Centipedes and Millipedes in Westchester Homes: Are They Dangerous?

The Most Disturbing Pest That's Actually Helping You

The house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is one of the most visually alarming insects a homeowner can find in their basement. Up to two inches long, with 15 pairs of extremely long legs and the speed to cross a room in under a second, it produces the kind of reaction that sends people immediately to the internet looking for "how to get rid of centipedes."

Here is what most of those search results don't tell you: the house centipede is a predator. It actively hunts and eats cockroaches, silverfish, spiders, earwigs, and other small insects in your home. A single house centipede can consume dozens of insects per week. In entomology circles, they are sometimes called "nature's pest control."

This does not mean you have to coexist with them. But it does mean that a centipede problem is really a symptom problem — something in your home's environment is attracting and sustaining the prey insects that centipedes feed on.

Centipede vs. Millipede: Key Differences

What Your Centipede Problem Is Really Telling You

Effective Control for Both Species

For house centipedes, the effective approach is to address the conditions that sustain their prey population — primarily reducing basement humidity and eliminating the insects they feed on. Residual insecticide applications along basement perimeters reduce both centipedes and their prey simultaneously.

For millipedes, the solution is exterior: remove leaf litter and organic debris from the foundation perimeter, correct drainage so water flows away from the structure, and seal entry points. A perimeter insecticide application in late September — just before the fall rain-driven invasion period — can significantly reduce entry rates.

Our general pest control service addresses both centipedes and the underlying conditions that attract them. For related moisture-driven pest issues, see our guide on overwintering insects in Westchester homes.