Identify the house centipede, understand why it shows up, and control it by cutting the moisture and prey it depends on.
Call (619) 421 - 2101Centipedes are fast, many-legged predators most often found in damp, dark spots — basements, crawl spaces, and around landscaping. They look alarming, but they are largely harmless and even useful, since they hunt other household pests. This Integrated Pest Management (IPM) plan focuses on monitoring, moisture control, and habitat changes, with chemical treatment reserved as a final step.
The key insight with centipedes is that they are usually a symptom: they show up where there is dampness and prey. Fix those and the centipedes tend to leave with them.
Want a tailored centipede IPM plan for your property?
Call (619) 421 - 2101 →These two get mixed up constantly — here is how to tell the fast predator from the slow crawler.
The fast, leggy hunter people find startling in bathrooms and basements. It rarely bites and actually helps, feeding on the other pests you would rather not have.
The slow, round-bodied crawler often confused with centipedes. Harmless and moisture-driven — see our separate millipede plan.
How GC Termite Control manages centipedes — from moisture control to a judicious chemical last resort.
Centipedes hide by day, so the best time to find them — and understand why they are there — is at night.
Centipedes need dampness and prey, so removing both is the foundation of control.
A drier, tidier structure gives centipedes far fewer places to shelter.
Natural predators help keep centipede numbers down outdoors.
Sealing and simple removal handle the centipedes that make it indoors.
Because centipedes are usually a symptom, treatment is targeted and reserved for persistent cases.
Dry out the damp spots and cut off the prey and entry points centipedes rely on.
Fix leaks and ventilate damp basements and crawl spaces
Improve drainage and reduce standing water outside
Run a dehumidifier in persistently damp rooms
Seal cracks, crevices, plumbing, and utility gaps
Add or repair door sweeps on exterior doors
Clear clutter and organic debris from storage and foundations
Reduce mulch depth and keep shrubs trimmed back
Control other insects — centipedes follow their prey
GC Termite Control will pinpoint the moisture and pest problems drawing centipedes in and build an integrated plan that resolves the cause, not just the symptom.
Not really. House centipedes rarely bite people, and on the uncommon occasion one does, it is usually no worse than a bee sting. They are mostly harmless and even beneficial, since they hunt roaches, spiders, silverfish, and other household pests.
Centipedes are flat and fast, with one pair of legs per body segment, and they are predators. Millipedes are round and slow, with two pairs of legs per segment, and they eat decaying plant matter. The quick tell: if it darts across the floor, it is a centipede.
Two reasons: moisture and prey. Centipedes need damp harborage and other insects to hunt, so finding them often means you also have a humidity problem and a supply of smaller pests. That is why controlling centipedes usually means addressing what drew them in.
Dry out damp areas, reduce the insects they feed on, and seal entry points. Because centipedes are as much a symptom as a pest, controlling moisture and prey typically clears them without heavy pesticide use. GC Termite Control offers a free review and estimate for stubborn cases.
