Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsRiskAppearanceFirst AidHow House Centipedes Get InsideConcerns About Sleeping and Bedding
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Risk
Appearance
First Aid
How House Centipedes Get Inside
Concerns About Sleeping and Bedding
House centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata) are nocturnal venomous predators that prey on household pests like cockroaches, termites, spiders, carpet beetle larvae, and bedbugs. Although house centipedes do bite humans on rare occasions, they don’t seek humans as prey and typically only bite people if they feel threatened or get cornered.
Are house centipedes dangerous? Although house centipedes can move quickly and startle people, they’re not dangerous. The venom in their tiny bodies isn’t abundant enough to seriously harm humans.
That said, a house centipede bite can hurt. A centipede sting can trigger a histamine reaction and swelling similar to a bee sting—but less intense. A centipede bite victim may have an allergic reaction requiring medical attention on rare occasions.
kmatija / Getty Images
Risk of House Centipede Threat to Humans
Most house centipedes are only 1 to 1.5 inches long and don’t carry enough venom topoisonhumans. According to a 2021 study, most centipede bites occur on the feet and hands.
Keeping shoes off the floor and stored on a rack in a brightly lit and dry part of the house makes it less likely centipedes will hide in your footwear. If you’ve recently seen house centipedes in your home, bang your shoes upside down and peek inside before slipping your foot into the shoe. House centipedes act as natural exterminators, preying on harmful pests like:
House centipedes provide more benefits than detriments to humans. So, you shouldn’t squish them.
Where Do House Centipedes Live?House centipedes like warm, humid climates and damp, dark habitats. They’re native to the Mediterranean. Centuries ago, house centipedes were accidentally introduced to the southeastern United States. Nowadays, they can be found everywhere in the U.S. during summertime but are less abundant in colder climates during the winter months.
Where Do House Centipedes Live?
House centipedes like warm, humid climates and damp, dark habitats. They’re native to the Mediterranean. Centuries ago, house centipedes were accidentally introduced to the southeastern United States. Nowadays, they can be found everywhere in the U.S. during summertime but are less abundant in colder climates during the winter months.
How a House Centipede Bite Looks
House centipede bites have a V-shape that looks like a chevron. Because house centipedes “bite” with two pincer-like claws attached to their front legs, they enter at an angle that gives the puncture wound a distinctive V formation.
Symptoms
Although it’s rare for house centipedes to bite humans, if a person gets bitten, symptoms can vary depending on an individual’s sensitivity. Unlike giant centipedes that can stockpile large amounts of venom, house centipedes are small and don’t possess enough venom to cause clinically noteworthy symptoms in humans. Most house centipede bites go unreported because they’re generally innocuous.
Below are seven common symptoms associated with centipede bites and envenomation:
Seek Medical Attention for Severe Reactions
First Aid for a House Centipede Bite
Topical over-the-counter (OTC) corticosteroids such ashydrocortisonecan help with itchiness and reduce inflammation but should be used sparingly and for short durations. Oral OTC antihistamines likeBenadryl (diphenhydramine)can also help reduce venom-induced swelling and itchiness.
Oral analgesics like Tylenol (acetaminophen) ornonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs)such asAleve or Advilcan provide pain relief and reduce inflammation.
House centipedes sneak into people’s homes via unsealed cracks in the foundation or gaps around windows and doors. They can also crawl up drains or get inside through utility vents.
To prevent house centipedes from invading your home, seal cracks, minimize gaps between windows and doors, put caulking or foam around vents, and use mesh screens on top of drains to block their entrance. Sticky traps can also be set to catch them.
Additionally, if your house is free of pests like flies, cockroaches, termites, bedbugs, and carpet beetle larvae, centipedes are less likely to stick around because they won’t have a reliable food source to prey upon.
Do house centipedes crawl into your bed? Yes, centipedes can crawl into your bed. However, they’re less likely to be in your bedroom if you seal entry points such as window cracks, use a dehumidifier to reduce dampness, keep clutter off the floor, and set sticky traps along baseboards. Taking steps to make your bedroom a centipede-free zone can minimize concerns about sleeping through the night.
If you live in a centipede-prone area, brighten the lights before bed. Centipedes like dimly lit spaces and will scurry when the lights come on. Also, shake out your pillowcases regularly and make your bed daily with tightly tucked-in sheets. Bedding that’s crumpled up and isn’t flat is more inviting to house centipedes because they can find dark, cavernous places to hide between the crinkled folds.
Summary
House centipedes can bite people, but their bites aren’t dangerous. Most centipede bites make a small V-shaped wound that will heal quickly with standard first aid. Although the venom of larger centipede species can harm humans, house centipedes are only about an inch long and don’t store enough venom to hurt us. On rare occasion, someone might have an allergic reaction to a centipede bite. If this happens, seek medical attention immediately or use an EpiPen to control the allergic reaction.
By nature, house centipedes are shy around people and will try to scurry away from humans whenever possible. They come out at night and like dark, humid places. Seeing a “hundred-legger” darting around your house when you flick on the lights may startle you, but centipedes won’t bite you unless they feel threatened or trapped. Most centipede bites happen when someone slips their foot into a shoe with a centipede hiding in the toe box. To make your house a centipede-free zone, seal cracks to the outdoors, keep shoes off the floor, dehumidify the air, clean regularly, and reduce clutter.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mavridis IN, Meliou M, Pyrgelis ES.Clinical consequences of centipede bite: Is it neurotoxic?WJN. 2016;6(2):23. doI:10.5316/wjn.v6.i2.23Undheim EAB, Fry BG, King GF.Centipede venom: recent discoveries and current state of knowledge.Toxins. 2015;7(3):679-704. doI:10.3390/toxins7030679Haddad V Jr, Haddad de Amorim PC, Rassi da Cruz C, Amaral ALS.Centipede envenomation (Chilopoda): case report.Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2022;55:e0601-2022. doI:10.1590/0037-8682-0601-2021Niruntarai S, Rueanpingwang K, Othong R.Patients with centipede bites presenting to a university hospital in Bangkok: a 10-year retrospective study.Clinical Toxicology. 2021;59(8):721-726. doI:10.1080/15563650.2020.1865543Penn State Extension.House centipedes.Cooper AM, Fox GA, Nelsen DR, Hayes WK.Variation in venom yield and protein concentration of the centipedesScolopendra polymorphaandScolopendra subspinipes.Toxicon. 2014;82:30-51. doI:10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.02.003Undheim EAB, Fry BG, King GF.Centipede venom: recent discoveries and current state of knowledge.Toxins. 2015;7(3):679-704. doi:10.3390/toxins7030679Additional ReadingUndheim EAB, Jenner RA, King GF.Centipede venoms as a source of drug leads.Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery. 2016;11(12):1139-1149. doI:10.1080/17460441.2016.1235155
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Mavridis IN, Meliou M, Pyrgelis ES.Clinical consequences of centipede bite: Is it neurotoxic?WJN. 2016;6(2):23. doI:10.5316/wjn.v6.i2.23Undheim EAB, Fry BG, King GF.Centipede venom: recent discoveries and current state of knowledge.Toxins. 2015;7(3):679-704. doI:10.3390/toxins7030679Haddad V Jr, Haddad de Amorim PC, Rassi da Cruz C, Amaral ALS.Centipede envenomation (Chilopoda): case report.Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2022;55:e0601-2022. doI:10.1590/0037-8682-0601-2021Niruntarai S, Rueanpingwang K, Othong R.Patients with centipede bites presenting to a university hospital in Bangkok: a 10-year retrospective study.Clinical Toxicology. 2021;59(8):721-726. doI:10.1080/15563650.2020.1865543Penn State Extension.House centipedes.Cooper AM, Fox GA, Nelsen DR, Hayes WK.Variation in venom yield and protein concentration of the centipedesScolopendra polymorphaandScolopendra subspinipes.Toxicon. 2014;82:30-51. doI:10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.02.003Undheim EAB, Fry BG, King GF.Centipede venom: recent discoveries and current state of knowledge.Toxins. 2015;7(3):679-704. doi:10.3390/toxins7030679Additional ReadingUndheim EAB, Jenner RA, King GF.Centipede venoms as a source of drug leads.Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery. 2016;11(12):1139-1149. doI:10.1080/17460441.2016.1235155
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Mavridis IN, Meliou M, Pyrgelis ES.Clinical consequences of centipede bite: Is it neurotoxic?WJN. 2016;6(2):23. doI:10.5316/wjn.v6.i2.23Undheim EAB, Fry BG, King GF.Centipede venom: recent discoveries and current state of knowledge.Toxins. 2015;7(3):679-704. doI:10.3390/toxins7030679Haddad V Jr, Haddad de Amorim PC, Rassi da Cruz C, Amaral ALS.Centipede envenomation (Chilopoda): case report.Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2022;55:e0601-2022. doI:10.1590/0037-8682-0601-2021Niruntarai S, Rueanpingwang K, Othong R.Patients with centipede bites presenting to a university hospital in Bangkok: a 10-year retrospective study.Clinical Toxicology. 2021;59(8):721-726. doI:10.1080/15563650.2020.1865543Penn State Extension.House centipedes.Cooper AM, Fox GA, Nelsen DR, Hayes WK.Variation in venom yield and protein concentration of the centipedesScolopendra polymorphaandScolopendra subspinipes.Toxicon. 2014;82:30-51. doI:10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.02.003Undheim EAB, Fry BG, King GF.Centipede venom: recent discoveries and current state of knowledge.Toxins. 2015;7(3):679-704. doi:10.3390/toxins7030679
Mavridis IN, Meliou M, Pyrgelis ES.Clinical consequences of centipede bite: Is it neurotoxic?WJN. 2016;6(2):23. doI:10.5316/wjn.v6.i2.23
Undheim EAB, Fry BG, King GF.Centipede venom: recent discoveries and current state of knowledge.Toxins. 2015;7(3):679-704. doI:10.3390/toxins7030679
Haddad V Jr, Haddad de Amorim PC, Rassi da Cruz C, Amaral ALS.Centipede envenomation (Chilopoda): case report.Rev Soc Bras Med Trop. 2022;55:e0601-2022. doI:10.1590/0037-8682-0601-2021
Niruntarai S, Rueanpingwang K, Othong R.Patients with centipede bites presenting to a university hospital in Bangkok: a 10-year retrospective study.Clinical Toxicology. 2021;59(8):721-726. doI:10.1080/15563650.2020.1865543
Penn State Extension.House centipedes.
Cooper AM, Fox GA, Nelsen DR, Hayes WK.Variation in venom yield and protein concentration of the centipedesScolopendra polymorphaandScolopendra subspinipes.Toxicon. 2014;82:30-51. doI:10.1016/j.toxicon.2014.02.003
Undheim EAB, Fry BG, King GF.Centipede venom: recent discoveries and current state of knowledge.Toxins. 2015;7(3):679-704. doi:10.3390/toxins7030679
Undheim EAB, Jenner RA, King GF.Centipede venoms as a source of drug leads.Expert Opinion on Drug Discovery. 2016;11(12):1139-1149. doI:10.1080/17460441.2016.1235155
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
