House Centipede Prey
House centipedes are known for their agile movements and swift captures of their prey. Keep in mind that: House centipedes are fast runners Agile and swift in capturing prey Overall, the house centipede is unique, but it can be helpful to know its features and characteristics so you can identify them and understand their role in the ecosystem. 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. House centipedes are nocturnal predators that eat many types of soft-bodied insects and larvae, including spiders, silverfish, cockroaches, crickets, moths, bedbugs, earthworms, and even other centipedes. House centipedes locate their prey using their long antennae.
In order to eat the prey, house centipedes utilize a pair of claws on the front of their body to inject paralyzing venom. House centipedes also prey upon small cockroaches, termites, and flies, helping to reduce the populations of these problematic insects. They are known to feed on spiders, ants, bedbugs, and clothes moths, making their presence a potential indicator of an existing pest issue.
What Attracts House Centipedes? House centipedes are predators that prey on other insects: They enjoy eating arthropods like carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, firebrats, flies, moths, bedbugs, crickets, silverfish, earwigs, and spiders. If you see house centipedes often, that may mean you have a significant pest population attracting them to enter your home. House centipedes feed on silverfish, firebrats, carpet beetle larvae, cockroaches, spiders, and other small arthropods.
If house centipedes are seen frequently, this indicates that some prey arthropod is in abundance, and may signify a greater problem than the presence of the centipedes (Figure 3). Yellowish-grey house centipede, isolated on white Where Do House Centipedes Come From? House centipedes thrive in damp, dark environments where moisture supports both them and their prey. They are thought to have originated from the Mediterranean region but have since adapted to homes worldwide.
House centipedes prey on many household pests, including cockroaches, silverfish, moths, spiders, beetles, and other small insects. Centipedes are commonly confused with another multi-legged pest, millipedes. Many larger animals prey upon centipedes, such as mongooses, mice, salamanders, beetles, and some specialist snake species.
Introduced from the Mediterranean, house centipedes thrive in North America and beyond, commonly residing in homes and other structures. Unlike most centipedes, house centipedes lack the flattened appearance and can run exceptionally quickly. Though venomous to their prey, these creatures pose little threat to humans.
What do house centipedes eat? Learn about the diet and prey of house centipedes. Call the experts at Orkin today to arrange service at your home or business for pest problems.