House Centipede

Natural Habitat

Damp, cool areas like basements, bathrooms, and crawl spaces, as well as outdoors in leaf litter and under rocks.

Diet & Feeding

Insectivorous. They hunt other household pests like spiders, bed bugs, termites, cockroaches, silverfish, and moths.

Behavior Patterns

Nocturnal hunters known for extreme speed and agility. They possess 15 pairs of long, thin legs and use modified front legs (forcipules) to inject venom into prey. They can live up to 3 to 7 years.

Risks & Benefits

Generally beneficial as they act as natural pest control by eating harmful insects. They rarely bite humans unless handled, and while their bite can cause mild swelling similar to a bee sting, they are not considered dangerous.

Identified on: 3/31/2026