Why Are There House Centipedes in the House?
Why Are There House Centipedes in My Home?
House centipedes only need two things to show up indoors: enough moisture and a food source.
Two Key Conditions
- Damp environment — House centipedes need above 75% humidity to survive. Leaking pipes and damp walls give them comfortable hiding places. Bathrooms, kitchens, and basements are the most likely spots. House centipedes are most active in spring and summer (April-September); their numbers drop in fall and winter as humidity decreases.
- Available food — House centipedes eat various small bugs. If your kitchen or bathroom has springtails, silverfish, small flies, or ants, the centipedes will follow. They're predators — where there are small bugs, there's food.
How Do They Get In?
- Door and window gaps — the space under the door, windows not shut tight
- Drains and floor drains — crawling up through the pipes
- Air conditioning line entries and wall cracks — these hidden passageways
- Accidentally carried in on shoes, delivery boxes, etc.
How to Solve the Root Problem?
- Lower indoor humidity (fix leaks, improve ventilation)
- Eliminate other small bugs (cut off the house centipedes' food source)
- Seal gaps (block entry routes)
- Once these two conditions are disrupted, house centipedes simply won't come