Why You Shouldn’t Be So Quick to Kill That House Centipede
Spotting a house centipede scurrying across the floor can be unsettling—but don’t reach for your shoe just yet. These many-legged creatures might look creepy, but they’re actually hardworking allies in your home.
Small but mighty, house centipedes—usually with around 20 legs—are natural pest hunters. They quietly take care of unwanted guests like cockroaches, spiders, silverfish, ants, and even bedbugs. And the best part? They don’t spread diseases while doing it.
Yes, centipedes use venom to subdue their prey, but for humans, it’s harmless—typically causing nothing more than mild irritation if you’re ever unlucky enough to get a bite. Compare that to truly dangerous bugs like mosquitoes, fleas, fire ants, or kissing bugs, which can transmit disease or deliver painful stings, and the centipede starts to look a lot more like a hero.
Learning to recognize which insects help and which ones hurt can change how you see the natural world in your home. Instead of squashing these unsung guardians, consider giving them a pass—they might just be your best line of defense against far worse intruders.