House Centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata)

On Mar 10, 2021, Polaris08 from Saint Paul, MN wrote:

While living in Saint Paul, Minnesota I have seen these guys a few times throughout the years. Terrified me, so I never attempted to kill them or anything. It’s cool to know they have the benefits described here. Almost always in warmer months, but I have seen these centipedes at least a dozen times here.

On Apr 30, 2020, MelanieLynne from Naugatuck, CT wrote:

OH.....MY......LORD! I live in Connecticut and have come in contact with these creepy crawlers many times in my life and each time have been thoroughly and utterly freaked out but I just moved into a new duplex in Naugatuck, Ct and 4 times now I've seen these bugs here but they are humongous! At least 7 or 8 inches and they run so fast and come out of nowhere and I swear that I have a panic attack and run and scream for my husband and jump up and down and actually lose my breath and can't breath and have to try so hard to calm.myself down! I am really grossed out by bugs but I'm a mom and a strong woman and we gotta do what we gotta do for our kids which includes saving them from every bug that happens to come into their vision but these house centipedes.....I just can't, like physically ... read moreand mentally cannot get up the courage to face these big suckers...I mean I swear I thought it was a rat or big mouse when I first encountered one here last week in my basement and I refuse to go down there alone since......and we are running out of clean clothes..lol. So if anyone has any suggestion on how to conquer my fear so that I can resume doing laundry or if you know how to get rid of them please please let me know! I can't believe the affect these have on me, I've never been so scared of a harmless bug that I have a panic attack and hyperventilate.....ugliest things ever!

On Dec 9, 2017, aashemichbeth from Fayetteville, NC wrote:

I found one on the ceiling of my bedroom. Didn't look it up until after we had killed it, but now I wish we hadn't. Honestly, I hope to see them again. I've heard they eat cockroaches and my house has had a history with those, so I'd love to keep having them around.

On May 20, 2017, quibro from Charter Oak, CA wrote:

I have live here 18 yrs and had never seen one before. It surprised me how fast it moved.

On Jun 18, 2013, Bryce_Michigan from Brownlee Park, MI wrote:

Scared the life out of me, posted a picture I said was about an inch but was approximately 2.5 inches ran so fast after I tried killing it I let it live i wasn't chasing it wont be going near my downstairs for about a month.

On Dec 13, 2011, medlarman from Fairfax, VA (Zone 7a) wrote:

I nearly always refrained from hurting them because I'd heard they were great pest control. Didn't realize how great until they disappeared from my townhouse for no discernable reason, and were followed by a massive plague of silverfish chewing through my books. Please come back, house centipedes! I miss you.

On Oct 20, 2011, gigafunk from Carlisle, OH wrote:

Not Cool Ohio!!! I was working on some software in the basement of the company I work for...Yes, I.T. is in the basement...Shocker!!! I kicked back to think for a second and bam! there's this thing I had never seen before on the ceiling as if he was looking backwards and down at me. I don't scare to easily, Being from Florida, I've seen and killed my share of roaches, spiders and other various bugs scampering about, but this thing scared me. So much that I actually got someone else to kill it for me. My co-worker said "Its just a centipede", oh yeah, no big deal...A bug the size of my hand 3 feet from my head bending back to brush my hair. Great!!! This thing had a dozen or so legs on each side. I thought maybe it was two spiders mating or something so if an insect has 6 legs, arachnids h... read moreave 8 legs...then centipedes have how many legs?...I thought they were supposed to be long worm looking things with 100 legs.... that's one freaky looking creature.

On Sep 26, 2010, Rockweed from Eatontown, NJ wrote:

I'm an invert fan in general. I DON'T like them in the house, but they are beautiful so I set them free if I can. I have had them in two houses now, as well as my community college. Hopefully I will not get bitten by one as I have read it can be quite painful and allergic reactions can occur.

On Apr 8, 2010, Ryozo from North Adams, MA wrote:

Five stars! Love this guy.

On Jun 22, 2009, Petal33 from Kingston, ON (Zone 5b) wrote:

My house is very old ,I have alot of these bugs in the basement but my cat likes to bring them up stairs and play with them -then eat them> Yes I know they give me the creeps too but they are a good, I guess.

On Aug 25, 2008, Andyquasar from Montreal, Quebec,
Canada wrote:

My cat was chassing that bug in my house and i saw it, really fast bugger, i was able to catch it.

Weird thing since its not usually in Canada

On May 19, 2008, JenT from Columbus, OH wrote:

I don't frankly care if these horrid suckers have the cure for cancer and world peace all in one. I do not want them in my house! They make me want to wig out. Yuk.

On Jun 23, 2007, centistalker from W Hartford, CT wrote:

I collect em all, from chilopoda's to Tachypodoiulus nigers....well I'm just starting sort of b/c i just caught one under my couch and it sits in a jar waitin for my chilluns for when they arrive tomorrow after sunrise. I don't know what to feed it, jest home they aren't partial to folks... One saved my life one day back in Nam, but i don't wanna talk about it... gave up one of his 14 pair of legs for me and now it's him that's got the handicap pass and not me... guess i owe somethin to that little feller...

On Jun 5, 2007, jones101 from Syracuse, NY (Zone 5a) wrote:

I live in Central N.Y. and I have seen 3 of these creepy squiggly things in the past 2 yrs.... They do move real fast and I don't like them at all. I picked up a spong to find one almost creeping up my hand...

On Apr 24, 2007, RockabillyKitty from Centennial, CO (Zone 5b) wrote:

We live in a three story home with a basement. I have seen this creature in our basement and on the first floor. I hope that's as high as they venture, as our bedroom is on the second floor. *shudder*

I have also seen these things in the yard, but they're usually much smaller than the specimens I've seen indoors.

They are beneficial in that they hunt spiders and other pests - but they can inflict a bite, from what I understand, that is similar to a bee sting. I don't plan on finding out if this is true. In my life I've been stung by a scorpion and a velvet ant - and that's enough, thank you.

I grew up in eastern Oklahoma - so I'm just thankful that they're much, much smaller than their orange-legged cousins. Now THOSE are scary.

On Sep 25, 2006, claypa from West Pottsgrove, PA (Zone 6b) wrote:

The order Scutigeromorpha are the only centipedes with compound eyes. They eat other insects and live above ground (except basements). They have 15 pairs of legs. Their vision and long legs allow them to escape predators more easily than other centipedes.