Fast-Moving, Creepy Crawlers Invading Your Space? Here’s How We Stop Them

Found a centipede racing across your bathroom floor at 2 AM? Spotted one climbing your basement wall? Seeing multiple centipedes in your home isn’t just unsettling—it means you have conditions attracting them, and likely other pests they’re hunting.

Here’s what matters: Centipedes don’t infest homes like roaches or ants. They’re predators hunting other bugs. If you have centipedes, you have prey insects—silverfish, spiders, roaches, or something else. Killing visible centipedes doesn’t solve anything. You need to eliminate what’s attracting them and seal how they’re getting in.

We’ve been dealing with centipede problems in NYC since 2010. We find the root cause, eliminate their food sources, and keep them out.

Centipedes making you uncomfortable in your own home? Call +1 (347) 210-4646 or request service online. We’ll find out why they’re there and fix it.

Types of Centipedes in NYC Homes

House Centipedes (Scutigera coleoptrata)
What they look like: 1-1.5 inches long with extremely long legs (15 pairs). Yellowish-gray with dark stripes. Incredibly fast—can run up to 16 inches per second. Those legs make them look much bigger than they are.

Where they live: Damp areas—basements, bathrooms, laundry rooms, crawlspaces. Active at night. They hunt other bugs aggressively—silverfish, spiders, bed bugs, roaches, flies, moths.

The concern: They’re harmless to humans but terrifying to see. Their presence means you have moisture issues and other bugs for them to eat. They can live for years, reproducing slowly but steadily in favorable conditions.

Stone Centipedes (Lithobiomorpha)
What they look like: Smaller than house centipedes, about ½-¾ inch long, reddish-brown. 15 pairs of legs but much shorter than house centipede legs. Slower moving.

Where they live: Outside under stones, mulch, leaf litter, and wood. Come inside through foundation cracks, door gaps, and basement windows. Prefer cool, dark, damp locations.

The concern: Usually accidental invaders but can establish populations in damp basements or crawlspaces with good hiding spots. Like house centipedes, they’re predators indicating other pest activity.

Why Centipedes Choose Your Home

Moisture problems attract them – Centipedes need humid environments. Damp basements, plumbing leaks, poor ventilation, condensation on pipes, wet crawlspaces—these create ideal conditions. They’ll die in dry environments, so their presence indicates moisture issues.

Food source availability – Centipedes are predators. They’re in your home because there are bugs to hunt. Common prey includes silverfish, spiders, roaches, carpet beetles, and bed bugs. Multiple centipedes means you have an ongoing food supply.

Easy access points – Foundation cracks, gaps around pipes and utility lines, deteriorated weather stripping, basement window wells, door thresholds with gaps, crawlspace vents—older NYC buildings have endless entry points.

Outdoor harborage near buildings – Mulch beds against foundations, stacked firewood, leaf piles, dense vegetation, stones and debris—these create breeding grounds right next to your home. When weather changes, centipedes migrate inside.

Dark hiding places – Clutter in basements and storage areas provides perfect daytime hiding spots. Cardboard boxes on floors, stored items touching walls, piles of newspapers—centipedes hide in these during the day and hunt at night.

Cool basement temperatures – Centipedes thrive in cool (60-75°F), damp conditions. Many NYC basements maintain these temperatures year-round, creating permanent habitat.

How We Eliminate Centipede Problems

Step 1: Inspection & Problem Diagnosis
We inspect for centipede activity and, more importantly, what’s attracting them. We identify moisture sources, locate prey insects, find entry points, and assess environmental conditions. Centipedes are symptoms—we treat the cause.

Step 2: Eliminate Food Sources
Before addressing centipedes directly, we eliminate what they’re eating:

• Treat for silverfish, spiders, or roaches if present
• Address any active pest populations
• Remove the food supply that’s sustaining centipedes

Starve them out before you seal them in.

Step 3: Moisture Control Recommendations
Centipedes need humidity. We identify moisture problems:

• Plumbing leaks and condensation issues
• Poor ventilation in bathrooms and basements
• Drainage problems around foundation
• Dehumidification needs

We don’t do plumbing work, but we tell you exactly what needs fixing.

Step 4: Targeted Treatment
Interior treatment:

• Crack-and-crevice applications in harborage areas
• Residual barrier treatment in basements and entry points
• Dust applications in wall voids and crawlspaces
• Treatment behind appliances and in utility areas

Exterior treatment:

• Perimeter barrier around foundation
• Treatment of mulch beds, vegetation, and outdoor harborage
• Entry point applications

Step 5: Exclusion Work Guidance
We identify gaps, cracks, and entry points that need sealing:

• Foundation cracks and gaps
• Spaces around utility penetrations
• Door sweeps and weather stripping
• Basement window sealing
• Crawlspace vent screening

We provide detailed recommendations. Major repairs are on you, but we seal what we can during treatment.

Step 6: Follow-Up & Monitoring
One follow-up visit 2-3 weeks after initial treatment catches any remaining centipedes and verifies that prey insects are eliminated. We adjust treatment if activity continues.

Timeline for Centipede Elimination

Week 1-2: Visible centipede activity drops significantly as treatment takes effect and food sources are eliminated.

Week 3-4: Occasional sightings of stragglers. These are dying centipedes, not new infestations.

Week 4-6: Near-zero activity if moisture and food sources have been addressed.

Long-term: If you fix moisture problems and seal entry points, centipedes don’t come back. If conditions remain favorable, expect occasional reentry requiring maintenance treatment.

Centipedes live for several years, so trapped individuals may appear for weeks after treatment. Dead and dying centipedes are success, not failure.

Warning Signs of Centipede Activity

Direct sightings:

• Seeing centipedes in bathrooms, especially at night
• Finding them in basements, laundry rooms, or crawlspaces
• Spotting them climbing walls or racing across floors
• Multiple sightings over several days or weeks

Environmental indicators:

• Damp, musty basements
• Visible moisture on walls or pipes
• Evidence of other insects (silverfish, spiders)
• Poor ventilation in lower levels

Seasonal patterns:

• Increased activity in spring and fall
• More sightings after heavy rain
• Uptick during humid summer weather

If you’re seeing centipedes regularly, you have favorable conditions that won’t improve without intervention.

Why Professional Treatment Works Better

We address root causes – Killing centipedes with spray doesn’t fix moisture problems or eliminate prey insects. We treat the whole problem—food sources, harborage, entry points.

We use residual products – Our treatments continue working for weeks, eliminating centipedes as they move through treated areas. Consumer sprays only kill on contact.

We treat where they hide – Centipedes hide in cracks, voids, and crawlspaces during the day. Surface treatments don’t reach them. We apply product in actual harborage areas.

We identify related pest problems – If centipedes are hunting silverfish or roaches, you need to eliminate those too. We diagnose and treat all contributing pest issues in one visit.

We provide exclusion guidance – We’ll show you every gap, crack, and entry point that needs attention. Most homeowners don’t notice these until someone points them out.

Keeping Centipedes Out After Treatment

Fix moisture problems:

• Repair plumbing leaks immediately
• Use dehumidifiers in damp basements (keep humidity below 50%)
• Improve ventilation in bathrooms and laundry rooms
• Address foundation drainage issues
• Fix condensation problems on pipes

Eliminate food sources:

• Control silverfish, spiders, and other prey insects
• Maintain regular pest control to prevent infestations
• Keep areas clean and free of other bug attractants

Reduce outdoor harborage:

• Keep mulch 12-18 inches from foundation
• Remove leaf litter and debris from around home
• Store firewood away from building
• Trim vegetation touching exterior walls
• Eliminate moisture-trapping ground covers near foundation

Seal entry points:

• Fill foundation cracks with appropriate sealant
• Install or repair door sweeps
• Seal gaps around utility penetrations
• Screen basement windows and vents
• Weatherstrip exterior doors properly

Reduce indoor hiding spots:

• Keep basement clutter to minimum
• Store items in sealed plastic bins, not cardboard
• Keep stored items away from walls
• Don’t let items sit directly on basement floors

Get Rid of Centipedes for Good

Look, centipedes aren’t dangerous, but they’re disturbing as hell when you encounter them. That split-second of seeing those legs racing across your bathroom floor at night? Nobody should live with that.

The good news: Centipedes respond well to proper treatment—if you address why they’re there. We’ll eliminate their food sources, treat harborage areas, and show you what needs fixing to keep them out.

Call us at +1 (347) 210-4646 or request service online. We’ll inspect, explain what’s happening, and start treatment this week.

New York Exterminating, Inc.
1115 E 13th St, Brooklyn, NY 11230
Licensed & Certified Since 2010

Centipede-free homes start with eliminating what attracts them.