HELP! - House Centipedes!!

[J's Mama]

Ugh!  We just moved into a new 2nd floor apt. and are grossed out by the number of house centipeded we've seen so far!!!  One actually fell on my DH's face during the night!!!!  So, what we want to know is if there is any natural repellent to keep them out of the apt.?  It's not any damper than any other apt. I've lived in so I don't think that's what's attracting them.  Please help!!

[Eunoia]

I don't know how to get rid of them, but the last apartment I was in, I was trying to figure out how to get them, because apparently they EAT COCKROACHES!!!!

[APToddlerMama]

I have used boric acid in the past with great success.  I am *not* 100% sure of its safety.  I know it is a lot safer than the typical insecticides, but I would want to research it in great detail before using it in a house with kids.  Also, you would have to put it only places where they wouldn't get at it.  When we did it, we cut a small hole in the tip of the bottle and then put a string of it around the edges of each room.  I wouldn't do that with kids, but you could maybe put it places they wouldn't be like behind the bed, dresser, etc and it would probably cut down on them a lot. 

[dejagerw]

Maybe get a cat?

[jokcoen]

Borax is actually relatively safe, but I am not sure about its effects on house centipedes. However, do try some cockroach baits, such as the cup idea, to see if they can be attracted by sweets and if borax will indeed work. They sell centipede sticky pads and traps at most home improvement stores if it is that serious of a problem. Otherwise, they shouldn't be a serious pest control problem if it is just a few here and there.

[cat13]

I second the sticky trap idea. We use that for cockroaches and it works amazingly.... just don't look inside the box when you replace it, yuck!

[sere234]

Diatomaceous earth!!!! Worked for us