House Centipede

Category:

Actual Size: 1.5”

Characteristics: Grayish-yellow with fifteen pairs of long, slender legs. Three dark stripes on the top of the body.

Legs: Up to 30

Antennae: No

Wings: No

Habitat: Prefers dark and damp environments. Usually found outdoors beneath stones or leaves, but may also invade places like crawl spaces or bathrooms.

Habits:

  • Can move up to 1.3 feet-per-second, which can be alarming to witness. 
  • Not considered harmful, despite their frightening appearance. 
  • Usually found in high-moisture areas like bathrooms or kitchens.

House Centipedes in Anaheim

Despite their scary appearance, house centipedes are not dangerous to people and can actually help keep other pests – like cockroaches and spiders – at bay. These critters are common all across the United States and are easily identified by their 15 pairs of long, slender legs.  While you can find house centipedes both inside and outside, stumbling upon one accidentally in your sink or bathtub can be a bit scary. When they’re outside, house centipedes are harmless, but they can be seen as pests when they share our living spaces.

House Centipede Habitat

House centipedes like moisture, so you’ll often find them outside under things like rocks or leaf piles. If they end up in homes, they tend to hang out in places like humid basements, damp closets, and bathrooms, where they hunt insects and spiders. When these centipedes feel bothered, they move extremely quickly and hide in dark spots. If you see a lot of them in your home, it could be a sign of too much moisture, which is usually a bigger problem than the centipedes.

House Centipede Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

House centipedes have a pair of venomous claws near their head, which they use to poison and immobilize their prey, typically small insects. While the centipede’s weak jaws can sometimes break the skin, it’s very difficult for them to do. If they do manage to pierce your skin, bites can cause swelling and pain that is similar to a bee sting. House centipedes are mostly just annoying pests, and when you see them in your yard, it’s often because they’re searching for food. That said, they can be quite unnerving to come across inside of your home.

Keep finding house centipedes inside of your home. Your local insect control experts can help make sure they stay outside.