House Centipede

Natural Habitat

Damp, dark areas of homes such as basements, bathrooms, and crawl spaces; also found outdoors under logs and rocks.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous predator; eats household pests including cockroaches, silverfish, spiders, bed bugs, and termites.

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal and incredibly fast runners. They use their many legs to capture and pin down prey, and they use modified front legs (forcipules) to inject venom.

Risks & Benefits

Highly beneficial as natural pest control. They are generally harmless to humans; while they possess venom for hunting, their bites are rare and typically no more painful than a bee sting unless the person is allergic.

Identified on: 2/22/2026