What House Centipedes Look Like
- Size: Body about one to one and a half inches long, with legs that make it look larger
- Legs: Fifteen pairs of long, thin legs, with the back pair the longest
- Color: Yellowish gray with three dark stripes down the back
- Speed: Very fast, and it can run across walls and ceilings
- Habits: Mostly active at night, and it hides in dark, damp places by day
Centipedes are often confused with millipedes. Millipedes are slow, rounded and tend to curl up in a coil. They eat decaying plants, not insects, and they are found more often outdoors, in mulch and damp soil.
Why You Have Centipedes
Centipedes are predators. They hunt other insects and spiders, and they only come into a house when there is food and moisture. Regional summer humidity often runs about 65–75%, helping damp hiding places stay attractive.
- Other pests indoors. They eat spiders, silverfish, cockroaches, ants, flies and other small insects
- Damp areas. Basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms and crawl spaces with high humidity are ideal
- Hiding spots. Piles of boxes, stored items, cracks in walls and gaps under baseboards give them cover
- Outdoor conditions. Mulch, leaf litter, stones and wood next to the foundation give centipedes shelter close to the house
In Downers Grove, many homes have basements and older foundations with places for moisture and insects to build up. That makes centipedes a common find there. The typical local home was built around 1974, and clay soils and pockets of high groundwater can add to basement moisture that favors centipedes and the silverfish, cockroaches and ants they hunt.
Are Centipedes Dangerous?
House centipedes are considered mostly harmless to people.
- They rarely bite, and usually only if they are handled or trapped against skin
- A bite is described as similar to a bee sting, with short lived pain and mild swelling
- They do not damage property or spread disease
- They help by eating other pests
Still, most people do not want them around. Seeing many of them is a sign of an insect problem or moisture in the home.
Where Centipedes Hide
- Basements and crawl spaces
- Bathrooms, near drains and under sinks
- Laundry rooms and utility areas
- Closets and storage boxes
- Behind baseboards and in wall gaps
- Garages and window wells
- Under mulch, rocks, stones, leaves and boards outdoors
How We Get Rid of Centipedes
1. Inspection. We check basements, bathrooms, crawl spaces and the outside of your home to find where centipedes live and what they are eating.
2. Treat hiding areas. We treat cracks, baseboards, corners and other places where centipedes hide and travel indoors, and treat the outside perimeter of the home.
3. Deal with their food. Since centipedes feed on other insects, reducing those pests is key to keeping centipedes away.
4. Reduce moisture and shelter. We point out damp areas, gaps and outdoor debris that draw centipedes and their prey.
5. Follow up. We check the results and adjust the treatment as needed.
What You Can Do at Home
- Run a dehumidifier in basements and damp rooms
- Fix leaks and improve ventilation in bathrooms and laundry areas
- Seal gaps around pipes, doors, windows and foundation cracks
- Clear clutter and cardboard boxes from basements and storage areas
- Move mulch, leaf piles, wood and stones away from the foundation
- Clean gutters and make sure water drains away from the house
- Reduce other pests, such as spiders and silverfish, that centipedes feed on
Centipede Control Across Downers Grove
We treat centipedes in homes and businesses throughout Downers Grove, including ZIP codes 60515 and 60516, and in nearby towns such as Lisle, Woodridge, Westmont and Darien. If you are close by, call us anyway.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are house centipedes dangerous?
Not really. They can bite if trapped or handled, but it is rare, and the bite is usually mild. They do not damage property or carry disease.
Why do I see centipedes in my bathroom or basement?
They like damp, dark places with plenty of insects to eat. Bathrooms, basements and laundry rooms give them both moisture and food.
Do centipedes mean I have other pests?
Often yes. Centipedes eat other insects, so a lot of them can mean you have spiders, silverfish, roaches or other bugs nearby. Treating those pests helps get rid of the centipedes.
How do I tell a centipede from a millipede?
Centipedes are fast, flat and have one pair of legs on each body segment. Millipedes are slow, round and have two pairs of legs per segment. Millipedes also tend to curl into a coil when touched.
Should I just leave them alone?
A few centipedes eating other insects is not harmful. If you have many, or if you do not want them around, treating them and the conditions that attract them is a good idea.
How long does it take to get rid of centipedes?
Most homes see fewer centipedes within a few weeks once the insects they eat and the moisture are dealt with. Results build over time.
Is centipede treatment safe for children and pets?
Your technician follows the product label and tells you where products were applied and how long to keep children and pets away from treated areas.
Related services: Silverfish Control | Spider Control | Earwig Control