House Centipedes: Friend or Foe?

What Is That Bug With Lots of Long Legs That Runs Really Fast?

That's a house centipede. It has a long, slender body with 15 pairs of long legs on each side (30 legs total), plus a pair of long antennae, giving the impression of a frantic blur of legs racing across the floor. Many people call them "silverfish on stilts" or simply "those creepy fast things."

What House Centipedes Look Like

• Body is yellowish-brown to grayish-brown, slender and flattened, about 2-5 cm (0.8-2 inches) long
• A row of long legs on each side; the very last pair is especially long and looks almost like antennae
• With legs spread out, they appear much larger than they really are
• When they run, their legs move in a rippling wave, very fast, and they look panicked

Where Do They Like to Hang Out?

They prefer damp, dark places, bathrooms, basements, storage room corners, under bathroom sinks.

Are They Friendly?

They look alarming, with all those long, spindly legs, but they're actually timid. They bolt at the first sign of a person and won't attack. House centipedes are actually beneficial predators, they eat cockroaches, flies, spiders, silverfish, termites, and other more troublesome bugs. They're a kind of "beneficial insect." In theory, they can bite, but it's extremely rare and only happens if you grab and squeeze one. The venom is very weak, like a mild sting. If you spot one occasionally, you can leave it alone.