Are house centipedes dangerous?

The immediate answer is no. Centipedes do not pose any threat to humans so long as you do not initiate direct contact with them. There are, however, a few good reasons to rid them from your home that are not due to their venomous bite. Keep reading for more information on centipedes and their behaviors within your home.

Centipedes enter your home for the same reasons you do! They like to find warm, moist areas where they can find food easily and stay away from the elements. Though they are extremely adaptable creatures and can thrive in many environments, they are often found inside the homes of individuals who experience very cold winters. This is because they will seek out the warmest place nearby their outdoor environment to take up new residence and hunt for their prey. That will most often be your own basement and other areas of your home that often collect moisture such as a bathroom or laundry room.

You may be wondering how these many-legged insects enter your home in the first place. Like many insects their only entrance is not just through an open front door, instead they are much more versatile in their means of invasion. They use their small and slender bodies to fit through any crack or crevice available to them from the outdoors. Centipedes will also be attracted to open windows and any entrance that is left unprotected and sealed.

The most likely reason for a multitude of centipedes in your home, however, is actually the amount of other pests living there. That’s right! If you see a large number of centipedes within your home this may be a good sign that your home is also the residence of many other smaller pests that may go unbeknownst to you otherwise. Centipedes like to feast on other insects such as spiders, termites, bed bugs, silverfish, or other small pests. Be sure to check for other insects as you search to take care of your centipede problem.

Often, the thing that scares people most about centipedes is their seemingly endless amount of legs. However, centipedes actually only have fifteen pairs of legs in total. This goes against their own name which implies that they have one hundred legs! These legs are the reason centipedes are known for their speed and dexterity. This helps them evade their own predators and entrap their prey. Two of the centipede’s legs near its mouth are venom carriers. These legs will sting their prey and be fatal for inserts such as termites and silverfish. Don’t let the word venom fear you just yet. As a human, the only known side effect should you get stung by a centipede would be a small, red bump at the sting site.