Hey, now, I just repotted the new Passing Storm begonia I received yesterday. One centipede ran out of the plant yesterday, and when I repotted it just now, there were 3 more (live) in the soil. YUCK! I hate them...so they are smushed and gone to bug heaven. My question is...do they eat plant roots or what? I notice the leaves all have little holes in them. What are they doing in there? Will there be more...did they lay eggs? Should I throw the plant away? I thought they were carnivores...is my dog in danger?(LOL). HELP!!! ChuLin
centipedes in new begonia
No they won't hurt your dog or your plant. They may multiply. They are just looking for a cool moist place to stay. I wouldn't throw the plant away either.
You can either ignore them,
or unpot the plant and spray all the soil off the roots and try potting again,
or treat with some kind of insecticide (Neem oil, insecticidal soap, or a systemic such as Bayer's Tree and Shrub Care although some folks don't recommend this - just be careful with most insecticides on mixing and applying).