Are Centipedes In Frisco Dangerous?

There are many factors to consider when determining whether or not Frisco centipedes are dangerous. Some are straightforward. Others, well, not so much. Let's take a moment to discuss the dangers that centipedes in Frisco may present to you and your family.

House Centipedes

If the centipede you're curious about is a house centipede, then you have nothing to be concerned about. House centipedes, while extraordinarily creepy to look at, aren't harmful to people. Centipedes have the ability to bite, but they rarely do. If you were to get a bite from one of these creepy bugs, the result would be a small red bump on your skin.

Not only are house centipedes unlikely to bite you, but they will also eat many insects that can get into your home, including bed bugs, spiders, silverfish, and cockroaches. They are nice to have around as long as they stay outside where they belong.

The only way we can think of that a house centipede could be dangerous to you is if one startles you. It is not uncommon for these bugs to find their way into Frisco bathrooms because the humidity is an attractant. In a bathroom, they sometimes come out of unexpected locations, such as the jets of a jetted tub or underneath the lip of a walk-in shower door, and then crawl across the skin of unsuspecting individuals. If this happens to you, and centipedes freak you out a little bit, it could cause you to accidentally harm yourself while attempting to getaway.

Quick House Centipede Identification — The house centipede is tan in coloration and has black bands on the legs. It ranges in size from 1 to 1 ½ inch in length. Most often, it has 15 pairs of legs that bend at the tops and stretch out on both sides of the centipede. At first glance, this bug might look like something your cat coughed up.

Texas Redheaded Centipede

If the centipede you're curious about is this big boy, then the answer is yes. A redheaded centipede can definitely be dangerous. But it rarely is. A bite from a redheaded centipede will most often result in localized pain and an irritating wound. In rare cases, an allergic reaction can cause severe symptoms to develop, such as dizziness, nausea, headache, and necrosis. It is even possible to die from a centipede bite, though there is no real-world case we can confirm. So, while you should certainly be cautious with redheaded centipedes, you don't need to live in fear of them.

To help you with understanding the potential threat, we'll provide you with one reported case of a centipede bite. This is provided by poison control:

A 21-year-old man purchased a redhead centipede, Scolopendra heroes, as a pet. The centipede stung the man twice on the hand. Within the hour, the man experienced waves of intense pain in his hand and the punctures caused by the centipede at the site of the wound became swollen and red. He contacted poison control and was instructed to wash the hand with soap and water to reduce the risk of infection and to apply a cloth with ice to the wound for fifteen minutes at a time. He was also told that an over-the-counter analgesic, such as ibuprofen or acetaminophen, could be used to reduce the pain. Only minor effects were reported to have occurred

Quick Texas Redheaded Centipede Identification — These are big centipedes. They can grow to be 9 inches long. They have a mixture of colors, including black, red, orange, and yellow. The body is typically black and the head is typically red (as you might suspect). 

Pest and Centipede Control

If you have pest control for your Frisco yard, you'll have much less risk of running into a redheaded centipede and experiencing a dangerous encounter. A licensed pest control professional performs routine inspections of your yard as a part of your yearly pest control service. During these inspections, your technician will be looking for conducive conditions, harborage areas, and centipede activity. Your yard will also receive treatments and pest management that work to reduce the food sources and conditions that can lure Texas redheaded centipedes into your yard. 

A redheaded centipede problem can start with one centipede laying 15 to 60 eggs in your yard. If you see even one of these centipedes in your Frisco yard, it is a good idea to contact All-Safe Pest & Termite. We can evaluate your centipede issue and provide treatments and monitoring.

The Best Solution For Centipedes

If you're concerned about Texas redheaded centipedes coming into your yard, and house centipedes getting into your home, the best solution is to invest in a pest control plan. We can help you with that. Contact All-Safe Pest & Termite today to request a pest control inspection to get started. There is no better way to prevent unwanted encounters with centipedes in Frisco, Texas.