Understanding the House Centipede Family: Behavior and Control

While often misunderstood, the house centipede family plays a vital role in balancing indoor ecosystems—yet many homeowners face unwanted encounters. Discover how to identify and manage these resilient arthropods with confidence.

The house centipede family, scientifically known as Scutigerridae, includes fast-moving, elongated insects with up to 15 pairs of legs. Unlike true centipedes, they primarily feed on small pests like spiders and insects, making them beneficial despite their intimidating appearance. These household pests thrive in damp, dark environments such as basements, bathrooms, and crawl spaces.

Spotting a single house centipede may indicate a larger presence. Look for multiple sightings, shed exoskeletons, or small holes near baseboards. While not aggressive, their rapid movement and rapid reproduction can signal an underlying moisture and food source issue requiring prompt attention.

Managing the house centipede family starts with reducing moisture using dehumidifiers, sealing entry points, and removing clutter and debris. Natural deterrents like diatomaceous earth and essential oil sprays can discourage habitation. For persistent infestations, consulting a licensed pest professional ensures safe, targeted control without harming beneficial household arthropods.

Recognizing the role and habits of the house centipede family helps homeowners maintain balance—welcoming their pest-controlling benefits while preventing nuisance. Knowledge empowers informed decisions, reducing fear and enabling proactive, eco-friendly home care.

Scutigera coleoptrata, also known as the house-centipede, is a species of centipede that is typically yellowish-gray and has up to 15 pairs of long legs. Originating in the Mediterranean region, it has spread to other parts of the world, where it can live in human homes. [1].

House centipedes prey on other household pests like cockroaches and termites, but you may not want them in your home. Learn what to do if you have them. What is a centipede? Distinguishable by their long body and numerous legs, centipedes belong to the Chilopoda arthropod class within the Myriapoda subphylum, which contains other leggy arthropods like millipedes.

Centipedes can have a few dozen pairs of legs to a few hundred, which is how they got their name. In Latin, "centi" refers to 100, and "ped" or "pedis" mean feet. Whenever.

House centipedes are of little concern to homeowners, despite their long legs and scary appearance. They feed on many different arthropods including pest insects. The House Centipede is a very common sight throughout North America, particularly in indoor locations that have high moisture.

They are no stranger to bathtubs and will sometimes emerge from drain holes. Other house locations that they may be found in or around are the crawlspace, the porch area (drawn in by porch lights), and wash basins. Order Scutigeromorpha (House Centipedes) Family Scutigeridae Genus Scutigera Species coleoptrata (House Centipede) Explanation of Names Scutigera coleoptrata (Linnaeus 1758) Size.

The House Centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is a large, leggy (typically 15 pairs), speedy, and striking foreigner that has, in the past 150 years, hitchhiked around the globe from its ancestral Mediterranean home. Centipedes are carnivores that spend the daylight hours in the dark and humid world under leaves, logs and soil (because they lose water through their exoskeleton, they seek out. House Centipedes belong to the class Chilopoda representing over 3,100 known species worldwide.

North American species include Scutigeromorpha, Scolopendromorpha, Lithobiomorpha, and Geophilomorpha of which the House Centipede is part of the Scutigera coleoptrata family. What Are House Centipedes? Easily recognized by their many legs, house centipedes are commonly found throughout most of the United States. Although the word centipede means "100 legs," most of these pests have hundreds of legs.

House centipedes feed on silverfish, carpet beetle larvae, firebrats, cockroaches, bed bugs, spiders, and other small arthropods. They are part of the family. House centipede Order: Scutigeromorpha Family: Scutigeridae Genus and species: Scutigera coleoptrata (Linnaeus) The house centipede is often seen darting across floors at high speed, occasionally stopping suddenly and remaining motionless for some time before racing off once more.

Its cylindrical body can grow to an inch or more in length.