QuestionHouse centipede
Are House Centipedes Dangerous? Bites and Real Risk to People
House centipedes are not dangerous to people. They rarely bite, their small venom claws often cannot pierce human skin, and a bite that does get through usually causes only brief pain and swelling, similar to a bee sting. Their venom is meant for insects, and serious reactions are rare.
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Can a house centipede bite you?
Yes, but it rarely happens. The house centipede is shy and fast, and its first reaction to a person is to run. Bites, strictly speaking stings from the venom claws, happen mostly when a centipede is cornered, pressed against skin or picked up.
A centipede does not bite with its mouth. Behind its head is a pair of forcipules, the first pair of body legs changed into curved pincers, each with a venom gland inside. In the house centipede these claws are small, built for insects such as silverfish and cockroaches. They often have difficulty breaking through human skin at all.
House centipedes are not aggressive toward people and do not defend nests or territories. They also do not chase people. When one seems to run at you, it is almost always heading for shelter.
How painful is a house centipede bite?
When a house centipede bite does break the skin, the usual result is a sharp, local pain and some swelling around the spot. It is often compared with a honeybee sting, and nearly all such bites settle down quickly without complications.
As with bee stings, a small number of people can have an allergic reaction. These cases are rare. Anyone who has a severe reaction after any bite or sting should seek emergency medical help immediately: call 911 in the US, 112 in the EU or 999 in the UK.
| Animal | Can it pierce human skin? | Typical effect on people |
|---|---|---|
| House centipede | Sometimes; small claws | Brief pain and swelling, like a bee sting |
| Brown centipede (Lithobius forficatus) | Rarely; very small claws | At most brief local pain |
| Giant desert centipede (Scolopendra heros) | Yes; large claws | Sharp, burning pain and swelling; no confirmed deaths |
| Common house spiders | Often not | At most brief local pain |
The last row is a reminder that the house centipede is in good company: most of the small hunters that share our homes are harmless. For spiders, see Are house spiders dangerous?.
Why do house centipedes come indoors?
House centipedes need damp, sheltered places, because like all centipedes they lack the waxy coating that keeps insects from drying out. Basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms and garages offer the humidity they need, plus a supply of small insects to eat.
The species originally comes from the Mediterranean region, where it lives under stones and in caves. In cooler parts of Europe and North America it depends heavily on buildings, where it can survive the winter and even spend its whole life. People usually notice house centipedes most in spring and autumn, when changing temperatures make them move around.
Their appearance does most of the damage to their reputation. With 15 pairs of long, banded legs, very long antennae and a stop-start dash of about 0.4 m (1.3 ft) per second, a centipede only 2.5–3.5 cm (1–1.4 in) long can look far larger and more threatening than it is.
Do house centipedes damage homes or spread disease?
House centipedes do not chew wood, fabric, paper or stored food. They are strict predators that eat only small animals. They do not feed on blood and are not known to spread disease to people.
They do not build nests, webs or burrows inside buildings either. The main signs of them are the centipedes themselves, seen running across a floor or resting on a wall at night.
House centipedes as insect hunters
Many people choose to tolerate house centipedes because of what they eat. Their recorded prey includes cockroaches, silverfish, termites, bed bugs, ants, spiders and fly larvae.
They hunt mainly at night, finding prey with their sensitive antennae, then jumping on it or wrapping their long legs around it before injecting venom. In feeding experiments, house centipedes even adjusted their tactics to the danger posed by their prey: with wasps, they injected venom and then retreated until it took effect. A venom strong enough to stop a cockroach or a wasp is still a very small dose for an animal the size of a person.
Larger centipedes with more painful bites
All centipedes are venomous, and the risk rises with size. Big species in the genus Scolopendra have powerful claws that easily pierce skin.
- Giant desert centipede (Scolopendra heros): the largest centipede in North America, usually about 17 cm (6.5 in) and up to 20 cm (8 in) long, found from Arizona and New Mexico east to Arkansas, Missouri and Louisiana, and in northern Mexico. Its bite causes sharp, searing local pain and swelling, but no confirmed deaths are known.
- Mediterranean banded centipede (Scolopendra cingulata): the most common large centipede of southern Europe, usually about 10–15 cm (4–6 in) long. Its bite is painful but generally not serious.
- Tropical giants: species such as Scolopendra subspinipes in Asia and the Pacific, and the Amazonian giant centipede in South America, can give very painful bites with swelling and sometimes more general symptoms.
Deaths from centipede bites are extremely rare. The very few reported cases involved large tropical species and mostly young children. The size of these giants is covered in How big do centipedes get?.
Staying safe around centipedes
The simplest rule is to leave centipedes alone. Do not pick them up with bare hands, and remember that bites mostly happen when one is trapped against skin. Giving a house centipede a moment to run for cover is usually all it takes.
In regions with large Scolopendra species, the same respect applies outdoors: they hide under rocks, logs and debris during the day. If anyone develops a severe reaction to a centipede bite, seek emergency medical help immediately (911 in the US, 112 in the EU, 999 in the UK).
In short, the house centipede looks alarming but is one of the least dangerous animals people are likely to meet indoors. Truly dangerous venomous animals, from box jellyfish to inland taipans, are covered in most venomous animals.
Frequently asked questions
Can a house centipede hurt you?
Only slightly, and rarely. A house centipede bites only when pressed against skin or handled, and its small venom claws often fail to break the skin. When they do, the usual effect is brief local pain and swelling, similar to a bee sting.
Are house centipedes poisonous?
They are venomous, not poisonous. Their venom is injected through the venom claws to kill insects and is not harmful to touch. It is mild for people and only matters if a bite actually breaks the skin.
Do house centipedes bite people in their sleep?
There is no evidence that house centipedes seek out sleeping people. They hunt insects and avoid large animals, and bites happen mainly when a centipede is trapped against skin, for example in clothing or bedding.
Do house centipedes spread disease?
They are not known to spread disease to people. They do not feed on blood, food stores, fabric or wood; they eat only small animals such as insects and spiders.
Why do house centipedes run toward you?
They are looking for cover, not attacking. A disturbed house centipede dashes for the nearest dark gap, which can be under furniture or near a person's feet, and its speed makes the movement look more threatening than it is.
Sources and further reading
- Animal Diversity Web (University of Michigan), "Scutigera coleoptrata"
- Encyclopaedia Britannica, "Centipede"
- Lewis, J. G. E., The Biology of Centipedes (Cambridge University Press, 1981)
Cite this page
“Are House Centipedes Dangerous? Bites and Real Risk to People.” Animal Atlas, https://animals.bigworldlist.com/questions/are-house-centipedes-dangerous/.
