FOR AGES 3 YEARS TO 18 YEARS
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
House centipedes, scientifically known as Scutigera coleoptrata, is a kind of arthropod that generally prefers humid, damp, and temperate climates. Hence, they are easily found in homes and buildings. These are yellowish-gray-colored centipedes with three dark stripes and a flattened body with 15 pairs of legs divided into segments and each pair of legs being one segment. Apparently, they are called house centipedes because they prefer the temperature of human homes, especially damp areas such as bathrooms, kitchens, basements. They have a fuzzy look with long antennae and thin 15 pairs of legs. They have some modified legs called forcipules which help them catch prey by injecting venom. Their long pairs of legs help them move rapidly and swiftly. The last pair of legs of a female is twice bigger than that of its body.
An adult house centipede is most active during the night. They may enter during the day, but one can never catch them moving as they hide in household closets, and basements. House centipedes are nocturnal animals that are agile and have really fast speed. They forage for food during the night, and they are seen more often during the spring and autumn season. They are not aggressive by behavior, and so they don't bite people generally unless provoked. House centipedes actually have developed eyesight and eyes, but some centipedes do not have eyes, and that is the reason why they use their antennae more often while hunting for their prey. Their main diet or meal of an adult house centipede includes cockroaches, spiders, bugs, silverfish, termites, flies, and insects.
To know more about these fascinating animals, we have gathered a set of interesting information about them for you to read.
House centipedes are a type of centipede and come under the classification of arthropods.
House centipedes belong to the class of Chilopoda.
House centipedes have a high rate of reproduction, and so they multiply quickly. Although there is no exact or estimated number of house centipedes, they are spread throughout the world.
House centipedes live in a human house or home. They usually crawl and are found in sinks, drains, tubs, running on floors and walls.
House centipedes prefer a damp and temperate climate. They invade a human's home as they prefer humid and tropical climates. Mainly they live in kitchens, closets, bathrooms, and on the floor of the basement.
House centipedes are solitary arthropods foraging and hunting for food on the damp bathroom, basement floor, or walls, so they are mainly surrounded by insects and termites.
A house centipede life cycle has a long life expectancy. They can live up to five to seven years which is considered to be long in arthropods.
House centipedes have high reproductive rates, and so they multiply exponentially. They start mating from the age of three. The male and female house centipedes encompass each other and form a circle. They attract and communicate with the help of their antennae. The male house centipede draws out his sperm on the ground, and the female house centipede uses them on its own to fertilize her eggs. A house centipede lays its egg during the spring season. On average, a female house centipede lays around 63-151 eggs. As soon as the eggs hatch, they have four pairs of legs.
House centipede's conservation status is not listed in the IUCN list.
House centipedes have a flattened body of yellowish-gray color in appearance and have three dark stripes all across their length, and their legs also have dark stripes. They have soft, delicate 15 pairs of legs with a rigid body that helps them run at a speed of 0.895 mi/h (0.4 m/s).
House centipedes have big fangs, which are basically their modified legs, and they can be found crawling, running, and climbing on floors and walls. They are squishy, and this is one of the few reasons why they are gross.
House centipedes mainly communicate with the help of their antennae and even touch or smell.
A house centipede is 0.98-1.38 in (2.5-3.5 cm) long in length. Apart from their length, they have long legs and long antennae, which makes them appear three to four inches long. It is around two times bigger than a millipede.
House centipedes are fast runners, and they move swiftly across the floor, walls, and ceilings at a speed of 0.895 mph (0.4 mps).
These are arthropods, and the weight of an arthropod is very unclear and light, and so they are not generally weighed.
In terms of gender, there has no distinct name for the male and female population of house centipede species. Scientists and experts refer to both males and females as Scutigera coleoptrata or house centipedes.
A house centipede does not have any specific name and is referred to by the general name of house centipedes.
House centipedes are insectivores, and so they eat even the most unwelcome insects and pests of human's home. Their diet or prey includes silverfish, small spiders, cockroaches, crickets, moths, bedbugs, termites, and several other arthropods present in human houses.
People often perceive house centipedes as dangerous or harmful, but this is actually a misperception. The fact that they are harmless is very much unknown by most of us. They are not harmful to humans as their forcipules or their legs containing venom are not strong enough to bite or penetrate the human skin, but they can be a threat to smaller animals like silverfishes. But, they are not a threat to bigger animals such as cats and dogs. Sometimes, when startled, they may bite people out of self-defense which can be a little painful with a minor swelling resembling a bee's sting. However, there bites' symptoms disappear after four to five hours or maybe more. Their venom has a lesser impact as it is not that powerful, but in some cases, their bite might cause some harm or allergies from its mild venom.
They are not really rare as these can be found more often in every damp area of homes.
House centipedes are sometimes kept as pets in the country of Japan.
House centipedes can easily grow their legs back if removed.
They like water, and so they always prefer being around damp areas as they are very prone to dehydration.
They are referred to as house centipedes as they prefer the environment of human houses.
House centipedes are not bad as they are not found eating wood or any of people's household things. Rather, they prey on some unwelcome pests like termites that eat wood which in turn suggests that you should not kill them as they can control the pest population. These creatures might even crawl up to your beds to eat pests. However, a house centipede bite or seeing a house centipede running across the floors can be really scary. In self-defense, people might kill them.
House centipedes come to your houses as they are attracted by some insects and bugs inside, so getting rid of them would be an initial step. Outdoors, house centipedes are seen on leaves, under rocks and they usually live outdoors in damp areas and keep searching for ways to get into some more humid and suitable climates. Peppermint oil is one such thing that repels them as they hate the odor of peppermint oil.
Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly animal facts for everyone to discover! You can even occupy yourself at home by drawing one on our House centipedes coloring pages.
Read The Disclaimer
At Kidadl we pride ourselves on offering families original ideas to make the most of time spent together at home or out and about, wherever you are in the world. We strive to recommend the very best things that are suggested by our community and are things we would do ourselves - our aim is to be the trusted friend to parents.
We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so it’s important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family.
Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. We recognise that not all activities and ideas are appropriate and suitable for all children and families or in all circumstances. Our recommended activities are based on age but these are a guide. We recommend that these ideas are used as inspiration, that ideas are undertaken with appropriate adult supervision, and that each adult uses their own discretion and knowledge of their children to consider the safety and suitability.
Kidadl cannot accept liability for the execution of these ideas, and parental supervision is advised at all times, as safety is paramount. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong.
Kidadl is independent and to make our service free to you the reader we are supported by advertising.
We hope you love our recommendations for products and services! What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. This does not influence our choices. Please note: prices are correct and items are available at the time the article was published.
Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.
We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content.
Was this article helpful?
We’ll send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out.
Check your inbox for your latest news from us. You have subscribed to:
Remember that you can always manage your preferences or unsubscribe through the link at the foot of each newsletter.