House Centipede — Identification & Control
Scutigera coleoptrata
About the house centipede
House centipedes have a reputation that outpaces the actual risk they pose. With their pale yellow-grey bodies, dark longitudinal stripes, and 15 pairs of extraordinarily long, banded legs, they move in fast, erratic bursts that startle most people who encounter one darting across a bathroom floor or basement wall. They can technically bite, but their mouthparts are usually too weak to puncture human skin, and on the rare occasion one does, the venom causes at most mild, brief irritation similar to a bee sting.
What most people do not realize is that house centipedes are active predators, and the things they hunt — roaches, silverfish, spiders, and other small household pests — are usually more problematic than the centipede itself. A house centipede sighting is often a sign that one of those prey species has a foothold in the home, which is why we treat the underlying pest population rather than the centipede alone.
Quick ID
25–50 mm flattened yellow-grey body with 15 pairs of long banded legs.
In the Triangle
Common in Triangle basements, crawl spaces, and damp bathrooms.
Think you have house centipedes?
Free inspection from a licensed Castle Exterminators technician — Durham, Chapel Hill, Raleigh, Cary & the Triangle. We'll confirm the species and recommend a treatment plan.
Request Free Inspection (919) 606-8686
