House Centipede

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What is a house centipede?

With their many legs, long antennae, and fast movements, house centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata) can be downright frightening to find in your home—especially during a nighttime bathroom trip. But, while they might look menacing, house centipedes are actually harmless. They can even help control other pest populations in your home.

It’s important not to confuse house centipedes with other, harmful centipedes. We’ll tell you how to identify the harmless kind, plus other key house centipede facts, including why they might be a sign of a bigger problem.

Get help with your Centipede problems by calling the Centipede control pros at Hawx Pest Control! Call (888) 372-9514 today.

What do house centipedes look like?

House centipedes have long, flat, and segmented bodies, with thin, whip-like antennae that are nearly as long as their bodies. In adult females, the final pair of legs is more than twice the length of the body. A house centipede’s size usually ranges between 3–4 inches, including the antennae. They are typically grayish-yellow to dirty yellow with three dark stripes running the length of the body.

Interestingly, over a house centipede’s lifespan, its number of legs will change several times. It starts with four pairs of legs and winds up with 15 pairs within 2–3 years. Spotting juveniles (with fewer than 15 pairs of legs) may indicate house centipedes are breeding indoors.

What are some house centipede behaviors?

House centipedes love moisture. They’re found throughout the U.S. but are especially common in humid climates like the Southeast and Pacific Northwest. Within the home, they gravitate toward places with a lot of moisture—bathrooms, basements, laundry rooms, under sinks and near plumbing fixtures, and inside potted plants.

Thanks to their many legs, house centipedes are remarkably fast, making them efficient hunters and difficult prey for other insects. Their speed and nocturnal nature can often take people by surprise—flipping on a light switch usually causes them to scurry for a hiding place.

The house centipede diet consists entirely of other small pests, such as cockroaches, silverfish, spiders, ants, earwigs, termites, and others. Their legs have small barbs that hold prey, while tiny venomous fangs on the front pair paralyze it.

A house centipede can live 5–7 years and is the only species of centipede capable of living its entire life indoors.

How do house centipedes enter homes?

House centipedes often enter homes in the spring, after coming out of their winter dormancy to go after prey. In the fall, they may also seek shelter as the temperatures drop. With their slim, flexible bodies, they can slip through openings as small as the width of a pencil, including:

Cracks in foundations and exterior walls
Gaps around utility lines and pipes
Spaces beneath doors and around window frames
Openings around worn-out weather stripping
Uncovered or damaged vents
Loose or damaged exterior siding

Once indoors, they seek out the cool, dark, humid areas to hide during the day.

Are house centipedes harmful to humans?

House centipedes are not considered dangerous to humans. While they can bite if feeling threatened, they’re much more likely to run away. With their weak jaws, a house centipede bite is unlikely to break the skin, and their venom is too weak to affect humans or pets.

Some centipede species are more dangerous, such as the giant desert centipede (Scolopendra heros). These centipedes are found in the Southwest and range from 6–8 inches long. If you believe this type of centipede is in your home, call a professional to remove it. For house centipedes, you have options.

Are house centipedes hard to get rid of?

Because house centipedes are harmless to humans and help control other pests, many people choose to ignore them or attempt to capture and release them outside. Many others simply don’t like them in their house and take steps to eliminate them.

The number one thing you can do is to control moisture in your home:

Fix all water leaks, including slow drips that create persistent moisture
Improve ventilation in bathrooms, basements, and crawl spaces
Use dehumidifiers in chronically damp areas (keep humidity below 45%)
Ensure proper drainage around the home’s foundation
Address condensation issues on cold water pipes

The next step is to seal entry points:

Seal cracks in foundations and exterior walls with caulk or concrete patching
Install door sweeps and weather stripping around exterior doors
Seal gaps around pipes, conduits, and utility lines
Cover or repair damaged vents
Address gaps in siding or trim

The bigger issue with house centipedes is their reason for being in your home: prey. If you frequently spot house centipedes, it’s probably because you have an infestation of some other pest, such as cockroaches, silverfish, bed bugs, carpet beetles, termites, or others. In that case, you should contact a professional pest control team like Hawx.

Hawx begins every service call with a thorough inspection to pinpoint the exact pest issue and where it’s coming from. Our licensed technicians identify entry points, moisture sources, and nesting sites around your home, then design a customized pest management plan. We create a protective barrier around your foundation and treat both interior and exterior zones—including cracks, crevices, and harborage areas—to stop pests at the source. Every plan includes sealing potential entry points, reducing pest-attracting conditions, and applying targeted treatments where needed. And with our ongoing service guarantee, if pests come back between scheduled visits, so will we—at no extra cost.