Centipedes – Part 1

Many people absolutely hate Centipedes! They are very creepy due to their multiple legs moving at the same time. They like to come out at night, like all scary things! They have pincher like claws they use to capture and hold on to their prey while they inject it with venom. If that isn’t scary enough, there are over 8000 species of centipedes worldwide and have been around since the dinosaurs. There are even some that grow to a foot long!

Thankfully, the centipedes we see in our homes only reach 1 – 2 inches in length and they don’t hunt humans! They have adapted to eat whatever is near them that has a soft body. They have 15 pairs of legs and are a brownish-red color. They have good eyesight and hunt and eat other insects like ants, termites, and cockroach larvae. If you see many centipedes in your home, it’s a sign you have many other insects as well (their food source). Like Silverfish, Centipedes like moist areas like bathrooms and kitchens and need that moisture to live.