Is that a house centipede?

How to identify a house centipede

The house centipede (*Scutigera coleoptrata*) has 15 pairs of long, thin legs that get longer towards the back, violet bands on the legs, three dark stripes along the body, long feelers and large eyes. Naturespot gives its length as up to 5 cm. It moves in quick bursts.

Most centipedes found in British homes are ordinary garden centipedes: brown, flat, a few centimetres long with much shorter legs. They also have one pair of legs per body segment.

Lookalikes

• Millipedes have two pairs of legs per segment, are slow and curl up when touched. They eat plant matter and are harmless.
• Garden centipedes (such as the stone centipede) are the common brown ones and are far more likely than a house centipede.
• House spiders have eight legs, not 30. See house spiders.

Why they are indoors, and are they harmful?

Centipedes hunt, and they come in following prey: spiders, silverfish, woodlice and flies. Damp, dark, undisturbed rooms suit them. The house centipede was long considered rare in Britain, but the British Myriapod and Isopod Group logged 99 sightings in 2024 alone, more than all earlier records combined, and it now reaches from southern England up to Yorkshire and Lancashire.

Centipedes kill prey with venom, but they are not aggressive towards people. A bite is unusual and has been described as similar to a bee sting. Seek medical advice if you have a strong reaction. They do not damage the building or food.

How to get rid of them

A centipede is a sign of a food source. Reduce what it is hunting.

• Fix damp and improve ventilation.
• Seal gaps around pipes, skirting boards and door thresholds.
• Clear clutter and stored boxes from basements and bathrooms.
• Deal with other insects, such as silverfish or woodlice.

To remove one, trap it under a glass and slide a card beneath, then release it outside. Centipedes are quick, so wear gloves if you are anxious. Do not squash it against skin.

When a professional is worth it

Rarely. A single centipede is not an infestation, and spraying is poor value because the real fix is removing its prey and the damp. A pest controller is worth calling if you are seeing centipedes repeatedly alongside many other insects, which points to a wider problem such as damp or an insect infestation that needs treating at source.