees, disfiguring landscape plantings, and blocking sewer lines. This rat is reddish-brown and heavy-set with a blunt muzzle. Its tail is about as long as the combined head and body. Adults weigh 3/4 to 1 pound. Their droppings are 3/4 inches long and capsule-shaped. Norway rats live about 1 year and reach sexual maturity in 3-5 months. They have 8-12 young per litter and up to 7 litters per year. TOP of Page
• Roof Rats thrive in attics, roof spaces, palm trees and ornamental shrubbery. They are climbers and prefer to nest off the ground. Roof rats are destructive to citrus groves, since they live in citrus trees and gnaw on the fruit. They can be quite destructive in attics, gnawing on electrical wires and rafters. Roof rats generally prefer vegetables, fruits and grain, and consume 1/2 to 1 ounce per day of food from various sources. Because they must have water to survive, roof rats also consume an ounce per day and will range 100-150 feet from harborages in search of this and food. Color ranges from black to grizzled gray to tan with a light belly. The tail is longer than the combined head and body. Adults weight from 1/2 to 3/4 pound. Their droppings are up to 1/2 inch long and spindle-shaped. Roof rats live about 1 year and reach sexual maturity in 3-5 months. They have 6-8 young per litter and up to 6 litters per year. TOP of Page
• House Mice normally live outdoors in fields, occasionally migrating into structures. In houses, they live behind walls and in cabinets and furniture. They prefer to feed on grains but usually nibble at a wide variety of foods. House mice require only 1/10 ounce of food and 1/20 ounce of water daily, but can survive on food alone if it has high moisture. Frequently house mice range 10-30 feet from harborages. House mice are brown to gray in color with the tail as long as the body. Adults weigh about 1/2 ounce. Their droppings are 1/8 inch long and rod-shaped. House mice live about 1 year and reach sexual maturity in 6 weeks. They have 5-6 young per litter and up to 8 litters per year. TOP of Page
  
• Rat Behavior:
  The movement of rats and mice is usually related to food, water or harborage. Knowing where they are likely to go is important to managing them. Rats use any method to get to food, water or harborage. Their excellent sense of balance enables them to run on pipes, narrow ledges and utility wires. Rats, especially roof rats, will climb anything their claws will hold on to, including wires, pipes and rough walls. Because rats are excellent swimmers, they often live in sewers and occasionally enter homes through toilets. Rats like to use regular paths or runways along walls or behind debris. To get food in the open, they will run behind things to get as close to the food as possible. They are afraid of strange objects or strange food and may avoid both. TOP of Page
  

Norway and roof rats are both aggressive species. The Norways are usually more aggressive, driving roofs from the territory. Both species are seldom found in the same building.

Rats and mice frequently gnaw on their surroundings. Their teeth grow 4-1/2 to 5-1/2 inches per year and only gnawing keeps them short and sharp.

Rats and mice are active mostly at night. Rats show greatest activity the first half of the night, if food is abundant. Mice usually are active at night both right after dark and between midnight and dawn. Both rats and mice will be active during daytime hours when food is scarce, when there is an overpopulation of rats, or when a poison has been used and the population is sick. TOP of Page

• Lyctid Powderpost Beetles In the United States, there are more than thirty-five kinds of lyctid beetles. These are considered the "true" powderpost beetles. Generally, adult lyctid beetles are 1/8 to 1/4 inch long. They are slender and range in color from reddish-brown to black. Their heads are obvious when these insects are viewed from above. Lyctid beetles infest only hardwoods, such as oak. They can live in wood with a wide moisture range, from a dry 8 percent to a very moist 32 percent. Only the larvae damage wood. The female lays an average of twenty to fifty eggs in crevices or on the ends of boards. When they hatch, the tiny larvae bore down into the wood . As the larvae grow, they bore to a point just underneath the surface of the wood, there they change into adults. After they change, the adults cut a 1/32- to n crevices or on the ends of boards. When they hatch, the tiny larvae bore down into the wood . As the larvae grow, they bore to a point just underneath the surface of the wood, there they change into adults. After they change, the adults cut a 1/32- to 1/16-inch circular exit hole in the surface of the wood. Often, powdery wood dust created by the beetle's feeding is pushed out as the adult beetle emerges. This is why they are called "powderpost" beetles. Males and females exit at the same time and mate, and the new generation of females lay eggs again. The entire life cycle for most lyctid beetles takes 9 to 12 months. TOP of Page
• Anobiid Powderpost Beetles  There are more than 200 kinds of anobiid beetles, of which very few infest wood. Most anobiid beetles found in homes, like drugstore beetles, infest grain products. The few that do infest wood are also called powderpost beetles or deathwatch beetles. The wood-infesting anobiids range from 1/8 to 1/4 inch in length. Their color ranges from reddish brown to nearly black. The body segment just behind the head is hoodlike and completely covers the head when the insect is viewed from above. Anobiids can infest both hardwoods an softwoods. Only the larvae feed on wood. They generally prefer wood in cool locations with moisture levels above 14 percent. Anobiids are the most common beetles infesting crawl spaces and outbuildings. Female anobiid beetles usually lay fewer than fifty eggs under wood splinters, in cracks, or in old exit holes. Like lyctid beetles, the small anobiid larvae bore into the wood, where they eat and develop. When the larvae change into adults, they chew round exit holes between 1/16 and 1/8 inch in diameter. The male and female emerge together and mate, and the female deposits her eggs. Though the females fly well and can lay eggs at new locations, they are most likely to lay their eggs on the board from which they emerged. Most anobiid beetles take 2 to 3 years to complete their development. TOP of Page
• Bostrichid Powderpost Beetles are sometimes referred to as "false" or "large" powderpost beetles, bamboo borers, or even lead-cable borers. The adults range in size from 1/8 to 1/4 inch. Like anobiid beetles, the segment just behind the head conceals the head from above. The heads of most bostrichid beetles are directed strongly downward. Generally, bostrichid beetles cause much less damage in homes than lyctid or anobiid beetles. Most bostrichid beetles bore into freshly cut hardwoods, but a few will attack softwoods. Unlike lyctid or anobiid beetles, both adults and larvae of the bostrichid beetle damage wood. Adult females bore "egg tunnels" into wood to deposit their eggs. After hatching, the larvae tunnel into the wood to feed and grow. Under most conditions, the larvae complete their development by the spring of the year following egg-laying. Adults cut 3/32- to 9/32-inch, round exit holes when they emerge. The adults rarely reinfest the wood from which they emerge. TOP of Page
• Old House Borers The old house borer belongs to a group called cerambycid beetles, which are also known as long-horned beetles. Most long-horned beetles are wood borers in the larval stage, but only the old house borer is a serious pest in homes. Adult old house borers range from 5/8 to 1 inch in length. They are brownish black in color, with many gray hairs on the head and forepart of the body. The segment just behind the head has a shiny raised bump on each side, giving it the appearance of a face. Old house borers infest softwoods, especially pine. They can be found in old houses, as their name suggests, but they are actually more common in new homes. The females lay about fifty eggs in cracks and crevices in wood. The larvae penetrate the wood to feed, but they often stay near the surface. Larvae usually require 2 to 3 years to develop in wood with 15 to 25 percent moisture, but they can take as long as 15 years to develop in very dry wood. Usually, larvae become adults in the spring, but they may not emerge immediately. When they do exit, the adults cut oval holes about 1/4 to 3/8 inch in diameter. Adults are normally most active in June and July. TOP of Page

• CARPENTER ANTS  Are found throughout the U.S.
  • APPEARANCE: Carpenter ants have one node and come in many varieties with different sizes and colors --- tan, black, and red.
  • HABITS: Carpenter ants hollow out dead, moist wood in trees, firewood, and fence posts to build nests but they don't eat wood. Inside, they build colonies in wall voids, foam insulation, eves, crawl spaces behind siding, in attic insulation and many other places. They forage at night during summer, however they often invade structures in spring and fall looking for food sources. Many times homeowners will find these ants swarming inside, especially around lights and windows. First you will want to to locate the colony. This may be done by inspecting areas of structures associated with high moisture., Or Check areas like windows and door frames, sills, tub enclosure walls, and around kitchen and bath plumbing walls. Also check trees and tree stumps close to structures and where limbs touch structure. You can often observe carpenter ants more after sunset, when there activity is increased, particularly in the spring and summer months. Follow the foraging workers to locate the nest.
  • DIET: They feed on insects and insect secretions but also likes sweets and other foods. TOP of Page
• ARGENTINE ANT Argentine ants are found throughout the southeastern U.S. and in southern California They nest outdoors under logs, concrete slabs, debris and mulch. They build large colony, can move rapidly and are aggressive, often eliminating other types of ants in the same area. In winter they move indoors.
  • APPEARANCE The Argentine ant is a one node, small, shiny, brown ant with one size worker, about 1/12 to 1/8 inch long. Queen’s are 1/6 to 1/4 inch long.
  • HABITS Argentine ants can persist in conditions where other ant species would not survive. They like to nest in moist soil next to buildings or under them. They can be found near sidewalks, or plants. They nest near water and food sources. Foraging ants will enter the house, often when outside conditions are extremely dry or wet. Colonies are quite large, often containing hundreds of queens.
  • DIET Argentine ants like sweet foods such as sugar foods, syrup, fruit juices or plant secretions. They also feed on fats oils and protein. They gather food day and night and may switch away from bait. TOP of Page
• PHARAOH ANT The Pharaoh ant is yellow with a reddish abdomen, two nodes. They are extremely small and are very persistent.
  • HABITS They typically build nests in wood, wall voids, and baseboards etc. Inside they are usually found in the kitchen and bathrooms but workers are seen trailing along window sills, and baseboards. Found throughout the U. S., most commonly in southern states. In northern states species will nest in heated buildings. Pharaoh Ants are a common hospital pest. They like fats and oils. TOP of Page
• FIRE ANTS Fire ants have different size workers and two nodes. The red imported Fire ant, the imported Fire ant and the Southern mature fire ants all have painful stings. All three species of fire ants are found in southern states. They usually build mounds outdoors in sunny areas and are very are very aggressive. People may be sensitive to fire ant venom and their sting can cause reactions anywhere from an irritation and nausea or worse. They have been known to repeatedly attack animals that may intrude on their nests. The red imported fire ant is particularly aggressive. Fire ant nests in the soil that look like mounds and are very common in the Southern States. When their mounds are disturbed, their workers will come out of the ground and sting the intruder very aggressively. The red imported fire ant can occupy a common yard with up to dozens of mounds, with underground tunnels connecting. The red imported ant can have huge colonies with 300-500,000 workers foraging at distances of 100 yards. Their usual activity is from the spring time through the fall months. During the spring and summer months, the active mounds will send out winged swarmer's ants, whose sole job is start new colonies. Sometimes the red imported fire ant will nest inside during the winter months under the bathtubs (when on a slab), or next to hot water heater. The southern fire ant will usually nest in loose soil, but at times they can be found in woodwork or masonry. Their nest may be seen as large crevices in the ground that spread out from 2-4 feet. Their nest can be found under houses, under boards or stones, or in cracks in the concrete.
  • APPEARANCE Fire ants are reddish to black in color and are about 1/8 inch long and have different size workers.
  • DIET Fire ants like grease and protein and will also for food ,such as small insects dead animals, and sweet materials such as plant secretions. Fire ants will kill insects and small animals to feed. TOP of Page

• APPEARANCE: Fleas average size is from 1/12-1/6 inch long. They are small with narrow body’s and have no wings. Their bodies are covered with spines that project backwards.
• DIET: Adults feed on blood of their 'Host" and the larvae eat dried blood.
• HABITS AND BIOLOGY: The female flea lays a few eggs daily that total up to 300 to 400 in its lifetime. The eggs are laid on pets or the host and most drop off where pets spend most of their time. Pet bedding, floor crevices, carpeting and along baseboards are likely places to find the eggs. Fleas go through a complete metamorphosis and the four stages are the eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult. These eggs will develop into flea larvae from 2 days to several weeks, depending on the temperature and humidity. Flea larvae are active and look like maggots. The larvae will feed on organic debris, but particularly like to feed on feces of the adult fleas. The larva spin a cocoon (pupae) and depending on environmental conditions, emerge as a adult in as little as 5 days. After a "blood meal" from the host the adult fleas will mate and lay eggs. The cycle repeats.
• CONTROLLING FLEAS: What you do is critical for a successful flea control program. There are important things you need to do before and after a flea treatment, as follows.
  • BEFORE: Observe where pets spend their time indoors and out. Take your pets to a vet for treatment or if preferred treat you pet your self and do not let pets back into house or yard until after they have been treated. Vacuum carpets, floors, rugs, drapes furniture, mattresses and cushions and dispose of bag by sealing in plastic. Wash or destroy pet bedding. Vacuum, or clean tile and wood floors, with special attention to grooves and cracks etc... Sweep porches, steps, and decks. Cut lawn and remove debris prior to spraying. Seal uncovered food.
  • AFTER: All occupants and pets should stay off treated areas until dry. Vacuum carpets every day for 10 days and dispose of bag or as often as possible. Don’t be alarmed if you see adult fleas when you vacuume. These fleas were in the pupae and egg stages and are not killed by the insecticide application. However there is enough residual control to last 4 weeks which is enough time to kill adults as they emerge and give good control. Do not allow flea infested pets into home and remember to treat your yard. TOP of Page

Subterranean Termites The subterranean group consists of two important types: the native eastern subterranean termites and the Formosan termite, are native to every state except Alaska, causing more than $750,000,000 of damage each year in the United States. It's a fact that Termites cause more damage than all fires, storms, and earthquakes. Granted, the damage they cause isn't as dramatic as a fire or tornado. But eventually it can lead to sagging floors, damaged carpets and trim, damaged wallpaper and even threaten the structural integrity of a structure. Their presence is not readily noticed and damage often is discovered before the termites are seen. The homeowner can practice prevention, but successful control nearly always requires the services of qualified pest control operators. Subterranean Termites are social insects that live in nests or colonies in the soil. Termite colonies can range from hundreds of thousands to millions with colonies attacking more than one structure. Three termite forms or castes make up the colonies repoductives, workers and soldiers. Repoductives can be winged (primary) or wingless (secondary). Each has the capability to produce new offspring. Primary reproductive, also called swarmers or alates, vary in body color from coal black to pale yellow-brown. The wings are 1/4 to 3/8 inch long. Termite workers are wingless, white to grayish-white, 1/4 to 3/8 inch long and make up the largest number of individuals within a colony. Soldiers resemble workers in color and general appearance. However, they have large, , well-developed, b brownish heads with strong mandibles or jaws. Soldiers defend the colony against invaders, primarily ants. When a colony is several years old and relatively large, it may produce another form of adult termite called a "swarmer." Swarmers have four wings, are often brown or black, and range in size from approximately 3/8 to 1/4 inch. Swarmers are the colony's way of sending out new kings and queens to start colonies of their own. In the spring, great numbers of swarmers can fly from a single colony. Swarmers are the most visible form of termite. Usually a homeowner realizes termites are present in or around the home when a swarm is seen. Swarming termites can be confused with many ants that swarm in the spring. If you look closely, you can see that swarming ants have elbowed antennae, a narrow waist, and front wings that are longer than the back wings. Swarming termites have straight antennae, a thick waist, and all the wings are the same length. In a mature eastern subterranean termite colony, there may be several hundred thousand workers. A mature Formosan colony may have millions of workers. The sheer numbers of Formosan termites usually make this type the most destructive. As their name indicates, subterranean termites usually live underground, excavating passageways to reach wood. Their passageways can be quite complex, extending 10 feet underground and over an acre in area. The soil provides a source of moisture that protects the termites from drying and shields them from predators. The soil also provides building materials for the protective shelter tubes the termites use to forage for wood above the ground. However, if water and wood is available from a source other than soil, subterranean termites (especially the Formosan variety) can establish a colony with no ground contact. So, isolated, aboveground infestations may occur in buildings where termites have access to water from condensation., leaking pipes, roofs, or other sources. TOP of Page

Their sting is very painful at the sting site, and is followed by local swelling and irritation. The intense pain doesn't last long, and the swelling disappears after a few hours. Itching and mild irritation may persist for a day or two. You should inform a physician if your reaction includes unusual swelling or irritations, or if these symptoms occur some distance away from the sting site. Severe reactions are rare but may include an increased heart rate; rapid, shallow, or labored breathing; or shock. Such reactions are life-threatening and require immediate medical treatment. Persons allergic to bee and/or wasp venom can buy sting kits by prescription at most pharmacies.

HONEY BEES are also beneficial and most of the time should be left alone. Sometimes however they can become a serious problem when they find an opening to nest in such as, an opening a wall of a structure, in eves and soffits, in a chimney, or attic opening etc... Afer finding the opening, they will build a nest in a wall or some other hidden area. The nest can survive year round if well protected. The nests are made of wax cells that may contain many pounds of reserved honey. When alive, they have a built in "air conditioner". By fanning their wings they keep the wax from melting. If they are killed however, this wax will begin to melt causing the reserved honey to seep out. This may cause unsightly damage and it will attract other insects. It is advisable to contact a professional to have the nest removed. colonies have 20,000 to 80,000 individuals. They are raised for honey and beeswax, and are essential for pollination of crops. The stinger has barbs, so that the stinger and the poison sac remain in the skin. Unlike wasps, honey bees can sting only once. Most honey bee colonies are in hives that are managed by beekeepers. However, some colonies swarm in large numbers and can be found outside. They may become established in walls or eaves of houses. The nests in walls can contain a lot of honey. If bees are controlled or removed, the nest and honey should also be removed to prevent problems to the house. TOP of Page

CARPENTER BEES look like Bumblebees except the Carpenter bee has a (fuzzy) rear area of body with yellowish hair and the Bumblebees have a (shinny) rear area. Carpenter bee build nests in wood, where the Bumblebee build their nest in the ground. Carpenter Bees will bore perfectly round and smooth holes in wood which most often make a 90 degree turn, making long interior tunnels, and with the grain of the wood to develop their larvae. The entrance hole is usually round, but the "galleries" run with the grain of the wood. Common sites they choose to bore into include eaves, siding, window sills, under decks and railings. They prefer untreated wood or well-weathered wood. Look for piles of sawdust under the holes. You will often see them going in and out. TOP of Page

MUD DAUBER WASP--It is a black wasp with a long, thin waist, and is not a social wasp. It is not very aggressive and does not stingpeople often. However, its mud nests are often built close to human activity. The mud dauber constructs brood chambers from mud on the sides of buildings and under eaves. The wasp stings and paralyzes spiders, lays an egg on them, and seals them inside the chambers. The wasp larva hatches and feeds on the spiders. An emergence hole in the mud means that the wasp has emerged from the chamber. TOP of Page

PAPER WASP--It is usually yellow with brown markings or black with red or yellow markings. The wasps are aggressive and readily sting. People are usually stung while trimming shrubbery or cleaning nests from eaves of houses. Paper wasp nests are made of a papery material that is shaped like an inverted umbrella. It usually has a single comb with up to 250 wasps. Nests are often built under eaves or on branches of shrubs. The eggs are laid in a cell; the larvae hatch and are fed by the wasps. They forage for caterpillars and other small insects to feed the larvae. TOP of Page

YELLOW JACKET WASP--It is about 12 mm long and has alternating yellow and black markings on the abdomen. The wasp is very aggressive in defending itself or the nest. The stinger is not barbed so the wasp can sting repeatedly. The yellowjacket nest can be quite large for some colonies. It is made of a papery material. Inside, the new nest has layers of combs to raise the brood. Some nests are aerial, but most often, nests are subterranean or both aerial and subterranean. People are usually stung when they step into or disturb a nest. TOP of Page

Both silverfish and fire brats are slender-bodied, about 1/2 inch in length and wingless. Their bodies are covered with scales, shiny silver or pearl gray for silverfish, and mottled gray for fire brats. The immature insects look like the adults but are smaller in size. Both have two long antennae at the head end and three long tail-like appendages at the hind end. The appendages are almost as long as the body. Silverfish and fire brats are common in houses throughout the United States. Silverfish live and develop in damp, cool places, especially basements. Large numbers can sometimes be found in new buildings in which the walls are still damp. The fire brat lives and develops in hot, dark places such as around furnaces, fireplaces and in insulation around hot water or heat pipes. Both are active at night and hide during the day. In apartment houses these insects follow pipelines from the basement to the rooms on lower floors where they find food. They may be found in book cases, around closet shelves, behind baseboards, and behind window and door frames. 

Silverfish and fire brats develop slowly under usual household conditions and produce few young. They are able to live without food for several months. The females lay eggs at any season in secluded places such as behind books or on closet shelves. Silverfish lay eggs singly or only a few at a time, but may deposit several batches over a period of weeks. Fire brats deposit about 50 eggs at one time, and again, may lay several batches. Eggs hatch in 2 weeks or longer and the rate of growth of the young depends on the temperature and humidity in the building. Silverfish and fire brats may reach maturity in 3 to 24 months. TOP of Page

Centipedes are related to millipedes and are also worm-like in form, but they differ in having flattened bodies and only one pair of legs on each body segment. They also possess a pair of poison claws or legs just behind the head which are used to paralyze their prey--usually insects or other small animals. Most centipedes are beneficial, but the large species found in the tropics, which may reach a length of up to 18 inches, can inflict painful bites. 

Life Cycle Millipede eggs are deposited in masses in the soil. Young millipedes have fewer segments than the adult, but they add segment at each molt of the outer shell, or exoskeleton. Molting occurs 7-10 times before maturity. Young millipedes mature the second year after hatching. Some species may live for several years. Similarly, centipedes molt several times, adding legs and body segments with each molt. 

Damage Millipedes feed on organic matter, including decayed plant material such as leaves and wood, and occasionally, living plant roots and rootlets, and developing fruit such as melons (especially cantaloupes) and cucumbers. Affected plants may wilt and die and melons may develop rots caused by bacteria or fungi which are introduced by millipede feeding. If millipedes are abundant in mulches and litter in landscape plantings around homes and other buildings, they often enter through cracks and crevices. Once inside, they usually die unless basements are very moist. Entry into structures is most common after heavy spring rains saturate the soil and drive millipedes to higher ground and in the fall, when they seek hibernation sites. Centipedes can be found outdoors, often under stones, boards or in wood piles. They also live under leaf litter and other organic matter. Occasionally these outdoor species invade homes and buildings where they are a nuisance, but are not destructive. 

Prevention and Control To prevent millipede problems, simply reduce mulch thickness, reduce watering schedules or pull mulch away from plants and allow them to dry, reducing millipede feeding and reproduction. To prevent millipedes from entering homes, be sure that screens are tight, that moisture-holding debris in window wells is eliminated, and that mulches around ornamental plantings are at least 6-8 inches away from the foundation. Homeowners who need to control centipedes should first get the pest identified to see if it is an invader from outdoors or an indoor species associated with an insect infestation. The continued presence of the house centipede, a long-legged, fast-moving species, may indicate a household insect problem, since these are their principal food. If centipedes are common indoors, look for insects such as cockroaches, attic flies, boxelder bugs, elm leaf beetles and others. Controlling these insects may be the key to eliminating the centipedes. Removing mulch adjacent to the foundation or occasionally allowing it to dry out should also reduce centipede and millipede activity. Indoors, these pests may be controlled with natural or synthetic insecticide aerosols such as pyrethrins, available under many brand names. TOP of Page