Centipede Anatomy and Behavior
Centipedes are fast moving, leggy creatures closely related to insects. They have many body parts with one pair of legs on each body segment (in contrast to the closely related millipedes, which have two pairs of legs on each body segment) and vary in length from one to several inches. Centipedes are hunters that use venomous jaws to catch and eat insects and other small invertebrates.
Some Types of Centipedes in South Carolina
Many centipedes live outdoors.
- Stone Centipedes: One common group includes the stone centipedes. Outdoor centipedes are generally long, flattened and yellow to brownish in color. They live in moist, protected areas such as under mulch, leaf litter, logs and rocks. Most are active at night.
- Bark Centipedes: Another group of centipedes is the bark centipedes, of which the eastern red centipede is a common species in South Carolina. This centipede lives on the ground, especially in undergrowth and in forested or natural areas, and hunts insects, worms, and other invertebrates. They do not have eyes and are completely blind.
- House Centipedes: One of the most common centipedes in South Carolina is the house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata. This centipede looks a little like a swift-moving hairball, and due to their secretive behavior, dart and freeze movements, and what seems like an overabundance of legs, encounters with house centipedes can cause anxiety.
Stone centipedes, like this Lithobius forficatus, often live in leaf litter or rotting vegetation or logs.
Photo by iNaturalist user ©Alexis_orion, CC BY, some rights reserved
The eastern red centipede, Scolopocryptops sexspinosus, is bright red in color.
Photo by iNaturalist user ©davidenrique, CC BY-NC-SA, some rights reserved.
House centipedes are mostly active at night and thrive in humid environments.
David Coyle, ©2024, Clemson Extension
House Centipedes: Identification and Behavior
House centipedes can be found outdoors under rocks, logs, landscape timbers, firewood, and other similar protected, dark, moist environments. Indoors, they are frequently found in areas with high relative humidity such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements, closets, and crawl spaces. It is the only centipede species that can live and reproduce in homes. Like the outdoor centipedes, house centipedes come out of hiding at night to hunt for food.
House centipedes are distinctive and relatively easy to identify. House centipedes are elongate, flattened arthropods with a body length (not including the legs or antennae) of one to one and a half inches. The body is brown and yellow/tan; three dark stripes with lighter coloration in between run the length of the body. The 15 pairs of long, delicate-looking legs are banded, becoming lighter toward the tips and equipped with barbs to help hold prey. In females, the last pair of legs is more than twice the length of the body. The eyes are large, well-developed, and multi-faceted.
House centipedes are agile predators of arthropods that are often considered pestiferous such as carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, firebrats, flies, moths, bedbugs, crickets, silverfish, earwigs, and spiders. Although house centipedes are beneficial, most homeowners consider them a nuisance. If house centipedes are found in abundance, their presence may indicate a pest population of the previously mentioned arthropods or simply an overabundance of moisture.
Are Centipede Bites Dangerous?
Bites of centipedes found in the United States are not toxic enough to be deadly to adults or children. In fact, the jaws of smaller centipedes are too weak to penetrate human skin. A centipede bite is comparable to a wasp sting. Although somewhat painful, the bites are generally harmless unless one is very allergic to venoms. Centipedes do not carry serious diseases and do not damage food or belongings in the home.
Nonchemical Control of Centipedes
If house centipedes are a problem, inspect the areas where they are seen. Look for moisture problems. Inspect for areas of clutter, especially storage boxes that provide a place for centipedes to hide. Also look for places where small insects and spiders (food for the centipedes) may be entering the home.
Correcting the problems that lead to centipedes will often eliminate the centipedes. If possible, use dehumidifiers in damp areas such as basements. Remove clutter and store items such as storage boxes away from walls and off the floor to reduce areas for house centipedes to live. Make sure doorways and windows are well sealed and screened to prevent entry by other centipedes or other pests – which the centipedes use as food.
If outdoor centipedes are occurring in great numbers indoors, it is usually an indication that there is a large population in the area surrounding the home. To control these pests, the most important step is to remove materials that give centipedes shelter in the immediate area around the home. This includes mulch, rocks, boards and similar materials. De-thatching the lawn near the house and mowing grass low allows for drier conditions in the yard which may reduce areas for centipedes to live near the home. Be sure that you do not overwater or have sprinkler systems close to the house creating excess moisture conditions.
In most situations, house centipedes and outdoor centipedes found indoors can be easily removed with a broom or vacuum.
Chemical Control of Centipedes
Pesticides provide only temporary control unless the non-chemical measures are taken as described above. However, if necessary, pesticide dusts such as boric acid powder applied to cracks, crevices and indoor void areas where centipede hide can be effective. Many pesticide powders will not work well if applied in areas that are too moist.
For centipedes found in crawl spaces or outside, pesticide sprays applied to foundation walls or other entry points can help reduce entry by centipedes. When treating leaf litter or mulch, use enough water to penetrate the ground cover or rake the ground cover back before spraying to ensure that the pesticide reaches the areas where centipedes live. For pesticide applications both indoors and outdoors, make sure you only use products appropriately labeled for centipede control.
When to Call a Professional Pest Control Service
If centipedes are difficult to control on your own, consider hiring a licensed pest control operator. Pest control professionals have special equipment and varied pesticide formulations that may be able to provide better control than common, non-professional equipment and materials. For tips on hiring a professional, see our Insect Information Fact Sheet: HGIC 2412, Choosing a Professional Pest Control Company.
Originally published 10/99
