Centipedes are common arthropods that can occasionally find their way into homes. Many people wonder about their behavior, particularly whether these multi-legged creatures might crawl on them during the night. Understanding what attracts centipedes and how they interact with their environment can help demystify these inhabitants.
Centipede Habits and Habitat
Centipedes are nocturnal, active at night. They avoid predators and dehydration, being sensitive to moisture loss. Predatory arthropods, they hunt small invertebrates using speed and venom. Their diet includes spiders, silverfish, cockroaches, crickets, and other centipedes.
They prefer secluded, damp, cool environments. Outdoors, they are found under rocks, logs, leaf litter, or in compost piles. Indoors, they seek similar conditions, favoring basements, bathrooms, and crawl spaces with high humidity.
Centipedes and Human Interaction
A common concern is whether centipedes crawl on humans, especially at night. Centipedes are not interested in humans as prey and avoid contact. Reclusive, they prefer to hide and flee when disturbed. Any encounter on a person is accidental, occurring if one is inadvertently trapped or a person rolls onto one while sleeping.
Bites are rare, occurring only if the creature feels threatened or is handled directly. All centipedes possess venom, but common house centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata) have weak jaws that often cannot puncture human skin. If a bite occurs, symptoms are mild, comparable to a bee sting, involving pain, redness, and swelling that resolve within hours to a couple of days.
What Attracts Centipedes Indoors
Centipedes enter homes for moisture, food, and shelter. Highly sensitive to humidity, they cannot survive long in dry conditions, making damp areas appealing. Common indoor moisture sources include leaky pipes, damp basements, or condensation.
Other household pests attract centipedes, as these are their primary food source. If a home has spiders, silverfish, cockroaches, or crickets, centipedes may follow this food supply indoors. Centipedes can gain entry through small openings like cracks and gaps in foundations, poorly sealed windows and doors, or utility line penetrations.
Keeping Centipedes Out of Your Home
Managing conditions that attract centipedes prevents their presence indoors. Reducing moisture is a primary step: fix leaky pipes, ensure proper ventilation in bathrooms and basements, and use dehumidifiers in damp areas. Maintaining indoor humidity between 30% and 50% makes the environment less hospitable.
Sealing potential entry points also prevents centipede access. This includes caulking cracks and gaps in foundations, walls, and around windows and doors. Installing weatherstripping on doors and windows and repairing damaged screens further blocks entry.
Controlling other household pests through regular cleaning and reducing clutter deprives centipedes of food sources and hiding spots, making the home less attractive. If a centipede is encountered, it can be safely relocated outdoors using a cup and paper.