Pest Library
Call 1-877-250-3857
or request a FREE consultation online
or request a FREE consultation online
All it takes is one pest sighting to ruin the reputation you’ve worked so hard to build.
Centipede
(Various scientific names)
Centipedes are active at night. While they are helpful by preying on other pests, they are fearsome looking, although it is rare for them to bite a person or pet. Their typical habitat is moist, dark and rarely disturbed areas such as basements, storage rooms and janitor closets.
RISK LEVEL:
LOW
MEDIUM
HIGH
Risk is defined as how much damage each pest can be to you, your family, or your home
 |
|||
| Class: | Order: | Family: | |
| Chilopoda | Various | Various | |
|
|||
| Size: | Centipedes in the adult stage are about 1/8 to 6 in (4-152 mm) long. |
| Color: | Usually yellowish to dark brown, sometimes with darker stripes or marks. |
| Characteristics: | Centipedes are long and flat, with worm-like bodies of many segments. Each segment has one pair of legs. "Centi-" means 100, and "-pede" refers to legs, but centipedes may actually have 15-177 legs. The first pair form claw-like poison fangs. The last two point backward. First instars have only 4 segments, but with each molt more are added. |
| Geographic Range: | These "hundred-footed" creatures are found throughout most of the U.S. and the world. |
| Food: | Small insects, spiders, and sometimes plants. Most of the liquid they need comes from digestion of their prey. |
| Biology: | Females of one type of centipede produce 35 eggs over a period of days. Eggs are laid in or on the soil during the summer. Adults may live a year, and some up to 5-6 years. They are nocturnal, which means they're active at night. |
- Gravitate towards damp areas.
- Live in mulch or areas with a lot of vegetation.
- You are more likely to find a centipede in a dark area, as these nocturnal creatures often avoid daylight.