Centipedes in kitchen sink

Rebel1 · 2013-07-17T13:16:39+00:00

My g/f finds a centipede in her kitchen's double-bowl stainless sink many mornings. Before going to bed, she plugs both drains with standard stoppers (so they can't be coming upwards from below the drains) and dries both bowls. She believes that if she leave the fluorescent ceiling light on all night, there won't be centipedes in the morning. Still need many more night to confirm that theory. She lives in an apartment whose floor is below outside soil grade by two or three feet. (The apartment still has full-size double-hung windows.) Just moved in two months ago, so she doesn't know if this is a long-term problem. I've made a casual inspection around the outside perimeter of her apartment. Nothing obvious (like cracks or wall penetrations or termite mud tubes) to my amateur eye. Inside, under the kitchen sink she doesn't see any activity. While the recent weather in central New Jersey has been humid, the real question is how do the bugs find their way into the sink? They are not falling from a hole in the ceiling above the sink. There is a double-hung window above the faucets, but it's always closed. When I was there last night, I didn't think to inspect for openings at the bottom of the window frame. Even though she knows they eat many harmful insects, she wants them OUT. Thanks for your suggestions. R1

Jul 17, 2013 Last reply: 5 years ago 49 Replies

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Robert Green 13 years ago

Vampires are killed by wooden stakes, werewolves require silver bullets.

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vk777888999 12 years ago

Yes!! I tested this theory and it is true. Drains are superhighway for bugs . Centipedes do drown in water but most drains have no water in them most o f the time especially at night. After each use close the drain of each sink and centipedes, spiders and roaches will be eradicated. Why? They will be under the stopper and when you turn on the water they drown. You will be bu g free without dangerous chemical but you must be diligent about keeping ev ery drain closed when not using them.

This also prevents sewer gasses from entering the house while you sleep. La st thing before bed time, close all drains, open windows for a few minutes to air out the room and ten sleep like a baby!!

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philoÃÂ 12 years ago

No...drains have U-traps

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The Daring Dufas 12 years ago

You must be careful around drains because U may become trapped. ^_^

TDD

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JF 11 years ago

I'm sure you've already taken care of this, but just in case someone is interested - I've seen centipedes come through the spigots of bathtubs. We lived in a house built in the 1880's, and it happened every time we ran the bathtub.

If the kitchen faucet doesn't have an aerator, then possibly they are coming through the faucet.

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makolber 11 years ago

You should demonstrate to your gf what a magnanomous being you are by resuing the creature. Simply urge it into the handy bug jar and deposit it safely outside.

Teach her to do this too.

If a lady bug lands on her thigh and she wants you to remove it, i would say thats a great excuse to put your hand on her thigh.

Mark

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Help 10 years ago

replying to Rebel1, Help wrote: Hi - did you solve this? Our son was washing his hands when a giant centipede crawled up the sink drain. It's a trough sink and there is no way it crawled in any other way. Bleach? Bug spray? Pest control? Thanks!

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Bill 9 years ago

replying to Rebel1, Bill wrote: Most people forget that their home sewer system usually has a "breather" pipe usually on the roof. It's that innocuous 12"-18" pipe just sticking up out of your roof somewhere.

I have found centipedes and spiders that have traveled down into the system entering there then finding their way up into the sinks, and tubs. Especially if the breather pipe is near trees. Also mostly in the fall when the weather starts getting colder.

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Burnshield133 5 years ago

They don't come up THROUGH the drain pipe, they crawl up from the cellar on the OUTSIDE of pipes. They end up in sinks because they fall into them as they're looking for moisture.

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