Desert Dwellers
The Desert Southwest is full of many scary looking creatures. Some which do pack a sting, but for the most part these creatures live outside and are occasional intruders into your home.
The Solifugae is quite common here in New Mexico. It is also known as a camel spider, wind scorpion, sun spider or solifuges. Despite all the spider tags to its nicknames, it is not a spider at all. They live in burrows the desert and the xeriscapes surrounding our homes. They do not infest homes, but they will pay you a visit if they can find a gap in a threshold. They tend to come alive at night. They are not venomous, but they can bite.
There are many varieties of Scorpions in the Desert Southwest. They are most active at night and like warm dry climates. They are predators and feed a wide variety of food including small rodents, snakes, and other insects. Scorpions are good climber so the first line of defense is to seal up access points in your home and maintain your home with regular pest control. The best practice here in New Mexico is to wear shoes after dark, especially around swimming pools and lakes. Always shake out shoes, clothing, wet swim towels and bedding that have been left on the ground.
Centipedes are common here in New Mexico and are not a threat to humans or pets. Centipedes can move quickly and it can be quite disconcerting to find one inside your home. They can bite, and care should be taken if children are present. Centipedes are also a natural pest control as they can keep other insects populations down.