Household Bugs -- Do Centipedes Bite?

Do Centipedes Bite?

Well -- yes. But don't freak out! The centipedes in your house aren't going to come swarming up on your bed at night and chew you to death (although that would be pretty cool -- not for you, but for anyone watching it as a scene from a horror movie). The answer, basically, is yes -- centipedes can bite. 

This beautiful centipede was photographed in Hawaii, hanging out in volcanic soil. This tropical specimen is related to the brown centipedes that you find in your house, but its natural history and living requirements are a world away. 

This big, freaky centipede was photographed in Oman. Notice the interesting fake "head," with its split end that a predator might mistake for the head -- a bite on the tail is generally less fatal to the centipede than a bite on the head!

These big, wild centipedes are a bit different from the brown, domesticated centipede that lives in your basement. For one thing, your centipedes take care of you by eating lots of gross and potentially damaging things like cockroach eggs (yes, they eat cockroach eggs. Who else does that for you?). The brown centipede that lives in your basement is known scientifically as Scutigera coleoptrata, and it's one of several similar species. It has 15 pairs of legs, and before spreading throughout the world was once endemic to the Mediterranean region. In addition to gobbling up roach eggs, it also kills and eats spiders and other household bugs.

Yes yes, you say -- all well and good. But does it bite?

Centipedes are venomous -- but in a pretty cool and unique way. Their front-most legs have evolved to deliver an amount of venom to their prey. Often they will withdraw after biting prey to let the sting take effect. They can also distinguish between easy prey and dangerous insects like wasps. Centipedes are pretty smart, as it turns out! They can certainly tell that you are not prey, so your chances of being hunted and attacked by your house centipedes is zero.

But if you accidentally trap one in clothing, or make it believe its life is being threatened, a centipede is able to defend itself with those poisonous front leg/stingers. The bite is mild, less intense than a honeybee, and if you're asleep you'll probably sleep through it.

So yes, they bite, and no, it's not a big deal.

Centipedes eat so many harmful bugs that in general you should give them a pass and focus on the bugs that can really your life, like termites.

And remember -- it could be worse. Your basement could be full of these:

More Questions about Household Bugs? Click here for a ton of photos and information!

 

       Finally: Here's an article about caterpillars that I think you might like!

all images courtesy of wikimedia commons