Why Are House Centipedes Crawling Into Your Home?

With their long legs and lightning speed, house centipedes are hard to ignore once you’ve seen them. These unsettling creatures (also known as Scutigera coleoptrata) may not sting or bite, but their unexpected intrusions can still be unpleasant. If you’ve seen one dash across the floor, you’re likely wondering, “What are they doing here?” and “Should I be concerned?”

The truth is, they’re not trying to scare you, they’re just searching for the basics: food, water, and a place to hide. If your home supplies all three, it’s an open invitation for centipedes looking to settle in.

Here’s what’s drawing them inside, and what you can do to stop it.

How Centipedes Get Indoors

House centipedes don’t plan on making you uncomfortable, they’re simply acting on instinct. These nocturnal predators spend their evenings hunting and their days resting in cool, dark crevices. To get inside, they use whatever openings they can find: cracks in your foundation, loose-fitting windows, wall gaps, or uncovered vents.

Once they’re in, they head straight for spots with food, moisture, and shelter, exactly what they need to thrive.

Following the Food Chain Indoors

Centipedes often start their lives in your yard, hiding out in shady garden beds, moist mulch, or under rocks. But when food becomes scarce outside, or prey ventures too close to your walls, centipedes won’t hesitate to follow.

While they do help by hunting other bugs, their arrival usually means something else is already living in your home. In many cases, house centipedes are not the root problem, but a sign that another pest infestation is hiding from you.

So, what do they like to eat? These predators feast on a wide range of insects, such as:

• Ants
• Bed bugs
• Cockroaches
• Crickets
• Earwigs
• Moths
• Silverfish
• Spiders
• Termites
• And many more

They Prefer Damp Environments

Moisture is another major draw for house centipedes. Outdoors, they seek damp places like rotting wood, shaded mulch, and leaf piles. Indoors, they’re likely to turn up in crawl spaces, basements, bathrooms, or anywhere humidity levels are high. Even a few persistently damp areas can create the perfect indoor habitat.

To cut down on moisture, try these strategies:

• Repair outdoor leaks: Check faucets and hoses to prevent water from saturating the soil.
• Maintain gutters: Clean them regularly and ensure water drains away from your foundation.
• Improve drainage: Prune dense plants so rainwater can dry out properly.
• Monitor indoor humidity: Use dehumidifiers in musty rooms, and make sure bathrooms and laundry spaces are ventilated.

Hiding Spots Make Them Want to Stay

Thanks to their nature, house centipedes avoid light and prefer quiet, undisturbed places to rest. Clutter inside and out gives them endless options for shelter. If you want to make your home less welcoming, reducing hiding places is a smart strategy, along with closing off the ways they get in.

Use these simple steps to discourage them:

• Organize firewood: Stack it neatly and elevate it off the ground to avoid attracting pests.
• Declutter the yard: Remove unused items like tools, materials, or furniture that offer shelter.
• Collect outdoor toys: Don’t leave toys or play items on the lawn, they trap moisture and invite bugs.
• Rake regularly: Wet leaves are breeding grounds for the insects centipedes like to hunt.
• Keep the lawn trimmed: Cut grass and remove weeds to limit insect activity.
• Seal openings: Patch cracks in your home’s exterior, repair screens, and fill gaps around windows and pipes.
• Fix door and window gaps: Even tiny spaces are enough for a centipede to sneak through.

House Centipede Problems Start Outdoors

Despite their name, house centipedes don’t originate indoors, they usually begin their journey outside. These arthropods prefer cool, damp spots sheltered from sunlight and predators. Common outdoor habitats include leaf piles, garden mulch, decaying wood, and the undersides of rocks or bricks.

One area they especially favor is the soil near your home’s foundation. This zone tends to stay moist and shaded and often supports insect populations that centipedes hunt. Once they’re established there, it’s a short trip indoors, especially when the weather turns hot or dry.

If you’re trying to prevent centipedes from coming inside, the best place to start is your yard. Here are a few places they often hide:

• Garden beds and ornamental plants: These attract small insects like mites and aphids that centipedes like to eat.
• Landscaping stones and bricks: Check underneath, bugs often gather there, making it a perfect feeding ground.
• Improperly sealed garbage bins: Rotting waste brings flies and spiders, which draw in centipedes looking for a meal.

If your yard is cluttered and holds moisture, it’s more than just appealing to pests, it’s practically a welcome mat.

Should You Be Concerned If You See a House Centipede?

They may look a bit scary, but house centipedes generally don’t pose a threat. These creatures aren’t aggressive and will usually run away when disturbed. They won’t go out of their way to bite or sting.

Still, handling one directly isn’t a good idea. Like other centipedes, they have venom, but it’s designed for subduing small insects. If picked up or threatened, they may use their front legs to deliver a pinch. The sensation is often described as similar to a bee sting, sharp but short-lived.

However, people with allergies to insect venom may have a more serious reaction. Symptoms like swelling, trouble breathing, or dizziness after a bite should be treated as a medical emergency.

While most adults experience little more than mild irritation, young children and pets may be more sensitive. Keeping them away from centipedes is always the smarter move.

What Makes House Centipedes Unique?

Not all centipedes are the same, and the house centipede is easy to identify once you know what to look for. Here’s how they stand out from other species:

• Legs: Their long, delicate legs give them a wispy, almost spider-like appearance.
• Leg count: They have 15 pairs, fewer than many other species, which may have 21 or more.
• Speed: House centipedes are incredibly fast, reaching speeds up to 1.3 feet per second.
• Color: They’re typically grayish-yellow with three dark stripes running down their backs.
• Antennae: Thin and long, their antennae help them navigate tight or dark areas.
• Behavior: Unlike some of their more aggressive cousins, house centipedes are shy and avoid contact.
• Venom: Their venom is relatively weak compared to tropical centipedes and rarely causes serious reactions.

Tired of Centipedes Popping Up Indoors?

If you’ve seen one dart across the floor, chances are it’s not alone, and neither are the bugs it’s hunting. House centipedes typically show up when there’s a steady supply of prey, meaning a bigger pest problem may be hiding in plain sight.

To break the cycle, you need more than just a temporary fix. A professional pest inspection can uncover the real reason centipedes are choosing your home. Our team can check for signs of insect activity, identify hiding spots, and create a strategy tailored to your property.

Get in touch today to book your inspection and show those centipedes the door, for good.