Centipede Bite

Avoid Centipede Bites!

 
There are no sure methods to completely avoid centipedes in Hawaii. Centipedes love our humid weather and are found on every Hawaiian island. There are, however, a few common sense things we can do to avoid centipede bites.
First and foremost, do not provoke a centipede! Generally, a centipede will try to run away from us, but it will bite when threatened or feels danger. So, don’t go poking or prodding or playing around with a centipede for no good reason.

Second, and this one is going to be hard: Don’t walk around barefoot. Being barefoot in Hawaii is likely part of our culture. Many of us spent our childhoods walking and running around barefoot in grass, sand, pavement, and rocks. If going barefoot cannot be avoided, just watch out for what’s on the ground.

Accidental bites may occur when centipedes get into the home. So, a good preventive measure of accidental centipede bites is to pest-proof the home. Pest proofing includes ensuring windows and doors have no cracks or holes that provide entry points for all kinds of pests. Pest proofing also includes preventing moisture in the home. Centipedes need moisture, so they are found a lot in bathrooms and kitchens. Prevent moisture in the home by fixing water leaks and keeping clutter to a minimum (clutter retains moisture too). Another reason centipedes go into a home is for food. So, if you have an abundance of other indoor pests (e.g., roaches, bed bugs, flies, spiders, etc.) a centipede may be looking for the food source. Eliminate the centipede’s food source and they will have no reason for going indoors.

When a centipede bite is unavoidable, just know that the venom is generally never fatal. The sting may last a little while, and some swelling and redness may occur. Others may need to seek medical attention if some sort of allergic or sensitive reaction has occurred.