They are usually discovered when digging up the earth: the centipedes. In the garden, they feed on dead plant remains and are therefore useful soil dwellers. If you have placed indoor plants on the terrace over the summer months, the nimble little animals can also settle in the flower pot.

Centipedes actually have 100+ feet

What are centipedes?

These are about 4 cm long, thin reptiles that attract attention with their large number of legs (up to 190 pieces). There are about 50 species of the nimble predators in Germany. They eat soft-skinned animals, which they kill with the venom from the first pair of legs, and plant remains. Centipedes live in soft, moist soil and rarely get into the soil of houseplants.

Centipede as an uninvited guest in a flower pot

Many indoor plants are grateful if they are allowed to stand on the balcony or terrace during the warm summer months. However, it can then happen that various pests settle unnoticed in the potting soil, including centipedes.
As soon as the nimble reptile is sighted, countermeasures must be taken. Although centipedes are useful little creatures in the garden (they eat old plant debris), indoors they eat and harm indoor plants.

Measures against centipedes in the flower pot

Various measures are more or less successful:

Flood the flower pot in the bathtub

  • Advantage: centipedes come out of their hiding places and can be collected
  • Disadvantage: not every houseplant tolerates such a bath

Bug spray from the discount store

  • Advantage: pests are killed
  • Disadvantage: The potting soil and the entire environment is poisoned in the short term. That can cause allergies in humans

cause the poison in the soil also kills all useful animals.

Set up sticky traps between the flower pots

  • Advantage: a scent reliably attracts the animals, they stick and die
  • Disadvantage: large specimens escape from the traps

Use of natural biocides, such as kieselguhr (powdered shells of fossil diatoms)

  • Advantage: no harmful effects for humans and animals, the consistency of the powder kills the centipedes

Prevent centipedes

Centipedes don't like drought. So keep the potting soil of your indoor plants relatively dry and only water when the top layer of soil has dried out. If the humidity in the room is too high, a dehumidifier can help.
Small packets of silica on the window sill draw any moisture out of the environment.

Category:

Garden design