Never kill a house centipede again. I had no idea… See more
Never squash the centipedes you find in your home: the silent ally you didn’t know you had
Santiago, Chile – If you’ve ever found a centipede in the corner of the bathroom, under the sink, or scurrying along a wall, your first instinct was probably to squash it. A multi-legged critter? Out with it! But before you get out the broom or your shoe, there’s something you should know: this little invader can be one of your best allies at home.
Although they may look terrifying, especially with their segmented bodies and multiple, flitting legs, house centipedes (known as Scutigera coleoptrata ) are not dangerous to humans . In fact, they are natural hunters that will feed on your home’s true enemies: cockroaches, spiders, termites, bed bugs, ants, and even mosquito larvae.
A natural predator
The house centipede possesses impressive agility, thanks to its 15 pairs of legs. It is nocturnal, silent, and extremely efficient. It doesn’t build webs or traps; it simply hunts. Its venom is sufficient to immobilize its prey, but it is completely harmless to humans and pets .
“It’s like having a little exterminator living with you,” says Juan Pablo Medina, a biologist specializing in urban entomology. “Where there are centipedes, there’s likely a food source for them, which means they’re helping you control other pests.”
Why do they appear at home?
Centipedes prefer damp, dark, and quiet environments, which is why they are often found in bathrooms, basements, behind furniture, or near leaky pipes. They don’t cause structural damage or feed on wood or clothing, like other insects. They also don’t build nests, so colonies can thrive like ants or cockroaches.
What to do if you see one?
Instead of killing it, it’s best to carefully capture it and release it in another part of the house where it can continue hunting, or even in the garden. If you’d rather not see it, you can take steps to keep it out of sight, such as reducing humidity in bathrooms, sealing cracks in walls and floors, and maintaining good household hygiene.
A lesson in coexistence
At a time when most of us are looking for eco-friendly and less invasive solutions for pest control, understanding the role certain insects play in the home ecosystem can make a huge difference. Squashing them instinctively can be not only unnecessary, but counterproductive.
“While not everyone wants to live with centipedes, it’s important to change perceptions: not everything that seems ugly or strange is a threat,” the biologist concludes.
So the next time you see a centipede in your home, take a deep breath, put away your shoe… and remember: that little, many-legged monster could be protecting you while you sleep.
