This Fall Spice May Be The Secret To Keeping Centipedes At Bay

While there may be worse insects that can be found in the home, a centipede can give you goosebumps as it often takes you by surprise when it slithers past you. It can also be a bit difficult to catch because, even though it can be long and look large, it's surprisingly fast. Luckily, to keep centipedes away from your home, all you need is a little cinnamon.

Centipedes, whose name roughly translates to "hundred feet," got their name because they have hundreds of legs that enable them to run so fast. They range in length from an inch to a foot, and their creepy-crawly legs aren't the only thing that can be scary. Centipedes can bite. They have clawlike forelegs that are filled with venom that can irritate when they sink into your skin.

Centipedes don't bite often and usually only when threatened. Their bites also don't typically cause much pain and go away on their own, unless you have an allergy to them. Although centipede bites are rare, when you see a centipede in your home, you want to get rid of it and prevent any more from coming in.

Simply grab some ground cinnamon from your kitchen cabinet and sprinkle it in key areas around your home. You will want to leave it in places where centipedes can easily enter, including near windows, by front and back doors, and on patios and porches. The gaps under doors and all around doorways are the most common ways centipedes enter homes. However, they can also slink in through any cracks or holes.

Another trick is to set down a small bowl of cotton balls that are soaked with cinnamon oil. Place them near doorways and entryways to release the pungent scent. Make sure they are kept in corners or other areas that are out of the way of people in order to avoid tripping.

However, be careful if you have pets since ingesting even a little cinnamon oil can cause health problems for dogs, as per PetMD. Likewise, cinnamon oil can cause irritation to sensitive skin, especially in babies, so practice caution if you have small children.

An additional, indirect way cinnamon repels centipedes is that the spice wards off all sorts of other insects. Many common pests don't stand a chance against cinnamon. Since insects don't like the strong smell that cinnamon gives off, they will avoid it. Consequently, when set in the proper places, you may also prevent them from entering your house. Since centipedes feed on insects, when you curb insect activity in and around your home, you indirectly repel centipedes, too.

There are also other natural ways to repel centipedes from your home. First, do your best to eliminate moisture since centipedes are attracted to moist environments. Fix any leaky pipes, gutters, or drains. Use fans or dehumidifiers to dry out the air and remove excess moisture from your home. Then seal up entry points around doors in cracks with caulk, weather stripping, or expanding foam sealant. Also, try to keep all insects away from your home by not leaving out food, crumbs, garbage, or clutter. Removing food sources for insects will also help to keep centipedes away. Keep pet food in airtight containers and store food in sealed containers or on shelves off the floor.