# Looking for a surface material peds don't like to crawl on.



## Ron-of-Japan (May 27, 2010)

I wish to keep centipedes away from my house. I was thinking of a crushed oyster shell barrier around the perimeter of my house.  Or, possibly crushed coral. I realize many on this board love these creatures and I respect you for it but I am merely trying to keep them away from my home without the use of insecticides. 

I would think that crushed coral or crushed oyster shells would have sharp edges and would be so hard to walk or crawl on that they would give up trying.

Can anyone suggest whether or not this would work? Or, if there is some other material that would work better? I know there is diatomaceous earth but I would think that would eventually get blow away and can be harmful to breathe.


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## Draiman (May 27, 2010)

You could also catch them and send them to me. :}

Crushed coral will definitely _not_ work though.


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## Ron-of-Japan (May 27, 2010)

How do you know crushed coral will not work, did you try it? How about crushed oyster shells? Someone told me that insects hate volcanic lava and that it is like walking on razor blades.


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## fluffyleopard (May 27, 2010)

*Well...*

The reason why those won't work is because the pedes would probably just burrow under the coral and shells if they feel they could not walk over it. Also, you would have to make a perfctly complete circle of shells around your house, one with no tiny holes or spaces. Also, it would have to be over 8 inches wide, because some pedes grow to extreme length and could just hover over a thin line easily. 

Basically if you want to keep pedes out of your home, make it so their prey species stay out. Centipedes like to eat other insects that invade homes, therefore, keep other bugs out and your chances of pedes in the home are smaller. Also, try to prevent any entrances by the pedes by sealing up the house. I wouldn't worry about centipedes in your home, unless you have a problem already. If all else fails, have your house spraid every year inside and outside the walls. My family does it, and we have very few problems with any bugs. 

Hope some of that helps.


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## Ron-of-Japan (May 27, 2010)

How about diatomaceous earth?

By the way, I have no other insects that get in, except stuff that flies in when the door is open.


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## fluffyleopard (May 27, 2010)

I just read up on the diatomaceous earth and it seems like a good alternative. You could give that a try. It says it kills them by water loss or increase in internal water pressure. I learn new things every day!


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## cacoseraph (Jun 2, 2010)

slick tiles, 12"x12".  i don't know how you can grout them together though... a big grout line or wide joints between tiles would ruin their effect.

pedes' feet are basically needles.  they can't walk on slick stuff very well. my experience has been they generally don't want all their legs to be on a slick surface... so they should get most of their body/legs onto the tile and then turn around.


the coral and oyster shells almost certainly will not work in any appreciable sense.  my bet is that the centipede has too strong of armor on the legs and does not weigh enough to build up enough pressure to get cut at all


dia. earth takes a long time to kill stuff and probably will not repel the centipedes.


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## Ron-of-Japan (Jun 3, 2010)

Sounds like a good idea.  I knew that they do not climb on glass and was kind of thinking along the lines of what you suggested.  One way might be to apply tiles to my foundation.  That way they would not only be slick but vertical which I would assume makes them harder to climb.

But getting back to my original idea, I would think crushed oyster shells would be too much of an obstical course for them to walk (crawl?) in.  Someone told me insects can't stand lava.  Anyone have any ideas about that?


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## Ron-of-Japan (Jun 3, 2010)

One more thing I was wondering was, can a ped burrow deep enough to go under your foundation and then crawl into your house? If so, do they actually do stuff like that?


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## super-pede (Jun 3, 2010)

OK,hear me out on this guy's.

so I rub vicks petroleum jellyh on the rim of (and inside) as a roach barrier.I recently considered the OP's problem and tried it on one of my centipeedes.
what I did was make a ring about 5 inches wide and 3 feet across and put the pede in the center of the ring.whenever it went toward the jelly it would instantly run the other way.consider it.

*S-P*


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## Crysta (Jun 3, 2010)

The oystershells won't work, pedes are really good at climbing stuff with little foot holes, and will only serve to their fuel as they move forward. 

Oysters do not have the power to slice in this situation because there is no pressure behind them. they are just laying there, useless.

Lava? Maybe a mote pit of lava around your house boiling at all times. lol. Maybe you mean ash? For the lava rock, I've seen various insects hide under it in mexico. 

Depends is your foundation 3 inches? 1 f?? 8f? Actually I am not sure how deep centipedes burrow....


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## Ron-of-Japan (Jun 4, 2010)

super-pede,

Was that Vicks VapoRub you used?  How thick did you lay it on? Not sure how long it would last rubbed into my foundation outdoors.  You think it's the menthol that gets em?

CentipedeFreak, I guess the foundation is 1 foot underground.


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## super-pede (Jun 4, 2010)

Ron-of-Japan said:


> super-pede,
> 
> Was that Vicks VapoRub you used?  How thick did you lay it on? Not sure how long it would last rubbed into my foundation outdoors.  You think it's the menthol that gets them?


yes in fact it was.I laid it out so that each line was 5 inches wide.I'm pretty sure that it was the menthol that deterred them.I would put some at the base of doors and window sills or any other place that they might be getting into the house.


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## Galapoheros (Jun 4, 2010)

I don't think oyster shells will work, like caco said, they have needle feet, hard to match a razor with a needle, the needle foot won't get hurt because it is very unlikely the needle foot will meet the razor edge.  Tiles would work but the grout is the prob like was said.  You need a long smooth surface, something that is smooth all the way around the base of your house, something similar to wrapping plastic wrap at the base of your house.  I can't think of what that might be.  Let me drink another beer and see if I can think of something lol.


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## Ron-of-Japan (Jun 4, 2010)

You people on this board are really wonderful to love such creatures. I have to take my hat off to you. 

The Vicks idea is a good one.  Only think wrong is that I suspect I would have to keep applying it for it to be effective. 

As to the idea of wrapping something around the house, do let me know if you come up with any ideas. That would probably be a more permanent fix.


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## Ron-of-Japan (Jun 4, 2010)

Oh, one other thing. Does anyone know how these ideas would work with other insects?  Spiders? 

super-pede, if you happen to have any spiders, could you try putting one in your Ring of Vicks?

I guess spiders can walk on shinny stuff.


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## super-pede (Jun 4, 2010)

Ron-of-Japan said:


> Oh, one other thing. Does anyone know how these ideas would work with other insects?  Spiders?
> 
> super-pede, if you happen to have any spiders, could you try putting one in your Ring of Vicks?
> 
> I guess spiders can walk on shinny stuff.


Sure, I'll try tomorrow and see how it works.


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## Ron-of-Japan (Jun 13, 2010)

I would like to make some tests of my own to try and discover what centipedes shy away from. I will need to catch a few of these critters and keep them alive long enough to make some tests. 

Honestly, I am rather squeamish of stuff that crawls and woud rather not have to feed them insects.  I realize that is what they like to eat but can anyone suggest something a little less creepy for me to feed them? Leaves? What about water? Is it enough just to keep the soil moist?

What should I keep them in?  A fish bowl or tank?  Here in Japan they have plastic boxes to put insects in. I want something they cannot crawl out of.


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## super-pede (Jun 13, 2010)

Ron-of-Japan said:


> I would like to make some tests of my own to try and discover what centipedes shy away from. I will need to catch a few of these critters and keep them alive long enough to make some tests.
> 
> Honestly, I am rather squeamish of stuff that crawls and woud rather not have to feed them insects.  I realize that is what they like to eat but can anyone suggest something a little less creepy for me to feed them? Leaves? What about water? Is it enough just to keep the soil moist?
> 
> What should I keep them in?  A fish bowl or tank?  Here in Japan they have plastic boxes to put insects in. I want something they cannot crawl out of.


put the centipedes in a container that is tall enough so that they can't reach the top but wide enough for them to strech out.try a 2-3 gallon wide mouth jar.if you keep the soil moist they can live around 2-3 months without food.try one of thesehttp://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://cn1.kaboodle.com/hi/img/c/0/0/85/3/AAAADNHpyBsAAAAAAIU3bg.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.kaboodle.com/reviews/anchor-hocking-montana-1-1-2-gallon-jar-red-metal-lid-4&usg=__qZtCi9P1Z2BlVoBxCbA-PZ0QMGw=&h=280&w=280&sz=9&hl=en&start=38&sig2=fwSNeLggYsBdcOYaMlJ1bQ&um=1&itbs=1&tbnid=wzszDvlVwkjKKM:&tbnh=114&tbnw=114&prev=/images%3Fq%3D3%2Bgallon%2Bjar%26start%3D36%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1G1GGLQ_ENUS366%26ndsp%3D18%26tbs%3Disch:1&ei=LZ4VTP3rDIO8NtDI2asL


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## Crysta (Jun 13, 2010)

Ron-of-Japan said:


> I would like to make some tests of my own to try and discover what centipedes shy away from. I will need to catch a few of these critters and keep them alive long enough to make some tests.
> 
> Honestly, I am rather squeamish of stuff that crawls and woud rather not have to feed them insects.  I realize that is what they like to eat but can anyone suggest something a little less creepy for me to feed them? Leaves? What about water? Is it enough just to keep the soil moist?
> 
> What should I keep them in?  A fish bowl or tank?  Here in Japan they have plastic boxes to put insects in. I want something they cannot crawl out of.


Get a cat, they like to eat things like that.
but...my personal opinion, just squish them they don't need to be put through that. The only way you're going to get bit finding them in your house is if you aren't vigilant. Don't sit on them. I am sure you have worse biting stuff then centipedes in Japan, so they shouldn't be your only worry. 
Oh dear I sound like a lil old lady. 

On the other note if you are willing to feed them insects and keep them properly, and try to get used to them, and actually start to like them, go for it.


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## Nepenthe56 (Jul 25, 2011)

Make your yard inhospitable to them (i.e. dry), they tend to dry out easily.  Keep the area dry and don't give them anything to hide under.  It'll reduce the likelihood of them wandering towards your house.  Also, you could by those electrically heated tiles and put them around your house as hot as they'll go (which is pretty hot), but that might get expensive...


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