Centipedes, speedy, multi-legged critters, can send shivers down the spine of any homeowner. Known for their rapid movement and array of legs, they often scuttle into basements, closets, or floor drains and are found outside under logs or piles of leaves. Their presence can be alarming, but understanding how to get rid of centipedes in your home can help get the situation under control.
In this guide, we’ll help you understand more about centipedes in the home so that you can prevent and remove them quickly and safely.
What You Need to Know about Centipedes
Scientists have identified over 3,000 types of centipedes, and according to Live Science, there may be as many as 8,000 types on Earth. Centipedes aren’t actually insects; they’re a type of creature called an arthropod. While they do use venom to catch their prey, most have fangs that are too small to pierce human skin, so you don’t need to worry too much about centipede bites. The Florida blue centipede in the Southeastern U.S. is the exception, as its bite can cause a reaction like a bee sting.
Some species of centipede can live a very long time—up to 10 years. Females will lay 15–60 eggs at a time, usually in the soil or rotten wood, but other than for the purposes of reproducing, centipedes don’t form nests that they return to each day.
As carnivores, centipedes are predators, and they may actually serve a beneficial purpose in or around your home in terms of pest control. For example, house centipedes may eat roaches, flies, silverfish, and even termites. Additionally, centipedes don’t live in colonies like ants or bees do, so spotting a single centipede is no reason to assume large numbers of them are lurking in the walls.
Why They’re Here: Like many household pests, centipedes are drawn indoors by moisture and the availability of prey. Cutting off access to moisture is one of the most effective first steps in any pest-management strategy. Reducing clutter is equally important—as entomologist Patricia Zungoli of Clemson University has noted, “The more hiding places, the greater the number of pests your home can support.” Since centipedes feed on roaches, silverfish, and other bugs, eliminating those prey populations through better sanitation and moisture control can make your home far less attractive to centipedes as well.
Pro Tip
- Before reaching for a chemical spray, keep in mind that broad pesticide applications often do more harm than good when it comes to creatures like centipedes. According to USDA research entomologist Richard J. Brenner, indiscriminate spraying tends to kill only the least hardy insects, and a few survivors can multiply into a whole strain of resistant bugs. A more targeted approach—sealing entry points, reducing moisture, and eliminating the prey insects that attract centipedes—is far more effective long-term.
How To Kill Centipedes
To completely get rid of centipedes, you’ll also want to eliminate the conditions that make a centipede infestation possible. Follow these simple steps to clear your home of these many-legged pests.
Start by Sealing Entry Points
Caulking cracks and crevices is one of the most effective ways to keep centipedes—and the smaller insects they feed on—from entering your home. Fill big gaps around pipes with copper wool, which pests can’t chew through. Exterminators who offer integrated pest management (I.P.M.) can also perform this service if the job feels overwhelming.
Remove or kill any centipedes currently in your home
Centipedes are unlikely to infest your home in large numbers, so killing or otherwise eliminating individual adult centipedes is worth your time. If you’d prefer not to simply squish them with a shoe, you can buy sticky traps made for general insect use and place them near baseboards or in corners. Additionally, you can always relocate them outside. Centipedes don’t move very quickly, so put a glass or jar over the centipede, slide a piece of thick paper over the rim, and take the creature outdoors. Remember, centipedes kill nuisance insects, so consider removing them from your home instead of killing them.
Technique: For a chemical-free approach, consider spreading a thin layer of diatomaceous earth along baseboards and in cracks where centipedes travel. Its sharp-edged granules cut through the pests’ exoskeletons on contact. Replenish the powder after any moisture exposure, as it loses effectiveness once wet.
Create an insecticide barrier around your house
If centipedes keep getting in, you can use a natural or synthetic insecticide to create a barrier that the creatures will have to cross to get inside. There are chemical sprays and dusts that are approved for indoor use, but those will depend on your comfort level, particularly if you have children or pets around the home. Synthetic pesticides containing pyrethroids will kill centipedes on contact. Outdoors, natural pesticides like diatomaceous earth and boric acid can be sprinkled around, but make sure to do your research to find out whether they will negatively affect any plants located around your home. Many natural pesticides work by dehydrating anything they touch, and you don’t want to accidentally kill any flowers or shrubs. For large or tricky centipede problems, consider hiring a highly regarded pest control service. These professionals will not only help eliminate the existing problem; they’ll also help you with the next step to prevent centipedes from returning.
Targeted Treatment: When dealing with insects that trail along specific paths, pest professionals often use non-repellent insecticides rather than repellent ones. The logic: you don’t want pests to detect the barrier and simply find another way in. A non-repellent product lets them cross it unknowingly and carry the insecticide back to where they’re nesting, wiping out the source of the problem rather than just redirecting it.
Pro Tip: Richard J. Brenner, a medical entomologist and research leader for the USDA’s household insects unit, cautions against relying solely on perimeter spraying. As he explains, broad spraying “tends to kill only the least hardy insects,” and a few survivors can multiply into a resistant population. Worse, sprays often eliminate only the insects you see “without reaching breeding places, either inside or outdoors.” He compares unfocused perimeter treatments to “firing a missile and hoping that one of your enemy planes runs into it.” Instead, focus your barrier treatment on the specific entry points where centipedes are actually getting in.
Eliminate conditions that invite centipedes
There are plenty of things you can do to make your home and yard less centipede-friendly.
- Use weatherstripping around doors and windows to keep centipedes from getting in. Caulk or expanding foam can also help plug any gaps or cracks around plumbing or wiring that serve as potential entrance points.
- Get rid of any other insect infestations that the centipedes might be feeding on.
- Reduce humidity or areas of excess moisture in your home. Mop up spills, use a dehumidifier, and fix any leaky plumbing.
- Remove piles of dead leaves or other organic debris from your lawn and store firewood and mulch away from the sides of your home.
- Remember that centipedes prefer damp conditions, so fix any areas of your home or yard with poor drainage.
Pesticide use to control centipedes is a temporary fix, so use these prevention methods to make your home a less appealing place for centipedes to live. Our recommended pest control companies, Terminix and Orkin, will treat for centipedes as part of a general pest control plan. Their technicians will help identify and seal possible entry points as well as make recommendations for making your home less hospitable to centipedes.
Seal Entry Points Like a Pro: When plugging gaps around pipes and conduit at the foundation level, use mortar for a lasting seal. For gaps elsewhere around the house, expanding foam works well. For larger openings around basement pipes, consider stuffing them with copper wool before sealing — it’s more durable than steel wool and rodents can’t chew through it, making it a superior long-term barrier for any pest.
Target Humidity at the Source: In crawl spaces — a favorite centipede habitat — invest in crawl-space vent fans to keep humidity levels below 50 percent. This not only discourages centipedes but also thwarts the spread of mold and mildew that attract the smaller insects centipedes feed on. Outdoors, drain or dump any areas of stagnant water in your yard and ensure soil stays moist but not damp.
Pro Tip
- Pest-control professionals call this approach “exclusion” — plugging every possible entry hole so pests give up and go elsewhere. It’s tedious work, but when done correctly, you reap major benefits: no traps or poisons to handle and no recurring infestations. Focus on foundation joints, roof joints, dryer vents, attic vents, and anywhere pipes or conduit penetrate the exterior walls. Use river rock or stones as a barrier between your foundation and mulch beds to prevent pests from cozying up to your home’s perimeter.
If you’re interested in how to get rid of other common pests, read the following guides:
FAQs About Getting Rid of Centipedes
What keeps centipedes away?
To keep centipedes away from your home, clean and dry any damp areas of your house, such as your basement, bathroom, or attic. In addition, ensure that you handle any insect infestations that may serve as food for centipedes.
Are you supposed to kill house centipedes?
You don’t need to kill centipedes in your house. Centipedes kill nuisance insects, and they generally do not live in colonies, so consider removing them from your home rather than killing them.
Why do I suddenly have centipedes in my house?
Areas with potentially high levels of moisture, such as your basement, kitchen, or bathroom, may attract centipedes. Keep these areas dry to discourage centipedes in the home.
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