House Centipede
Fast-running, many-legged arthropods with banded legs that hunt insects inside homes.
House Centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is a Florida pest we rate as a low concern. Rhino Pest Management provides general pest control in Florida's Treasure & Space Coast — licensed (#JB242881) & insured technicians, rated 5.0★ from 16 Google reviews. Estimates are free: (772) 589-6842.
Photo: Duhjeroen at Dutch Wikipedia (Public domain) · Wikimedia Commons
About 25–35 mm body, yellowish-gray with three dark stripes. Fifteen pairs of very long banded legs that become progressively longer toward the rear. Extremely fast runners. The long back legs are often mistaken for antennae.
Moist interior areas: bathrooms, laundry rooms, basements and under sinks. They follow their prey, so a centipede presence often indicates other pest activity inside the home.
- Fast-moving, long-legged insects darting across floors, walls or ceilings at night
- Sightings in bathrooms, basements, laundry rooms and other humid interior spaces
- Disappearing instantly when disturbed — they move in sudden bursts of speed
House centipedes are venomous enough to kill the insects they prey on but their bite is essentially harmless to humans — comparable to a mild bee sting if they bite at all. They're beneficial predators of roaches, spiders and silverfish. The main issue is alarm.
Is this urgent?
No. House Centipede is a nuisance, not a threat to your health or your house. Most people fold it into a regular service visit rather than booking a special trip. If the numbers keep climbing after you've dealt with the moisture and food sources, that's when it's worth a call.
Rhino treats the interior humid zones and reduces the prey insects that attract centipedes. Eliminating centipedes is easiest when the underlying pest pressure is addressed at the same time.
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