House Centipede

Natural Habitat

Damp, dark areas such as basements, bathrooms, crawl spaces, and under mulch or stones outdoors.

Diet & Feeding

Carnivorous; it hunts and eats other arthropods including roaches, silverfish, spiders, bed bugs, and termites.

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal and extremely fast runners. They use specialized front legs as venom-injecting fangs to paralyze prey. Females can live for several years and lay eggs in soil.

Risks & Benefits

Benefits include natural pest control in the home. Risks are minimal; while they can bite if handled roughly, their venom is generally weak and equivalent to a mild bee sting for most humans.

Identified on: 3/31/2026