If you’ve ever spotted a house centipede scurrying across your floor, you might wonder what it’s looking for. House centipedes are natural predators that feed on common household pests, including spiders, ants, cockroaches, termites, and silverfish. The house centipede diet allows them to control other insect populations inside your home.
You won’t find these centipedes munching on plants or crumbs—they rely entirely on hunting living prey. Learning about what centipedes eat offers valuable insight into their role in your household ecosystem and helps you understand how they affect other pests you might encounter.
House centipedes are nocturnal arthropods that thrive in indoor environments by preying on various household pests. Their diet and hunting behaviors make them effective natural pest controllers in homes.
The house centipede diet is focused on small insects and arthropods you might find indoors. Common prey includes cockroaches, ants, spiders, termites, bed bugs, and silverfish. House centipedes also feed on moths, flies, and their larvae.
These centipedes are strictly carnivorous. They do not eat plant material or stored household foods. Their food choices are determined by availability, so the types of pests in your home can influence what centipedes hunt.
| Prey Type | Frequency in Diet |
| Cockroaches | Very common |
| Ants | Common |
| Silverfish | Common |
| Spiders | Very common |
| Termites | Less common |
| Moths/Flies | Occasional |
You will usually see house centipedes rushing along baseboards or walls, searching for prey. They are active hunters and do not use webs or traps.
Their long legs give them speed, enabling them to capture agile insects quickly. House centipedes use their antennae to locate prey, then immobilize it with venom injected through their front legs, called forcipules.
Once a target is subdued, the centipede feeds using its mandibles to break down the prey. They prefer living in dark or damp areas, such as basements and bathrooms, where their food sources are most abundant.
House centipedes do not need to eat every day. Their feeding frequency depends on prey availability and environmental conditions, such as temperature and humidity.
After consuming a meal, a centipede can go several days without eating again. During periods with abundant food, you may notice more frequent hunting activity.
Younger centipedes eat smaller prey and must feed more often during growth. Adult centipedes can survive longer between meals, but they remain opportunistic if prey is present. House centipedes usually feed at night, reducing the chance you’ll spot them in action.
The house centipede diet varies due to several outside factors. What they eat often depends on where they live and when particular prey is available.
The main foods in a house centipede's diet, such as spiders, ants, and cockroaches, are influenced by the habitat—indoor environments present centipedes with different prey than those found in outdoor locations. You may notice that house centipedes often target silverfish and flies in basements or bathrooms, as these pests are commonly found in humid environments.
Surfaces such as wood, tile, or carpet can affect the accessibility of various prey. In cluttered or unclean areas, you might see centipedes eating more pantry pests and beetle larvae. A lack of hiding spaces or low humidity can reduce both centipede activity and the number of available food sources.
Access to water and the presence of other predators can also influence what a house centipede eats. Below is a table showing common prey types by habitat:
| Habitat | Common Prey |
| Bathroom | Silverfish, drain flies |
| Kitchen | Cockroaches, ants |
| Basement | Spiders, crickets |
A house centipede's diet changes as the seasons shift. In spring and summer, you will find greater numbers and diversity of insects, such as moths and mosquitoes, which increases feeding opportunities indoors and outdoors.
During colder months, many insects either migrate or die off, limiting what house centipedes can catch. As a result, they may focus more on year-round inhabitants such as spiders or indoor cockroaches. In winter, if your home stays warm, centipedes may continue hunting as usual, but with a narrower selection.
Unexpected weather events, such as heavy rainfall, may drive new insect species into your home, temporarily altering the house centipede diet until conditions stabilize.
If you often see centipedes in your home, you may be dealing with a steady supply of their food source. Since the house centipede diet consists of insects and spiders, frequent sightings can indicate other pest issues.
Here are some common foods in a house centipede's diet:
| What Do Centipedes Eat? | Pests in the Home |
| Cockroaches | Yes |
| Silverfish | Yes |
| Ants | Yes |
| Bed bugs | Yes |
| Spiders | Yes |
| Termites | Sometimes |
Eliminating centipedes on your own often won’t work unless their food sources are removed. DIY treatments may not address the whole problem, and improper use of pesticides can create health risks.
Professional pest removal services know how to target centipedes and the pests they eat. Trained technicians can identify hidden areas where insects and centipedes hide, then create a safe plan to remove them.
For ongoing house centipede or other wildlife issues, you should consider contacting Critter Stop. Critter Stop is known for thorough, humane approaches and excellent communication with property owners. Their experienced team has received consistently positive feedback for delivering high-quality service and resolving pest problems efficiently.
To schedule a free inspection or get expert advice on pest or wildlife removal, call Critter Stop at (214) 234-2616.
House centipedes are predators that consume a range of common indoor insects. Their diet habits can impact pest control by reducing populations of unwanted bugs inside your home.
You can expect their diet to include ants, silverfish, termites, and bed bugs. House centipedes target small arthropods that are easily hunted indoors. Their presence often means fewer pests in living spaces.
Yes, house centipedes do eat cockroaches and spiders. They actively hunt these pests, adding them to the list of what centipedes eat. This behavior can lead to a natural decrease in spider and cockroach numbers.
A house centipede diet helps control pests by reducing populations of insects like ants, cockroaches, and silverfish. They act as natural predators in your home without the use of chemicals. Their feeding habits can help reduce infestations.
No, food crumbs do not attract centipede diet behavior. House centipedes feed on live insects, not human food or crumbs. They are more interested in moist environments where prey is abundant.
During winter, centipedes continue to feed on pests such as cockroaches, spiders, and small beetles found indoors. They remain active and seek available prey inside homes when outdoor insects are scarce. Their diet adapts to the indoor insects present during the cold months.
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