Identification
Scutigera coleoptrata is one of the most distinctive household arthropods in BC. The body is flat, yellowish-grey to tan, with three dark longitudinal stripes running the length of the dorsal surface. Body length is 25 to 50mm, but the impression of size is much larger because of the 15 pairs of exceptionally long, slender legs — total leg-tip-to-leg-tip span can exceed 75mm. The rear pair of legs in adult females can be nearly twice body length and are often mistaken for antennae, making it difficult for a homeowner to tell which end is the head. Movement is astonishingly fast — house centipedes can sprint at 0.4 metres per second and are capable of climbing vertical surfaces. They are strictly nocturnal and intensely photophobic; daytime sightings are rare except in heavily infested spaces.
Habitat in BC
House centipedes live in the dark humid corners of Metro Vancouver homes, which in our wet coastal climate is essentially every basement, crawlspace, laundry room, bathroom wall void, and garage-to-foundation junction in an older home. They require moisture and reliably prey on small arthropods — which means any home with silverfish, cockroaches, earwigs, or spider populations has ideal house-centipede habitat. Distribution is region-wide across Metro Vancouver. Population density is higher in pre-1990 housing stock with less aggressive moisture control and in homes with active below-grade spaces (finished basements, crawlspaces, garden sheds attached to structures).
Signs you have house centipede
- A fast-moving multi-legged arthropod sprinting across a basement floor, bathroom wall, or laundry-room ceiling — usually at night when a light is turned on.
- Shed exoskeletons (ghostly leg-covered shapes) in rarely-cleaned corners of basements or crawlspaces.
- Sudden daytime sightings in heavily infested homes (usually means insufficient night harbourage or saturation of night territory).
- Reduction in silverfish, earwig, or small-cockroach sightings in the same area — house centipedes effectively suppress other arthropods.
- Occasional sightings in kitchen sinks or bathtubs where a centipede entered for moisture and couldn't climb out.
Risk & damage
Effectively zero meaningful risk to humans. House centipedes can technically bite defensively if trapped or squeezed in bare hands, and the bite is reportedly mild — similar to a bee sting at worst for non-allergic adults. Unprovoked biting is essentially unheard of. Centipedes are not disease vectors, do not contaminate food surfaces in any meaningful way, and do not damage structures or stored goods. The opposite is actually true: a healthy house-centipede population provides real biological pest control, consuming silverfish, cockroach nymphs, earwigs, small spiders, and other household arthropods that are themselves either nuisance or damage pests. The only legitimate reasons to reduce centipede density are aesthetic and personal discomfort.
Seasonality in Metro Vancouver
House centipedes are active year-round indoors with minimal seasonal variation in heated BC homes. Outdoor populations in attached garden sheds, garages, and crawlspaces show slight summer peaks aligned with prey abundance. The species does not reproduce rapidly — individuals can live 3 to 7 years and take 3 years to reach sexual maturity — so populations build slowly and persist. Metro Vancouver homeowners often notice centipedes more in late summer and early fall when males are active-searching for mates and juveniles have reached visible sizes; this is a visibility effect rather than a population surge.
Treatment approach
Because house centipedes are genuinely beneficial, our default recommendation is not a dedicated centipede treatment — eliminating centipedes typically worsens underlying pest populations (silverfish, cockroach nymphs, earwigs) they were suppressing. For clients with meaningful aesthetic or phobic concerns, our quarterly plan includes perimeter residual treatment that reduces centipede density as a side effect of treating the actual target pests. Moisture management (basement dehumidification, bathroom ventilation, sealing foundation cracks, eliminating standing water) is the single most effective intervention — reducing the prey population reduces the centipede population as a secondary effect. We strongly discourage standalone centipede-elimination treatment because it removes a beneficial predator without solving any actual pest issue.
When to call a professional
For centipedes alone, rarely. Call if you have strong arachnophobia or centipedophobia that meaningfully affects use of your home, if you want perimeter pest management that will reduce centipede density as a side effect (quarterly plan), or if centipede density has become genuinely disruptive (multiple sightings per week across multiple rooms, which usually indicates an underlying silverfish or roach infestation worth targeting specifically). For the vast majority of Metro Vancouver homes, occasional house-centipede sightings are biologically normal and not an infestation worth treating.
Prevention playbook
How to prevent house centipede in Metro Vancouver homes
- 1
Reduce basement and crawlspace moisture
House centipedes require humidity. Fix any water leaks, run a dehumidifier (target <55% RH), ensure proper crawlspace vapour barrier and ventilation.
- 2
Eliminate the prey population
Centipedes eat bed bug eggs, cockroach nymphs, silverfish, and small spiders. If centipedes are persistent, another pest population is sustaining them — treat the underlying pest, and centipedes disappear.
- 3
Vacuum sightings rather than crush
Centipedes move extremely fast and releasing defensive fluids when crushed is unpleasant. Vacuum is the preferred removal method for individual encounters.
- 4
Seal exterior cracks
Foundation cracks, gaps around dryer vents, and unsealed window frames allow centipede entry. Basic exclusion sealing stops most intrusion.
- 5
Consider leaving them in utility spaces
In garages, crawlspaces, and utility rooms, house centipedes are net-beneficial predators. Removal is only worth it in occupied living spaces.
The Wild Pest service
See our House Centipede treatment page
Transparent pricing, 60-day return guarantee, same-day response across Metro Vancouver. Every treatment is documented with photos and service notes.
Frequently asked questions about house centipede
Are house centipedes dangerous?+
Not meaningfully. Scutigera coleoptrata can defensively bite if crushed or cornered in bare hands, but unprovoked biting is essentially unheard of. A defensive bite is reportedly similar to a bee sting and requires no more than routine first aid. They are not disease vectors, do not damage structures, do not contaminate food surfaces. For the average BC homeowner the risk is effectively zero.
Why are they so scary-looking?+
Legs. A house centipede has 15 pairs of exceptionally long slender legs that produce an unmistakable silhouette moving at high speed across a basement floor. The evolution of the body plan is optimised for sprinting and catching prey — the long legs allow rapid direction changes and vertical climbing. The visual signature is startling in a way that the animal's actual threat level does not justify. They look terrifying and act essentially harmless.
Will they eat my silverfish?+
Yes, and your cockroach nymphs, earwigs, small spiders, and various other household arthropods. A healthy house-centipede population is one of the most effective forms of passive pest control a BC homeowner can have. This is why we generally recommend against standalone centipede elimination — removing them almost always worsens the underlying pests they were suppressing. Moisture control and broader quarterly pest management is a better framework than centipede-specific treatment.
Can I just vacuum them up?+
You can, and it's the simplest removal method for an individual centipede you don't want in the house. Vacuuming does not meaningfully reduce the overall population — new individuals will replace vacuumed ones within days in a home with underlying prey. For a single sighting, vacuum and move on. For routine multiple sightings, address the underlying moisture and prey issues rather than the centipedes directly.
What's the difference between a house centipede and a millipede?+
Legs per body segment, body shape, and behaviour. House centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata) have one pair of legs per segment (total 15 pairs), a flat body, and are fast predators. Millipedes have two pairs of legs per segment (hundreds of legs total), a cylindrical body, move slowly, and are detritivores — they eat decaying plant material, not other insects. Millipedes in BC basements (usually Oxidus gracilis or native species) are harmless and much slower-moving than centipedes.
Related species