The appearance of tiny, fast-moving, multi-legged creatures indoors is usually due to house centipedes. While their appearance can be unsettling, they are typically harmless to humans and property. Finding them in a dwelling indicates underlying environmental factors are attracting them from the outdoors. Understanding the specific conditions that draw these arthropods inside is the first step toward managing their presence.
Identifying the House Centipede
The creature commonly seen darting across floors and walls is the House Centipede, scientifically known as Scutigera coleoptrata. This arthropod has an elongated, yellowish-gray body, typically measuring about 1 to 1.4 inches in length as an adult. They have up to 15 pairs of long, delicate legs, which can make their total length, including the rear legs and antennae, appear much longer, up to 3 to 4 inches.
The House Centipede is characterized by its speed, capable of moving up to 1.3 feet per second across vertical and horizontal surfaces. Despite their startling appearance, they are predators that hunt other small arthropods in the home, such as silverfish, spiders, and cockroach nymphs. They use modified front legs called forcipules to inject venom into their prey, which is generally not dangerous to humans.
Environmental Factors Attracting Them
House centipedes are attracted indoors by two factors: moisture and a readily available food source. These arthropods lack the waxy coating found on many insects, meaning they lose water rapidly and must seek out high-humidity environments. Damp areas like basements, crawl spaces, laundry rooms, and bathrooms that lack proper ventilation are ideal habitats for them.
Excess moisture from leaky pipes, plumbing issues, or poor drainage around a home’s foundation creates the necessary damp conditions. The centipedes also seek out dark, sheltered spaces during the day, such as under clutter, in cement block walls, or in floor drains. These cool, dark, and damp locations mimic the logs, rocks, and leaf litter they inhabit outdoors.
The presence of House Centipedes suggests an existing issue with other household pests, as they are drawn to areas where their food is plentiful. They are carnivorous hunters whose diet includes spiders, silverfish, bed bugs, and small flies. If a home has an infestation of these insects, the centipedes will follow the prey indoors, effectively acting as a form of pest control. Their need for food and humidity often forces them inside, especially during periods of extreme weather, such as very dry conditions or cold temperatures.
Strategies for Removal and Prevention
Long-term management of house centipedes relies on controlling the environmental factors that attracted them indoors. Focus on moisture reduction by using dehumidifiers in damp areas like basements and crawl spaces to lower humidity. Fixing leaky plumbing, ensuring proper ventilation in bathrooms and kitchens, and maintaining clean gutters will also eliminate sources of excess water.
The next action involves reducing the centipedes’ food supply by addressing the underlying pest population. Regularly vacuuming and dusting can remove insects and insect eggs that serve as prey, making the environment less appealing to the centipedes. Sticky traps placed in dark, damp corners can help capture both the centipedes and the smaller insects they feed on, providing a non-chemical method of control.
To prevent entry, homeowners should inspect and seal all potential access points, which can be surprisingly small. Use caulk to seal cracks and crevices in the foundation, around utility penetrations, and near windows and doors. Removing clutter both indoors and outdoors eliminates the dark, sheltered hiding spots they prefer. Outside, this means keeping firewood, leaf litter, and mulch away from the home’s foundation.