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How to identify it
- Body length varies by source: Penn State gives 1 to 1 1/2 inches, Kentucky about 1 inch and Ohio State about an inch to two inches. The color is dirty yellow, yellowish-gray or grayish brown, with three dark stripes down the back.[1][2][4]
- Adults have 15 pairs of long, banded legs; with legs and antennae the centipede looks 3 to 4 inches long.[1][4]
- The last pair of legs is the longest: Penn State says nearly twice the body length on adult females, and Ohio State says it can be more than twice the body length and serves as rear-facing feelers. Long, slender antennae point forward, and unlike other centipedes the house centipede has well-developed faceted eyes.[1][4]
- Runs very quickly across floors and up walls.[2][4]
- Legs break off easily when the centipede is struck, and the detached legs keep wiggling for several minutes, according to Ohio State.[4]
Where it lives
Native to the Mediterranean and now widespread; indoors it lives in dark, damp places such as basements, under slabs, in block walls, dry floor drains, crawl spaces and boxes stored on slabs. It is the only centipede that survives indoors.[1][2]
Biology and life cycle
Females can live several years and produce up to 150 young; young centipedes add legs as they molt.[1]
Penn State describes the growth stages: newly hatched young have 4 pairs of legs, then 5, 7, 9, 11 and 13 pairs over the next five molts, and 15 pairs through four more molts before adulthood. A 2024 study found that a lost leg can be fully regrown within one molt.[1][6]
They hide by day and hunt at night.[1][4]
They feed on silverfish, firebrats, carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, spiders, flies and other small arthropods. Ohio State says spiders and cockroaches are the main prey indoors.[1][4][5]
Ohio State calls it the only centipede known to live in buildings year round. In Pennsylvania it does not survive winters outdoors but breeds readily in heated buildings, and in summer it can turn up outdoors near buildings.[4][1]
Damage and signs
Health risk
House centipedes pose minimal bite risk because their venom claws are so small they can rarely pierce human skin.[2][1]
Control
Prevention
Reduce humidity with dehumidifiers and grade soil to carry water away from the foundation.[1][4]
Ohio State suggests ventilating basements and crawl spaces to remove excess moisture and controlling the insects centipedes eat. Kentucky adds pulling mulch, woodpiles and paving stones back from the foundation, fixing leaks at hose bibs, air conditioners and sprinklers, and making sure gutters and downspouts carry water away.[4][2]
Keep them out
Seal cracks in slabs and block walls, screen and caulk sump covers, and screen floor drains connected to dry sumps.[1]
Kentucky also seals openings in foundation walls, door thresholds and windowsills with caulk, and adds door sweeps or weather stripping under exterior doors.[2]
Traps and physical control
Sticky traps catch centipedes and reveal what prey insects are present.[1][2][4]
A centipede on the loose can be swept up with a broom and dustpan or vacuumed.[4]
Pesticides
If needed, dusts such as boric acid or diatomaceous earth can be applied in cracks and voids where centipedes hide.[1][2]
Sources differ on indoor sprays. Ohio State says indoor spot treatments are generally not needed or recommended and suggests, only if needed, a perimeter band of insecticide 18 to 36 inches wide around the foundation; Kentucky says indoor pesticides are rarely necessary. Ohio State also says foggers don't work on centipedes, because they leave no residue and rarely reach the cracks where centipedes hide.[4][2]
Common questions
- Do house centipedes bite?
- Rarely; their venom claws are so small they have trouble piercing human skin.[2]
- Why do I have so many?
- A large population means plenty of prey such as silverfish or cockroaches, plus damp hiding places.[1][4]
- Why does a house centipede's leg keep moving after it falls off?
- House centipedes shed legs easily when struck, and Ohio State notes the detached legs wiggle for several minutes. A 2024 study found the lost leg is regrown within one molt.[4][6]
- Should I kill house centipedes?
- There's no need on their account: UC IPM and Ohio State consider them beneficial predators of household pests. If you want fewer, dry out damp areas and reduce the insects they feed on.[5][4]
Sources
- Penn State Extension, “House Centipedes (reviewed 2023).” extension.psu.edu/house-centipedes (accessed 2026-11-11)
- University of Kentucky Entomology, “ENTFACT-645: Centipedes & Millipedes in & Around the Home.” entomology.mgcafe.uky.edu/ef645 (accessed 2026-11-11)
- iNaturalist, “Scutigera coleoptrata taxon page (order and family).” www.inaturalist.org/taxa/49552 (accessed 2026-11-11)
- Ohio State University Extension (Ohioline), “Centipedes (ENT-50).” ohioline.osu.edu/factsheet/ENT-50 (accessed 2026-11-11)
- University of California Statewide IPM Program, “Pest Notes: Centipedes and Millipedes.” ipm.ucanr.edu/PMG/PESTNOTES/pn7472.html (accessed 2026-11-11)
- Frontiers in Zoology, via PubMed, “Barutia I, Sombke A et al. (2024), Explosive regeneration and anamorphic development of legs in the house centipede Scutigera coleoptrata, Frontiers in Zoology.” pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39294713/ (accessed 2026-11-11). Cited from the PubMed abstract.