The house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata, is a common indoor arthropod with a distinct, often unsettling appearance. Fleas are tiny, parasitic insects that primarily infest mammals, feeding on blood. Many homeowners wonder if this multi-legged predator offers a natural solution to a flea problem. Understanding the centipede’s diet and behavior reveals the nature of its relationship with common household pests.
The House Centipede Diet
House centipedes are generalist predators that actively hunt and consume a variety of small arthropods and insects found inside homes. Their preferred prey includes slower-moving, soft-bodied creatures such as silverfish, carpet beetle larvae, spiders, and cockroaches. The centipede uses modified front legs, called forcipules, to inject venom and immobilize its catch.
Fleas are not a primary or reliable food source. They spend the majority of their life cycle on a host animal, only dropping off as adults moving through carpet fibers. Their small size and rapid jumping ability make them difficult targets for a predator that relies on chasing down and subduing larger prey. Therefore, you should not expect S. coleoptrata to control a flea infestation.
Why Centipedes Are Found Indoors
The presence of house centipedes in a building is strongly linked to the environmental conditions they require to survive. Centipedes lack the waxy cuticle of insects, making them susceptible to desiccation, so they require high humidity to thrive. They are often found in dark, damp areas such as basements, crawlspaces, bathrooms, and laundry rooms where moisture is abundant.
Centipedes are nocturnal creatures, preferring to hide during the day in quiet, undisturbed spots like cracks, wall voids, and under clutter. The warmth and shelter provided by a human dwelling also attract them inside. They are primarily drawn into the home by the presence of a consistent food supply—the pests they hunt.
Centipedes as Natural Pest Control Agents
The house centipede’s predatory nature means it plays a beneficial role in reducing the population of household pests. By feeding on insects like silverfish and cockroaches, they act as a natural, self-limiting form of pest control. Their presence often signals an underlying issue, indicating that a sufficient food source of other pests exists within the home.
Accepting the presence of a centipede is a trade-off between tolerating its alarming appearance and benefiting from its predation on other insects. This benefit does not extend to flea infestations. Fleas multiply too rapidly and exist in large numbers across carpets and furniture, meaning a few centipedes cannot make a noticeable difference in the overall population.
Addressing a Flea Infestation
Since house centipedes are ineffective against a flea infestation, direct, comprehensive action is necessary to eliminate the problem. The most immediate step is thorough, daily vacuuming of all floors, carpets, and upholstered furniture. The vibration from the vacuum encourages flea pupae to hatch, making them susceptible to removal.
Pet treatment is paramount and requires consulting a veterinarian to select an appropriate, approved flea control product. Simultaneously, all pet bedding, rugs, and washable fabrics must be washed in hot water and dried on the highest heat setting to kill eggs and larvae. For severe infestations, professional pest control services can apply specialized treatments, often including insect growth regulators (IGRs), which disrupt the flea life cycle.