The sight of a house centipede, with its numerous elongated legs and rapid movements, often causes alarm. These arthropods can appear startling as they dart across floors or walls, leading many to wonder about their potential threat. Despite their unnerving appearance, understanding these creatures reveals their minimal risk to humans, which can alleviate common fears.
Understanding the House Centipede
The house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata, has a yellowish-grey body with three distinct dark stripes running lengthwise. Adults measure between 1 and 1.5 inches in body length, but their up to 15 pairs of long, striped legs and equally long antennae make them appear much larger, sometimes up to 3 to 4 inches overall. These limbs allow for remarkable speed, enabling them to move up to 1.3 feet per second across various surfaces.
House centipedes prefer cool, damp, and dark environments, often found in basements, bathrooms, and crawl spaces. Outdoors, they reside under rocks, in woodpiles, or within compost heaps. They are nocturnal predators, hunting other small arthropods and insects. Their diet includes common household pests such as silverfish, firebrats, carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, spiders, bed bugs, ants, flies, and crickets.
Assessing the Danger
House centipedes are not considered dangerous to humans. While they possess venom and can bite, such instances are rare and occur only if the centipede feels threatened or is handled roughly. Their venom is primarily adapted for subduing small prey and is of low toxicity to humans.
A house centipede bite results in mild, localized symptoms. Individuals might experience pain, redness, and swelling at the bite site, accompanied by a burning sensation or itchiness. The discomfort is comparable to a minor bee or wasp sting and is not medically significant. Severe reactions, such as widespread allergic responses, are uncommon, though medical attention should be sought if such symptoms develop.
Managing Their Presence
Given that house centipedes pose little threat and consume other household pests, some individuals tolerate their presence. For those who prefer removal, reducing factors that attract them is an effective strategy. House centipedes are drawn to moisture and other insects, so controlling these elements can deter them.
Reducing moisture levels in the home is a primary step, involving repairing leaky pipes, utilizing dehumidifiers in damp areas, and ensuring adequate ventilation. Eliminating clutter indoors and outdoors removes potential hiding spots. Sealing cracks and gaps in foundations, around doors, and windows prevents entry, and controlling other household pests removes their food source, making the environment less appealing. If removal is desired, a simple method involves placing a cup over the centipede and sliding a piece of paper underneath to humanely release it outdoors. For persistent or widespread issues, professional pest control services can offer tailored solutions.