Centipedes are often a surprising sight on vertical surfaces. These multi-legged arthropods are capable climbers, using unique physical adaptations to navigate various terrains with agility. Their ability to ascend walls results from specific features providing necessary grip and maneuverability.
How Centipedes Climb
Centipedes possess specialized adaptations for climbing. Their numerous legs, ranging from 15 to over 100 pairs, have small hooks or sharp claws. These claws latch onto minute irregularities on surfaces. The longer legs contribute to stability and speed.
Their flexible, segmented bodies conform to irregular surfaces and tight spaces. This flexibility allows them to distribute weight evenly and maintain multiple contact points for stable vertical movement. While they can scale most vertical surfaces, including walls, ceilings, and furniture, climbing efficiency depends on texture; rougher materials offer better traction than smooth ones like glass.
Why and Where Centipedes Climb
Centipedes climb primarily for survival, seeking food, shelter, or to escape unfavorable conditions. As nocturnal predators, they hunt insects, spiders, and other small arthropods on walls and structures. Their indoor presence often indicates an infestation of other pests, which serve as their food source.
They also climb to find secure hiding spots and moist environments, as they are prone to drying out. Common indoor climbing locations include damp areas like basements, bathrooms, and crawl spaces, mimicking their preferred outdoor habitats. In colder or drier outdoor conditions, centipedes may move indoors seeking warmth and moisture, using pipes, drains, or foundation cracks as entry points.
Managing Centipedes Indoors
Managing centipedes indoors involves addressing attracting conditions, focusing on non-chemical strategies. Reducing moisture is a primary step; this can be achieved by repairing leaks, using dehumidifiers, and ensuring proper ventilation. Eliminating food sources by controlling other household pests like spiders, cockroaches, and silverfish makes the indoor environment less appealing.
Sealing entry points such as cracks in foundations, gaps around windows and doors, and openings around pipes prevents centipedes from entering. Removing clutter indoors and outdoors, including leaf piles and wood stacks near the foundation, reduces hiding spots. If a centipede is encountered, it can be safely removed by placing a cup over it and sliding paper underneath, then releasing it outdoors. They are generally harmless to humans and beneficial for pest control.