How to Get Rid of Centipedes: Understanding and Eliminating These Unwelcome House Guests

Centipedes have been scuttling through human dwellings since we first started building shelters, yet most people's reaction upon seeing one hasn't changed much over the millennia—a mix of fascination and revulsion that sends us reaching for the nearest shoe. These prehistoric-looking arthropods, with their seemingly endless parade of legs and lightning-fast movements, represent one of nature's most successful designs. But success in evolution doesn't necessarily translate to welcome houseguest status.

I've spent years dealing with various pest issues in homes across different climates, and centipedes remain one of the most misunderstood creatures I encounter. Unlike many pests that invade our homes seeking food from our pantries or blood from our veins, centipedes are actually predators that often indicate a larger ecosystem at play within your walls. Their presence tells a story—one that, once understood, reveals the path to their removal.

The Centipede Paradox

Here's something that might surprise you: having a centipede or two in your basement might actually be doing you a favor. These arthropods are voracious predators that feast on other household pests like silverfish, cockroach nymphs, spiders, and even bed bugs. In my early days of pest management, I remember advising a client to leave a particularly large house centipede alone in their basement workshop. Six months later, they called to thank me—their persistent silverfish problem had vanished entirely.

But I get it. Most people don't want to share their living space with anything that looks like it crawled out of a horror movie, beneficial or not. The common house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) can grow up to 1.5 inches long, sport up to 15 pairs of legs, and move at speeds that would make a cheetah jealous—relatively speaking. Their alien appearance and unpredictable darting movements trigger something primal in us.

Understanding Your Enemy (Or Reluctant Ally)

Before we dive into removal methods, it's worth understanding what you're dealing with. Centipedes aren't insects—they're myriapods, more closely related to millipedes than to the six-legged creatures we typically associate with pest problems. The house centipede you're most likely to encounter has a yellowish-gray body with three dark stripes running down its back, and those famous long legs that seem to ripple like waves when they run.

What draws them inside? Moisture and food. Centipedes need humid environments to survive because they lack the waxy coating that helps other arthropods retain moisture. They're also following their prey—if you have centipedes, you almost certainly have other bugs they're hunting. This creates an interesting dilemma: the centipede is both a symptom and a partial solution to your pest problem.

I once worked with a historic home in New England where the owners complained of frequent centipede sightings. After some investigation, we discovered a thriving population of sowbugs in their damp basement—the centipedes were simply following the buffet. By addressing the moisture issue and the sowbug infestation, the centipedes disappeared on their own within weeks.

The Nuclear Option: Direct Elimination

Let's be honest—sometimes you just need that centipede gone immediately. When one scurries across your bathroom floor at 2 AM, you're not thinking about ecological balance. For immediate removal, you have several options, though I'll warn you that squashing them often leaves a mess and doesn't address why they're there in the first place.

A vacuum cleaner becomes your best friend for quick removal. The suction kills them instantly (despite urban legends about them crawling back out), and you avoid the unpleasant crunch and potential stain on your wall. Just remember to empty the vacuum bag or canister outside immediately—I've seen too many people forget this step and wonder why bugs keep reappearing.

For those who prefer a less hands-on approach, sticky traps placed along baseboards and in corners can be remarkably effective. Centipedes often run along walls, and their numerous legs make them particularly vulnerable to getting stuck. I've found that placing these traps behind furniture and in dark corners yields the best results. One autumn, I helped a friend who was finding 3-4 centipedes weekly in her bathroom. Two strategically placed glue traps caught over a dozen in the first week alone—along with an assortment of spiders and silverfish that explained the centipede congregation.

Chemical sprays marketed for centipedes exist, but here's my controversial take: they're largely unnecessary and often counterproductive. Centipedes are highly sensitive to most insecticides, so any general household spray will kill them on contact. The problem is that spraying doesn't address why they're there, and you might actually increase your other pest problems by eliminating their predator.

The Long Game: Environmental Modification

Real centipede control isn't about killing every one you see—it's about making your home inhospitable to them. This approach takes more effort initially but pays dividends in long-term peace of mind.

Moisture control stands as your primary weapon. Centipedes can't survive in dry environments, period. I've seen elaborate pest control systems fail where a simple dehumidifier succeeded. Aim for indoor humidity levels below 50%, especially in basements and crawl spaces. Fix leaky pipes immediately—even small drips create the microenvironments centipedes love. That perpetually damp spot under your bathroom sink? It's basically a centipede oasis.

One client I worked with had tried everything—sprays, traps, even professional fumigation—but centipedes kept appearing in her finished basement. We discovered that her sump pump was creating a humid microclimate every time it ran. Installing a sealed sump pump cover and running a dehumidifier solved a problem that had persisted for years.

Sealing entry points requires detective work. Centipedes can squeeze through remarkably small gaps—if light can pass through, so can they. Focus on the intersection between your foundation and siding, gaps around pipes entering the home, and the often-overlooked space beneath doors. Steel wool works wonders for filling larger gaps, while silicone caulk handles the smaller ones. Don't forget about drains—centipedes often enter through floor drains in basements. Installing drain covers or using drain plugs when not in use can significantly reduce infiltration.

The Ecosystem Approach

Here's where my philosophy might diverge from typical pest control advice: sometimes the best solution involves thinking bigger. If you're seeing multiple centipedes regularly, you have a food web established in your home. Eliminating their food source often proves more effective than targeting centipedes directly.

Start by identifying what they're eating. Silverfish leave telltale feeding marks on paper and fabric. Sowbugs and pillbugs indicate moisture problems. Spiders suggest flying insects. Each prey species points to specific environmental conditions you can modify. I remember working with a bookstore owner who was horrified by centipedes in his rare book section. Investigation revealed a silverfish infestation attracted by high humidity and old glue in the book bindings. We solved both problems by improving ventilation and using silica gel packets to control moisture in the book storage areas.

This ecosystem thinking extends to outdoor management too. Centipedes often establish populations in mulch beds, leaf litter, and other moist organic matter near your foundation. Maintaining a dry barrier of gravel or bare soil at least 12 inches wide around your home's perimeter creates a desert they're reluctant to cross. Remove ivy and other climbing plants from exterior walls—they trap moisture and provide highways for centipedes and other pests.

Natural Deterrents and Folk Wisdom

Over the years, I've heard countless home remedies for centipede control. Some work, some don't, and some fall into that gray area of "it can't hurt to try." Diatomaceous earth, that darling of natural pest control, does work against centipedes by damaging their exoskeleton and causing dehydration. Spread it in areas where you've seen centipedes, but remember—it only works when dry and needs reapplication after cleaning.

Essential oils like tea tree, peppermint, and eucalyptus do seem to repel centipedes, though the effect is temporary. I've had clients swear by cedar oil in particular. The science behind this is sound—many arthropods avoid strong volatile compounds that could indicate toxic plants. However, you'd need to reapply these oils frequently to maintain effectiveness, and some pets might be sensitive to them.

One folk remedy I can't endorse: the old advice about encouraging house spiders to control centipedes. While spiders and centipedes do sometimes prey on each other, you're essentially choosing between two predators that many people find equally unwelcome. Plus, centipedes are often the victors in these encounters thanks to their speed and venomous bite.

When Professional Help Makes Sense

Sometimes, despite your best efforts, centipedes persist. Professional intervention makes sense when you're seeing multiple centipedes daily, when they're appearing in bedrooms or living areas rather than basements, or when DIY methods haven't worked after several weeks of consistent application.

A good pest control professional won't just spray and leave. They should conduct a thorough inspection, identify contributing factors, and develop an integrated management plan. Be wary of anyone who promises complete elimination—some level of occasional intrusion is normal in most climates. What you're aiming for is reduction to barely noticeable levels.

I'll share a trade secret: many professionals use the same methods I've outlined here, just with access to more powerful dehumidification equipment and commercial-grade sealing materials. The magic isn't in secret chemicals—it's in systematic application of proven principles.

Living With Reality

Here's my final thought, and it might not be what you want to hear: unless you live in a hermetically sealed bubble, you'll probably encounter the occasional centipede. They've been around for 400 million years and have survived everything nature has thrown at them. A completely centipede-free existence, especially in humid climates or older homes, might be an unrealistic goal.

What you can achieve is a home where centipede sightings are rare surprises rather than daily occurrences. By controlling moisture, eliminating their food sources, and sealing major entry points, you can reduce their numbers to the point where that random centipede every few months seems like no big deal. And who knows—you might even develop a grudging respect for these ancient predators. After all, that centipede you see darting across your basement floor might have just finished devouring a dozen silverfish eggs or a brown recluse spider.

The key is shifting from reactive panic to proactive management. Every time you fix a leaky pipe, seal a crack, or reduce clutter where pests can hide, you're making your home a little less hospitable to centipedes and their prey. It's not about winning a war—it's about negotiating a peace treaty where both species can coexist with minimal interaction.

In my years dealing with household pests, I've learned that the most successful approaches acknowledge the reality of our shared ecosystem while establishing clear boundaries. Your home doesn't have to be a centipede highway, but expecting it to be an impenetrable fortress might lead to frustration. Find your balance, implement these strategies consistently, and those multi-legged midnight surprises should become increasingly rare.

Authoritative Sources:

Potter, Michael F. Urban Entomology: Insect and Mite Pests in the Human Environment. Chapman and Hall, 1994.

Jacobs, Steve. "House Centipedes." Penn State Extension, Pennsylvania State University, 2017. extension.psu.edu/house-centipedes

Barnes, Jeffrey K. "House Centipede." Arthropod Museum, University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, 2019. arthropod.uark.edu/house-centipede

Cranshaw, Whitney, and Richard Redak. Bugs Rule!: An Introduction to the World of Insects. Princeton University Press, 2013.

Hahn, Jeffrey, and Mark Ascerno. "Centipedes and Millipedes." University of Minnesota Extension, 2018. extension.umn.edu/nuisance-insects/centipedes-and-millipedes

National Pesticide Information Center. "Controlling Pests in Homes." Oregon State University, 2020. npic.orst.edu/pest/homes.html