House Centipede

Natural Habitat

Damp, dark areas like basements, bathrooms, and crawl spaces; originally from the Mediterranean but now widespread globally.

Diet & Feeding

Insectivorous predator that eats spiders, bed bugs, termites, cockroaches, silverfish, and moths.

Behavior Patterns

Active hunters that are nocturnal and capable of running at very high speeds (up to 1.3 feet per second). They use long antennae to sense prey and modified front legs called forcipules to inject venom.

Risks & Benefits

Generally beneficial because they eat indoor pests. They are not aggressive toward humans and their venom is weak; while they can bite in self-defense, it is rare and usually causes only minor localized swelling.

Identified on: 6/2/2026