Those terrifyingly fast, many-legged creatures darting across your basement floor are a sign of deeper problems. Our dual-action treatment eliminates centipedes and the moisture and pest issues that attract them.
House centipedes are yellowish-gray arthropods with 15 pairs of long, delicate legs that give them a distinctive "hairy" appearance. They are about 1 to 1.5 inches long with extremely long antennae.
They are actually predators that hunt other pests — eating spiders, cockroaches, silverfish, carpet beetles, and even bed bugs. While technically beneficial, their terrifying speed and unsettling appearance make them one of the most feared household pests. Importantly, seeing centipedes regularly means your home has both excess moisture and an existing pest population they are feeding on.
Seeing long-legged creatures darting across floors, walls, or even ceilings — especially at night when you flip on lights.
Condensation on basement walls, musty smells, or visible moisture — the conditions centipedes need to survive.
Seeing spiders, silverfish, or other small insects in the same areas — centipedes follow their food sources.
Consistently finding centipedes at night in bathrooms, kitchens, or basements — they are strictly nocturnal hunters.
Finding centipedes in bathtubs, sinks, or near floor drains where moisture collects and other insects gather.
Finding detached centipede legs — they can shed legs to escape predators, and these remains indicate active populations.
House centipedes thrive year-round inside Michigan homes because they live entirely indoors once established. However, spring and fall are peak migration periods when outdoor centipedes seek the warmth and moisture of your basement.
Michigan's climate creates ideal centipede conditions: humid summers produce moisture in basements and crawl spaces, while cold winters drive centipedes and their prey insects indoors. The state's older homes with block foundations, fieldstone basements, and aging waterproofing provide both entry points and the damp habitat centipedes require.
Critically, house centipedes in your Michigan home are a warning sign. They are telling you that you have both a moisture issue and a secondary pest population large enough to sustain predators. Our treatment addresses all three problems: the centipedes, the moisture conditions, and the prey insects attracting them.
We go beyond killing centipedes — our whole-home approach eliminates the conditions that brought them in the first place.
We inspect your basement, crawl spaces, and bathrooms to identify moisture sources, entry points, and the secondary pest populations that centipedes are feeding on in your home.
We apply targeted treatments that eliminate both centipedes and the pest populations attracting them. By removing their food source, we ensure centipedes have no reason to stay.
We seal entry points and provide moisture reduction recommendations — dehumidifier placement, ventilation improvements, and drainage fixes — to make your home permanently inhospitable to centipedes.
Fully licensed Michigan pest control professionals with comprehensive insurance for your protection.
We treat centipedes AND the pest populations attracting them. One service solves multiple problems at once.
We identify and help you fix the moisture conditions causing your centipede problem — addressing the root cause.
Same-week service available. We understand how unsettling centipedes are and we respond quickly to your call.
House centipedes can technically bite, but they rarely do and their venom is not medically significant for humans. The bite feels similar to a mild bee sting. They are actually beneficial predators that eat spiders, cockroaches, silverfish, and other pests. However, their alarming speed and appearance make them an unwelcome guest in most homes.
House centipedes in your basement are a strong indicator of two things: excess moisture and other pest populations. Centipedes need humidity to survive and they follow their food sources — other bugs. If you are seeing centipedes regularly, you likely have both a moisture problem and another pest issue they are feeding on.
House centipedes are incredibly fast — they can run up to 1.3 feet per second, which is extremely fast for their size. Their 15 pairs of long, banded legs allow them to dart across floors, walls, and even ceilings at alarming speeds. This speed is what makes them so startling when encountered unexpectedly in your home.
Yes, centipedes are predatory insects that feed on other pests. If you are seeing house centipedes regularly, it means they have a reliable food source in your home — typically spiders, silverfish, cockroaches, carpet beetle larvae, or other small insects. Addressing the centipede problem also means addressing the underlying pest population they are feeding on.
House centipedes are active year-round inside Michigan homes because they live entirely indoors once established. They are nocturnal, so you are most likely to see them at night or when you turn on lights in dark rooms. Activity may increase in spring and fall when outdoor centipedes migrate inside seeking moisture and warmth.
You deserve to walk through your basement without fear. Call us today for a free inspection — we will eliminate the centipedes and fix the problems attracting them.
Call (734) 436-3017