Yes, Kentucky has scorpions. How to get them (and other critters) out of your home
It’s springtime in Kentucky, which brings warmer temperatures, blooming flowers and pesky bugs out of their hiding places and in search of food, water and a mate.
If you’re unlucky, they might choose your home as the ideal location to find all three, and you could soon have an infestation on your hands. An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, but there are ways to deal with many of these little bugs in a pinch.
Here’s what to know about several of them, including centipedes, silverfish, scorpions and others.
How to get rid of centipedes in your home
It’s likely happened to you more than once. You roll out of bed, stumble into your bathroom and flip on the light…only to find one of these “hundred-leggers” hanging out in your shower waving hello.
Your first instinct is to go looking for a strong-heeled shoe to crush it, since you’ve probably heard they are venomous, but you may want to hold back on wielding that sneaker like a hammer.
It is true long-legged centipedes are venomous, but you really don’t have to worry about their bites unless you’re one of the small arthropods they prey on, like spiders, cockroaches, silverfish and carpet beetle larvae, among others. The centipede’s fangs are too small to break human skin or harm larger animals, like cats or dogs.
According to pest control company Orkin, while house centipedes don’t pose much of a risk themselves, they can be an indicator of other pest problems in your home.
University of Kentucky entomologists recommend sealing pest entry points into your home, vacuuming or sweeping them up and removing wet debris that might be around the foundation of your home, like grass clippings, stones, boards and mulch.
How to get rid of millipedes in your home
Unlike centipedes, millipedes don’t have venomous stingers or fangs.
That said, some varieties secrete a foul-smelling, cyanide-like substance through their pores when they feel threatened. You’ll likely want to keep that off your skin if you encounter one. Though they can live up to 11 years in their natural habitat, in your home, millipedes will soon curl into a ball and die of thirst without you having to do anything.
If you are dealing with an infestation, however, get rid of them in a similar way to centipedes. Be sure to weather-strip any possible entry points, sweep away any dead carcasses and call an exterminator if necessary.
How to get rid of pseudoscorpions in your home
If you’ve ever seen one of these, they resemble a scorpion that didn’t get around to growing a stinging tail.
Entomologists describe them as small, usually less than 3/16 of an inch long, and they have flattened, oval-shaped bodies with large, scorpion-like claws on each front leg. They lack stingers, preferring instead to rapidly run sideways or even backwards away from danger.
They’re considered harmless and are solitary creatures, so they’re typically found alone. Still, like the centipedes, their presence may indicate other pest problems with small insects and mites, which they catch with their claws.
Usually, you’ll only find one, which you can sweep up and toss outside. If there are several, you probably have an infestation of their prey: booklice and springtails. If you do, deal with that, then use dehumidifiers in the infested area to make your home less appealing to pseudoscorpions and their prey.
How to get rid of silverfish in your home
These tiny, silver-backed insects are only about a quarter to a half inch long, but they have a big appetite for carbs.
They love to lay low during the day and chow down at night on pantry foods, paper, book bindings, wallpaper, cereals and starched fabrics like silk, rayon, leather and fur.
Silverfish are harmless to humans and larger animals, and they can’t really do much damage on their own. However, a sighting could indicate a larger infestation in the hot and humid areas of your home. Poorly ventilated attics and leaky roofs are havens for them.
If you spot one, you might want to inspect those areas of your home and place sticky traps at access points. That should help you monitor their population and focus your containment efforts, according to UK entomologists.
How to get rid of scorpions in your home
You might be surprised to learn Kentucky does have scorpions, given they’re often thought of as desert dwellers.
According to the University of Kentucky’s Entomology Department, you’re most likely to see them in April until June, though they can remain active in the fall.
The southern devil scorpion, scientific name Vejovis carolinianus, is found in several southeastern states, including Kentucky. UK entomologists report specimens have been found in Adair, Barren, Bullitt, Casey, Estill, Hardin, Madison, Marion, Metcalf, Monroe, Pulaski, Wayne and Fayette counties.
You may find them around your home in the spring and summer months if you have dense ground covers like leaf litter, mulch, tall grasses, wood piles or general clutter. These areas offer ideal shelter for scorpions and their favored prey: crickets, spiders, caterpillars and centipedes.
In the wild, you can find them on rocky hillsides, but closer to home, they may be living in your crawl space, brick pile or your firewood stockpile.
Kentucky scorpions aren’t particularly dangerous, though you should avoid handling them with bare hands or stepping on them, as their stings can trigger pain followed by numbness.
In the summer, entomologists recommend shaking out your shoes and clothing before you put them on. They can’t climb smooth glass, so you may want to stand your table and crib legs in glass jars, and if you do happen to come into contact with one — sweep, don’t swat.
Sticky boards placed under furniture and along wall edges are a viable, non-toxic way for dealing with them, but UK’s Entomology Department recommends considering a longer-term solution, namely, pest-proofing the exterior of your home with an insecticide.
Do you have a question about insects in Kentucky for our service journalism team? We’d like to hear from you. Fill out our Know Your Kentucky form or email ask@herald-leader.com.
