House Centipede

📐 FIELD GUIDE ILLUSTRATION

Odorous House Ant (Tapinoma sessile) identification illustration with labeled anatomical features — PestControlBasics.com

Original illustration by PestControlBasics.com. Use anatomical labels above to confirm your identification.

📐 FIELD GUIDE ILLUSTRATION

House Fly (Musca domestica) identification illustration with labeled anatomical features — PestControlBasics.com

Original illustration by PestControlBasics.com. Use anatomical labels above to confirm your identification.

📐 FIELD GUIDE ILLUSTRATION

House centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) identification illustration with labeled anatomical features — PestControlBasics.com

Original illustration by PestControlBasics.com. Use anatomical labels above to confirm your identification.

🔬

PestControlBasics Editorial Team

Reviewed by Derek Giordano · Updated 2026

🔍 Identification

Adults: 25-35mm body; 15 pairs of very long legs; striped yellow-grey; enormous compound eyes; moves extremely fast. Cannot damage structures, food, or clothing. Found in bathrooms, basements, and damp areas where prey concentrates. Long antenna-like rear legs can be mistaken for extra body segments.

🧬 Biology & Behavior

House centipedes are predators — they hunt and kill cockroaches, silverfish, carpet beetles, flies, and spiders. They appear in bathrooms not for moisture directly but because their prey concentrates there. They cannot bite humans in practical circumstances (tiny mouthparts can't pierce skin except in rare deliberate handling). A house centipede is evidence of a healthy predator-prey relationship inside the structure — and often indicates other insects are present as prey.

⚠️ Damage & Health Risk

Zero structural damage. Psychological distress from appearance and speed. Rarely: a minor pinch if deliberately handled roughly.

🔧 DIY Treatment

If population is large: address the moisture and prey that sustains them (dehumidifier, address cockroach or silverfish activity). Bifenthrin perimeter spray reduces prey availability. Sticky traps confirm what prey is present.

👷 When to Call a Pro

Never warranted specifically for centipedes.

❓ FAQ

Can a house centipede bite me?

House centipede bites on humans are extremely rare and require the centipede to be directly handled or trapped against skin. The bite is minor — less than a bee sting — and resolves quickly. In normal household encounters, they flee at high speed and have no interest in biting people.

Why do I suddenly have house centipedes?

House centipede populations reflect the prey population. A sudden increase usually means their prey (cockroaches, silverfish, carpet beetles) has increased. Addressing the prey population eliminates the food source that sustains centipedes.

Factor	Details
U.S. Range	All or most U.S. states
Regional Detail	Distribution varies — consult your local extension service for regional prevalence data.

Factor

Details

U.S. Range

All or most U.S. states

Regional Detail

Distribution varies — consult your local extension service for regional prevalence data.

📅 Treatment Timing Guide

Treating at the right time dramatically improves results. Pest control timed to the life cycle uses less product and achieves better long-term control.

Period	Action
Spring	Inspection and perimeter treatment before pest season starts.
Summer	Active monitoring and targeted treatments as needed.
Fall	Preventive treatment before overwintering pests seek entry.

Period

Action

Spring

Inspection and perimeter treatment before pest season starts.

Summer

Active monitoring and targeted treatments as needed.

Fall

Preventive treatment before overwintering pests seek entry.

💰 Professional Treatment Costs

Service Type	DIY Cost	Professional Cost
Initial inspection	Free (self-inspect)	$75–$150 (often credited to treatment)
One-time treatment	$30–$100 in materials	$150–$500
Annual service contract	N/A	$400–$900/year
Severe infestation	Often ineffective alone	$500–$2,500+

Service Type

DIY Cost

Professional Cost

Initial inspection

Free (self-inspect)

$75–$150 (often credited to treatment)

One-time treatment

$30–$100 in materials

$150–$500

Annual service contract

N/A

$400–$900/year

Severe infestation

Often ineffective alone

$500–$2,500+

Prices vary by region, property size, and infestation severity.

❓ Common Questions About 🐛 House Centipede

How do I confirm I actually have this pest (not something similar)?

The most reliable confirmation is a physical specimen — capture one and compare to reference images on this page. For cryptic pests (bed bugs, termites), look for secondary signs: frass, shed skins, mud tubes, or bites with a specific pattern. When uncertain, a professional inspection is faster than months of misidentification.

Can I treat this myself or do I need a professional?

DIY is effective for small, accessible infestations caught early. Professionals are worth the cost when: the infestation is inside wall voids or structural elements, multiple rooms are affected, you have health-risk pests (hantavirus, venomous species), or DIY has already failed twice.

How long until the infestation is completely gone?

Expect 3–8 weeks for most infestations with proper treatment. Insects with dormant life stages (pupae, eggs) extend the timeline because those stages are impervious to most insecticides. Follow-up treatments at 2 and 4 weeks catch each new cohort as they emerge.

What's the most common mistake people make treating this pest?

Treating only the visible pest population while ignoring the harborage site, entry point, or breeding location. Killing adults provides temporary relief but the population rebuilds from hidden egg cases, pupae, or new arrivals through unaddressed entry points.

🐛 House Centipede

🔍 Identification

🧬 Biology & Behavior

⚠️ Damage & Health Risk

🔧 DIY Treatment

👷 When to Call a Pro

❓ FAQ

🗺️ Geographic Range & Distribution

📅 Treatment Timing Guide

💰 Professional Treatment Costs

❓ Common Questions About 🐛 House Centipede

📚 More on This Topic

🗺️ US Distribution — House Centipede