However, if hungry, females have been known to devour their young. It may take longer than three years for some eggs to mature into adult centipedes and once mature, adults may live for more than five years. This longevity makes them good display models in live insect zoos. Getting rid of centipedes can be very difficult. They breed under foundations and in moist leaf litter where it is not easy to reach them.
Adults can move up into buildings via small cracks in the foundation as they search for prey.
Once exposed inside a building they must quickly return to a humid habitat to avoid desiccation. Since their search image is probably moving prey, they are not likely to feed on baits. This means that setting out sticky traps is probably the best first line of defense. These traps will not only attract and capture centipedes but will strongly indicate population levels and potential routes of access. Experience shows that traps placed at floor level in moist areas do best.