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House centipede against a white background - Keep house centipedes out of your home with General Pest Control in Middleburg Heights

House Centipede

Actual Size: 1.5”

Characteristics: Grayish-yellow; three dark stripes on top of the body.

Legs: Up to 30

Antennae: No

Wings: No

Habitat: Drawn to moisture-rich areas; outside, they are found beneath stones and leaves. Inside, they are often in bathrooms, crawl spaces, and more.

Habits:

  • Have fifteen pairs of long, thin legs.
  • Will move quickly to darkened hiding places when disturbed. 
  • Attracted to moisture and found in damp closets and bathrooms.

House Centipedes in Cleveland

House centipedes are a common insect throughout the United States and are found indoors and outdoors. They have fifteen pairs of long, slender legs and are beneficial to homeowners to the extent that they keep pests like spiders and cockroaches under control. They may startle homeowners with their appearance, especially when found trapped in a bathroom sink, however, they are not considered harmful.

House Centipede Habitat

House centipedes prefer to be near moisture, so are usually found under boards, sticks, stones, leaf litter, and other organic matter. When they come indoors, they are most often noticed in damp closets, bathrooms, and moist cellars. When in these locations, they will feed on other insects, such as spiders. They will quickly move to a dark hiding place if they are disturbed. If many centipedes are noticed within a structure, there may be a moisture issue that is attracting the insects inside.

House Centipede Behaviors, Threats, or Dangers

House centipedes will poison and paralyze their prey with a pair of poison claws located behind their head. The insects they feed on include spiders, termites, bed bugs, cockroaches, ants, and silverfish. Centipedes have weak jaws, making it unlikely that they could penetrate human skin. If a bite occurred, it would be no worse than a bee sting and may result in some pain and swelling. They are primarily considered a nuisance pest foraging for food around or inside your home.

If you are dealing with house centipedes on your property, contact your local exterminators.