Can You Kill A Centipede With RAID?

There are thousands of species of centipede varieties in the world. Those found in the garden and homes are mainly the ones we should be more concerned about. Raid was created by S.C.Johnson & Sons back in the year 1956. They have wide range of products and are they work effectively in repelling and killing various kinds of pests.

So, can you kill centipede with RAID? The answer is yes, it’s possible to kill and repel centipedes with RAID. RAID has wide range of products and some of them works against centipedes. They are really effective and are trusted by people worldwide.

House Centipede Or Scutigera Coleoptrata

These centipedes are yellowish-grey in color and have up to fifteen pairs of legs. They are spread across the world and prefer human abode to live. Hence they are known as house centipede.

Brief Description

Usually, their length varies between one to one and a half-inch in length. They have three dark stripes running across their length. These stripes are found on their legs too. Their long delicate legs can travel at very high speed. They can walk up the walls and across the ceiling. They have antennas in front, and their hind legs look like tails. It’s difficult to ascertain their front with the rear.

Reproduction

These centipedes lay their eggs in spring. They lay between sixty to one hundred fifty eggs at a time. The male and female make contact with their antenna. The male leaves their sperm on the ground, which the females take up to fertilize her eggs.

The young hatched centipede has four pairs of legs, and more legs appear with each molting. They start breeding when they three years old, and adults live between three to seven years.

Food And Habitat

The house centipede feed on all types of household insects such as houseflies, wasps, spiders, bed bugs, termites, ants, and silverfish. They sting and inject venom into their prey with their forcipules. They come out at night to hunt. They use their legs to wrap around their prey and eat the organic matter with their mouth-parts.

They prefer to live in cold, damp places outside your homes. They live in crevices along the walls, near the garbage bins, under the cobblestones, and near the fountain. The heat during summer and the intense cold in winter, drive them inside homes, offices and other workspaces.

Inside homes, they prefer the damp basement corners, under the kitchen sink, and the below the loose washroom tiles.

Human Interaction

These house centipedes get typically found on lower floors. They do not attack anything significant, including humans. They cannot pierce the skin of man, and their sting is similar to bee bite, with a little swelling. They startle inmates with their appearance and darting across floors. They sting only to protect itself.

Garden Centipede Or Lithobius Forficatus

These centipedes reside in gardens and farms. They get seen when you are preparing your soil, digging up the ground, or relocating your flower pots. These multi-legged creatures love dark, moist spaces and feed on insects.

Appearance

They usually have fifteen body segments with equal pairs of legs. The younger adult has fewer pairs and develops more legs during each molting. They are brown or grey. They are slender, long, and flattened and grows up to two inches in length.

Habitat

Garden centipedes prefer to stay under debris, dead wood, stored gardening tools or flowerpots, and rocks. Only in extreme cases, they venture inside the house. They are happy about staying outdoors. These insects can regenerate their lost body parts like their legs.

Life-cycle

The females lay their fertilized eggs in the soil, which hatch into tiny centipedes. The adults live up to six years.

Feeding

The centipedes capture their prey with their hind legs and inject venom from their front claws. Their jaw part is weak, and hence they cannot bite humans. Their sting is harmless on us and might cause a little swelling and redness, which will subside in a day or two. They are vociferous insect eaters, and all the pests in your garden will be taken care of by them.

Why Does Centipede Enter Your Home?

Centipedes prefer damp and dark areas. They also thrive when they have a constant supply of food near their place of stay. They are found in your basement, near leaking pipes and taps, inside the washroom drainage pipes, under the kitchen sink, and below your bathing tub.

They thrive on household insects, which we consider as pests. If you find your washroom free of spiders and bugs, you can get assured of centipedes’ presence in the vicinity. Hence it is the availability of food which drives them indoors.

Are Centipedes Pests?

Centipedes prey on insects, which are pests to humans, either at home or in the garden. Since they are nocturnal creatures, they appear from nowhere when you switch on the light at night, especially near the kitchen sink or your washroom. They dash towards you to hide under the shadow created by your clothes. They do not intend to harm you.

However, when they multiply and pose a nuisance to the inmates, these helpful creatures turn into foes. This is when humans check for ways to get rid of them. There are innumerable ways to keep centipedes at bay. Using Raid insecticide is just one of them.

RAID

S.C.Johnson & Sons introduced a range of insecticide products under the brand name RAID in the year 1956. Some of the active ingredients of RAID are synthetic pyrethroid, allethrin, cyfluthrin, piperonyl butoxide, permethrin, tetramethrin, cypermethrin, imiprothrin, prallethrin, and D-phenothrin. These ingredients were so used, depending upon the targeted insects, that needed to get repelled.

The advertising agency Foote, Cone & Belding, created a tagline for this brand, “Raid Kills Bugs Dead.” The company has successfully used this in all their commercials over the years, quite successfully. Cartoon characters got created while making its commercials, and they have been dubbed in various languages and used across the world. In some countries, a parallel brand called Baygon got introduced by the same firm.

These days there are reports of illegal use of insecticide world over. RAID is safe for humans and their pets, provided they get used as per guidelines. Misuse of these by a human for addiction has lead to various impairment, including death.

RAID And Centipede

RAID has created a new brand identity under a trade name “Raid Defence System.” Depending upon the type of vermin you wish to repel or exterminate, you would get suggested the right kind of repellant. You can compare different products to find the best fit for your requirements. This is important if you have multiple pest infestations.

For the use of a centipede, RAID has suggested the use of “Raid Home Insect Killer 2”. The container states that this kills varieties of household insects on contact. This particular spray kills silverfish, flies, mosquitoes, fleas, flying moths, spiders, gnats, sowbugs, bedbugs, carpet beetle, ants, wasps, and centipedes.

How To Use

Shake the container thoroughly before use. To kill a centipede, you must direct the nozzle at the insect and spray directly over its body. Only if you spray directly from the close quarter, can you expect to immobilize the creature. In case you have multiple infestations, you have to repeat this process all over again.

Incase the centipedes are hidden in cracks and crevices, direct the nozzle nearer the opening and spray. Keep the room closed for ten to fifteen minutes, so that the fumes draw these creatures out of their hiding.

Ventilate the area soon after. Remove the dead centipedes, and the ones in the semi-drugged state can be picked up in bins and thrown outside inside your rubbish bins. If you wish to be sure to kill these centipedes too, spray directly on their body.

Ingredients

The active ingredients present in this Raid Home Insect Killer 2 spray are: Pyrethrins of 0.25% per volume and Piperonyl Butoxide of 1.01%.

You can use this indoor and outdoor too. Ensure that you can make contact with the spray with the centipedes.

Precautions

Kindly follow these steps while using Raid Home Insect Killer 2 insecticide:

• Keep the container stored away from your children and pets.
• In case you have fish bowls or aquarium, cover them when you spray inside these rooms.
• It’s preferable to keep your pets and children away from the treated areas since the sprayed remnants are still active. Ingestion of these chemicals will be harmful.
• Avoid inhalation of this spray. It’s prudent to cover your nose and mouth, while treatment is getting done.
• Read the product instruction on the label in detail, for any new information about the product, its use, and storage.

Conclusion

RAID has come up with specific insecticide to kill the centipede. Raid Home Insect Killer 2 must be sprayed directly on the centipede’s body to kill the insect. Keep the treated area closed for 10-15 minutes for the action of its ingredients to take effect. Keep away from the treated area during this period.

Ventilate the treated area immediately afterward and dispose of the dead centipedes. Clean the sprayed area with soap and water. Only when all traces of the chemical gets removed, allow your child and pet in this vicinity.

Store the insecticide safely after use so that your children and pet don’t have access to the same. Safeguard yourself with proper cover for your mouth and nose during this treatment. Clean your hand with soap and water, so that all traces of the chemical gets removed before you handle any other household chores.