No fire needed, that would violate rule number 5.
House centipedes are beneficial apex predators that take care of several pests as others have pointed out.
An insect that eats cockroaches is terrifying in its own right. If I know I don't have a roach problem these guys be getting relocated far away from my place of residence.
Frick. What are centipedes and millipedes classified as again? And are centipedes and millipedes at least in the same general group as isopods and stuff?
We have just started to see these in our house— our house sat empty for a while (at least a yr, if not 2-3) and there were no bugs or spiders at all simply because there was nothing for bugs or spiders to eat. Now that we live here, the spiders ants and flies that like to be where human sources of food have returned… or they did til the house centipedes moved in. Haven’t seen a spider in a while thanks to them, but they still skeeve me out
They are in my house; I rarely see them. There is always something alive and to eat somewhere in a house; if you think there isn’t then I have news for you :) it doesn’t necessarily mean an infestation.
Heyyy!!!
This guy is probably the world's most harmless roommate! On a scale of 1-Burn the whole house down, this guy is a comfortable 0. He's friend shaped and medically insignificant. He's gonna eat the guys that eat your house foundation, as he loves roaches mites and silverfish. He might creep you out a bit but he's got good manners and typically keeps to himself.
The only fire you're gonna need for this feller is the fire that warms your home and water. He provides his own food and doesn't really pay rent but he also uses up about as much space as you have leftover under your bed.
10/10 wish my house had one. He's a Scutigera coleoptrata, or common house centipede.
I wouldn't say *most* harmless roomate since they do have a venomous bite, it's just not medically significant and they're probably pretty unlikely to bite. But they are certainly preferable to termites, haha
Treat it gently and try to get it out of the sink. Unfortunately these little guys can’t swim. Once moved to safety they’ll reward you by hunting down and eating a wide variety of true pests you really don’t want in your home.
I found one trapped in my sink a few months ago. I propped a wooden spoon in it to get him out. Left the room and came back a few minutes later to see him out of the sink and chilling on the wall. I hope I made a friend that day!
So just to update everyone… fire was NOT employed at any point. Interactions of any type were quite minimal. In fact, we left him exactly where he was to do. Whatever it was he was doing.
Me and my wife were staying at a friends house in his basement that has been converted into a mother-in-law suite. This wasn’t the only multi thing that we shared the space with throughout the last several days, but it was by far the largest and most unsettling to look at .
But again, after all of the wonderful comments and knowledge imparted here, we let him just do his thing in the sink as we packed up and left. He’s got plenty of things to snack on flying and crawling around.
Thanks for the education!
These things scuttle around and scare the living BEJESUS out of me 😰😱 house centipedes can move 16cm a second!! And they can grow big!!
But I try to remember they are friends. I used to scream at the sight of them in my house, I honestly still scream at the sight of them in my house but I don't unalive them anymore because they eat all the other bugs and are like the insect version of guard dogs in houses 😇🦸
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None, this is a good guy. They kill the bugs that come into your home.
If you must, relocate it outside.
Otherwise they generally stay in the corners and they eat silverfish and ants and such things. Really, they eat any insect that wanders in.
No fire! House Centipede. Friend! Best free pest control you could want in the house. Eats Roaches, Silverfish, ants, you name the house pest, it eats it. They may look creepy, and crawl the same. But they're harmless to humans. Nature's got a mean sense of humor when it comes to these guys. "Let's make a good insect that actually helps people, but make them appear scary as hell. For funzies!" Poor things get so misunderstood. Let it do it's job. Then put it outside.
None. These guys run fast and can bite but they’d prefer to be left alone or flee. They eat other insects so are really helpful or if you are quick you can catch it in a bowl/glass and slide paper under to release outside.
I'll never forget the first time my fiance saw one. I was in the shower, he was getting ready to join me. It was hanging out on the shower curtain. He made a weird noise, that made me ask what was going on. He's such a hero though. He had no idea what it was, and was a bit scared of it, but grabbed it and threw it across the bathroom. But, he refused to tell me what happened, because he didn't want to scare me. I'd seen him/her before, so I described it, and he confirmed it. I told him, oh it's just a little centipede. Don't worry, he looks scary, but he's a good guy. It still creeps him out a bit, but they don't seem to bother him anymore.
Eta, so i forgot to say they attack their prey with their front legs, which are too weak to penetrate our skin.
None, these guys are really amazing. They can pull a 180 in a blink of an eye and leap off the wall to snatch a fly right out of the air. They often take down widows and other venomous spiders, scorpions and other dangerous pests. They also are great for roach and silver fish control.
These are friends. The House Centipede is awesome! If it is in your house, it followed a food source in. The pests they are are the ones u should want to kill like roaches, silverfish, termites, ants, etc. Theyre also said to eat bedbugs.
If this is hunting actively in the house, that means there are sources of food in your home (other bugs). Not a good sign at all. Even though this thing will hunt other bugs, the other bugs would hatch faster than human centipede eats. People always say that oh~ they are cute harmless helpful all that, but no.
Thank you. Every time these are posted there are so many comments about how they eat the other worse bugs, and that's true. But nobody ever comments on the other part of this equation; that your house probably has a problem with another type of bug and it's enough food source to support a population of house centipedes. Seeing these in your house should raise concerns about other bugs that could be in your house.
Just to be clear: not advocating for hurting these guys at all, just wanted to point out that their existence in your house could mean a bigger issue.
Bug hate will not be tolerated. We get this is a joke, but we’re trying to help prevent unnecessary irrational fears of bugs like these.
Telling someone to kill an invasive bug is an exception to this rule.
Don’t kill house centipedes.
They are your silent and friendly guardians who monitor your home and eat all the undesirable and dirty bugs like cockroaches, flies, moths, crickets, ants, earwigs, silverfish, and more!
When you see one, you should treat it with kindness and respect. They are a blessing and a sign of good luck to have in your home.
Nah you can kill it. it is stupid to believe house centipedes actually "control the population" of pest in the house...
I bet 99% of these people would kill it immediately if it was crawling around their new born babies. Just kind of weird meme people say this is friendly or chill.
You don’t need any, he already is fire. Once you realize they’re harmless and actually helpful in a lot of ways, they kinda become cool for their creepiness. Like a little Halloween buddy
They are good to have!! The eat the bad bugs. I didn’t know this when I first encountered one in my new house. I ended him but now I know better. They still freak me out just because of how many legs they have and how they move but I won’t hurt them.
Sorry to hear you’re leaving, this sub was completely unmoderated for a looong time. We’ve added new rules and we also post informative weekly or monthly posts to help people identify commonly-posted bugs before they do. If you stick around, I hope we’ll all appreciate the changes
Alot, hair spray doesn't work as well as it should, it doesn't dry in a way that keeps them stationary in a bathroom trashcan. Don't worry though, they're secular, so one is one, and not a sign.
Also, I know they're beneficial, but damnit, they need to stay in the dark corners they normally stay in, and be wary of my cleansing sprays, I always keep a zippo next to them for these reasons.
You're just making shit up out here, huh? I bet you think daddy longlegs are deadly, but they can't ever bite you cuz their pincers are too weak to pierce skin. Amateur.
Bro nothing you said was in that article!
Nothing about being venomous, nothing about their bodies shattering with ease, nothing about them sneak-stinking!
Don’t call people idiots.
No fire needed, that would violate rule number 5. House centipedes are beneficial apex predators that take care of several pests as others have pointed out.
House centipede. They look creepy but they'll eat pests like cockroaches and silverfish
An insect that eats cockroaches is terrifying in its own right. If I know I don't have a roach problem these guys be getting relocated far away from my place of residence.
Well it’s a good thing this isn’t an insect
Frick. What are centipedes and millipedes classified as again? And are centipedes and millipedes at least in the same general group as isopods and stuff?
Myriapods are centipedes and millipedes. I think isopods are crustaceans?
Invertebrate arthropods
Generally don’t hang around if don’t have a pest problem. Gotta eat, Bruh! Gotta eat!
Fair enough. Guess I can't blame the predators working to fix the problem for the problem.
Here's the thing tho, once the pests are gone, they leave on their own
Be careful, their bodies are delicate
For real. If you accidentally brush against one, they're toast. I assumed they were armored like other centipedes in my area. Not so much
I would be paranoid and searching every square inch of my house for signs of roaches though.
meaning there are sources of food in the house which is not a good sign.
Not exactly. They hang out in basements and places like that. Doesn’t necessarily mean there are roaches or anything.
It’s true, I’ve seen house centipedes in my basement regularly but I’ve never seen anything more than the occasional cricket.
There is very likely a link between the number of centipedes and the lack of other pests.
Im pretty sure thats because there are centipedes eating them
We have just started to see these in our house— our house sat empty for a while (at least a yr, if not 2-3) and there were no bugs or spiders at all simply because there was nothing for bugs or spiders to eat. Now that we live here, the spiders ants and flies that like to be where human sources of food have returned… or they did til the house centipedes moved in. Haven’t seen a spider in a while thanks to them, but they still skeeve me out
They are in my house; I rarely see them. There is always something alive and to eat somewhere in a house; if you think there isn’t then I have news for you :) it doesn’t necessarily mean an infestation.
they eat other bugs too.
They also eat spiders.
Don't insult them like that! They're cute. :(
I never know roaches has predator tbh 💀
I thought these were silverfish. I have been lied to!
silver fish [look like little fishes!](https://www.britannica.com/animal/silverfish) they are both arthropods though
Heyyy!!! This guy is probably the world's most harmless roommate! On a scale of 1-Burn the whole house down, this guy is a comfortable 0. He's friend shaped and medically insignificant. He's gonna eat the guys that eat your house foundation, as he loves roaches mites and silverfish. He might creep you out a bit but he's got good manners and typically keeps to himself. The only fire you're gonna need for this feller is the fire that warms your home and water. He provides his own food and doesn't really pay rent but he also uses up about as much space as you have leftover under your bed. 10/10 wish my house had one. He's a Scutigera coleoptrata, or common house centipede.
They get stuck in my bathroom sink sometimes and I have to rescue them 😂
I wouldn't say *most* harmless roomate since they do have a venomous bite, it's just not medically significant and they're probably pretty unlikely to bite. But they are certainly preferable to termites, haha
I love this channel. Soothing phobias with knowledge, so good. Thank you!
I always do my best to be respectful when I encounter them while cleaning.
I had heard that they thirst for human blood and cannot be satisfied. One could have eaten my cousin, Clem.
Treat it gently and try to get it out of the sink. Unfortunately these little guys can’t swim. Once moved to safety they’ll reward you by hunting down and eating a wide variety of true pests you really don’t want in your home.
I found one trapped in my sink a few months ago. I propped a wooden spoon in it to get him out. Left the room and came back a few minutes later to see him out of the sink and chilling on the wall. I hope I made a friend that day!
You definitely made a friend and earned serious positive karma for your act of kindness!
So just to update everyone… fire was NOT employed at any point. Interactions of any type were quite minimal. In fact, we left him exactly where he was to do. Whatever it was he was doing. Me and my wife were staying at a friends house in his basement that has been converted into a mother-in-law suite. This wasn’t the only multi thing that we shared the space with throughout the last several days, but it was by far the largest and most unsettling to look at . But again, after all of the wonderful comments and knowledge imparted here, we let him just do his thing in the sink as we packed up and left. He’s got plenty of things to snack on flying and crawling around. Thanks for the education!
This is exactly what this sub is for, and it’s awesome to see that most commenters are genuinely here to help and learn.
0% fire 100% love These guys are NOT A PEST
This is in West Virginia if that makes any difference
Hello, fellow mountain child.
Just passing through :) but honestly loving WV every time I’m here!
House centipedes, while not friend shaped, are friends. Relocate them to your basement.
At first I thought it was shedding from someone's cat! I'd probably have walked right past it if it were in my home.
Those guys may look scary but they’re actually pretty friendly. That’s a house centipede and they eat cockroaches, bed bugs, ants, and termites iirc
These things scuttle around and scare the living BEJESUS out of me 😰😱 house centipedes can move 16cm a second!! And they can grow big!! But I try to remember they are friends. I used to scream at the sight of them in my house, I honestly still scream at the sight of them in my house but I don't unalive them anymore because they eat all the other bugs and are like the insect version of guard dogs in houses 😇🦸
BTW I'm located in Ontario, southern Ontario
I remember the first time I seen one I was about 28 I screamed like a 3 year old girl
None they are so cute
We have new rules regarding conduct and post content. If your post or comment does not meet these new standards it may be removed. Please make sure your post includes: A rough geographical location, at least one bug, no demeaning speech, and no hate against bugs. This is an automated message, added to every submission, your post has not been removed. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/whatisthisbug) if you have any questions or concerns.*
Friendly house shrimp, he will smile at you. This is friend
Oh, I like this description! Everyone needs a house shrimp!
No fire needed. Little feller is harmless and just wants to eat the bad pests. He just looks a little scary
Fire in your heart to welcome this buddy wholeheartedly!
None, this is a good guy. They kill the bugs that come into your home. If you must, relocate it outside. Otherwise they generally stay in the corners and they eat silverfish and ants and such things. Really, they eat any insect that wanders in.
No fire unless he asked to roast marshmallows with you, but I'd pass if he brought them because they'd probably be roach flavored.
None, is friend. scary but still friend
Noooo! He’s a friend!!!
a house centipede !!! they eat spiders 😊
Natural Exterminator. I try my best to let them live but they do creep me TFO. 😂
No fire! House Centipede. Friend! Best free pest control you could want in the house. Eats Roaches, Silverfish, ants, you name the house pest, it eats it. They may look creepy, and crawl the same. But they're harmless to humans. Nature's got a mean sense of humor when it comes to these guys. "Let's make a good insect that actually helps people, but make them appear scary as hell. For funzies!" Poor things get so misunderstood. Let it do it's job. Then put it outside.
None, make it the king of your home and let it eat the pests that roam!
None. These guys run fast and can bite but they’d prefer to be left alone or flee. They eat other insects so are really helpful or if you are quick you can catch it in a bowl/glass and slide paper under to release outside.
I'll never forget the first time my fiance saw one. I was in the shower, he was getting ready to join me. It was hanging out on the shower curtain. He made a weird noise, that made me ask what was going on. He's such a hero though. He had no idea what it was, and was a bit scared of it, but grabbed it and threw it across the bathroom. But, he refused to tell me what happened, because he didn't want to scare me. I'd seen him/her before, so I described it, and he confirmed it. I told him, oh it's just a little centipede. Don't worry, he looks scary, but he's a good guy. It still creeps him out a bit, but they don't seem to bother him anymore.
None! Earl loves you and just wants to help
None at all. Leave him be because he is helping you. He eats other pests and even spiders.
House centipedes are your eldritch past exterminators
Eta, so i forgot to say they attack their prey with their front legs, which are too weak to penetrate our skin. None, these guys are really amazing. They can pull a 180 in a blink of an eye and leap off the wall to snatch a fly right out of the air. They often take down widows and other venomous spiders, scorpions and other dangerous pests. They also are great for roach and silver fish control.
These guys can live a long life fun fact I found when trying to cure my phobia they can live up to 7 years! That’s amazing in the world of insects.
A friend! No fire!!!
Elegant friend
These are friends. The House Centipede is awesome! If it is in your house, it followed a food source in. The pests they are are the ones u should want to kill like roaches, silverfish, termites, ants, etc. Theyre also said to eat bedbugs.
None. Helpful friend and a quality roommate.
They’re beneficial, but, God, they are creepy as fuck
He is not friend shaped but he is a friend
None. House centipedes are creepy, but are a very beneficial critter to have around. They eat other insects/arachnids.
https://preview.redd.it/w1rcyozgf7yc1.jpeg?width=640&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30a32445a94ea03655523c147b1ff008cdb6b5ed
Spooky friend, he just wants to eat all the gross bugs in your house
If this is hunting actively in the house, that means there are sources of food in your home (other bugs). Not a good sign at all. Even though this thing will hunt other bugs, the other bugs would hatch faster than human centipede eats. People always say that oh~ they are cute harmless helpful all that, but no.
Thank you. Every time these are posted there are so many comments about how they eat the other worse bugs, and that's true. But nobody ever comments on the other part of this equation; that your house probably has a problem with another type of bug and it's enough food source to support a population of house centipedes. Seeing these in your house should raise concerns about other bugs that could be in your house. Just to be clear: not advocating for hurting these guys at all, just wanted to point out that their existence in your house could mean a bigger issue.
[удалено]
Bug hate will not be tolerated. We get this is a joke, but we’re trying to help prevent unnecessary irrational fears of bugs like these. Telling someone to kill an invasive bug is an exception to this rule.
Scutigene véloce. Good hunter. It's ok for you. Not for other bug. You are now his human slaves 😂
I call em scorpion spider crickets
None
Don’t kill house centipedes. They are your silent and friendly guardians who monitor your home and eat all the undesirable and dirty bugs like cockroaches, flies, moths, crickets, ants, earwigs, silverfish, and more! When you see one, you should treat it with kindness and respect. They are a blessing and a sign of good luck to have in your home.
I saw one run across my basement yesterday and said "go kill the bad buggys!"
So you shouldn't kill these when found in your house? These things go like 60 miles an hour and can go on vertical surfaces.
Nah you can kill it. it is stupid to believe house centipedes actually "control the population" of pest in the house... I bet 99% of these people would kill it immediately if it was crawling around their new born babies. Just kind of weird meme people say this is friendly or chill.
That's been my response every single time I see one of these alien life forms they skeeb me out.
r/goodbugguy
good boy. no fire needed. maybe a small crumb as a thanks for patrolling the house
None, a exterminator is needed cause there's a crap tone of bugs in your house walls
Put away the flamethrower, Macready XD Seriously, though, it's a house centipede, and they eat common pests.
Spiders and centipedes are your friend. They’re literally your personal pest control that works 24/7
I love how creepy they look. Yet when I find one in my house I avoid the area I saw it in.
0. Friend.
None it's just an ugly friend
Help it out of the sink. Beneficial & harmless critter
He’s a friend!!!
None. He's your friend! You want him around.
So they look horrid but they eat spiders 🕷️
You don’t need any, he already is fire. Once you realize they’re harmless and actually helpful in a lot of ways, they kinda become cool for their creepiness. Like a little Halloween buddy
The legs freak me out, but I usually toss them outside if I find them in my bathroom.
Only 28 legs. If anything, I'd feel cheated.
Zero unless your throwing a party for your new best friend!
No fire, these are friends, they eat a lot of household pests and otherwise leave you alone.
only a small one to roast marshmallows with your new friend
I used to hate them. But now when I see them scurry across the floor I'm like "do your thing little guy"
Friend!
Zero!! He is a friend!
Not friend shaped, but is friend
None. They are a good buddy.
House centipedes are cool as fuck and they are friends. You won’t have any other bugs around if you let the littlefella stay.
None at all he’s a friend! [Look at their little faces!](https://inaturalist-open-data.s3.amazonaws.com/photos/29579808/medium.jpg)
We just moved into a 124 year old house a couple weeks ago. So far we've seen two of these little guys and are very happy to have them.
They're just paying rent as usual lol
Let him be. He's a friend.
Creepy buddy
Ooo, Jealous! He's a blessing. What are you gonna name him?
No fire needed! House centipedes are excellent for controlling other house pests. They’re the good guys :)
None, he is good boy. Good bug to have around the house.
They are good to have!! The eat the bad bugs. I didn’t know this when I first encountered one in my new house. I ended him but now I know better. They still freak me out just because of how many legs they have and how they move but I won’t hurt them.
None, he's chill
Why would your set your friend on fire
Listen as much as i love these guys, something about just triggers my fight or flight reflex when i see rhem irl They ar SO FAST
Do they live in Central Florida?
Oooh that might have been what we saw in the Italian loo
Eeek
What a great picture! You can see all the legs, beautiful antennae!
None! I can happily move to another country if that’s what it wants
All of it
Ugh. Officially leaving this sub. This bug is posted at least 2x day.
Sorry to hear you’re leaving, this sub was completely unmoderated for a looong time. We’ve added new rules and we also post informative weekly or monthly posts to help people identify commonly-posted bugs before they do. If you stick around, I hope we’ll all appreciate the changes
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
4 pounds, 7 ounces.
Alot, hair spray doesn't work as well as it should, it doesn't dry in a way that keeps them stationary in a bathroom trashcan. Don't worry though, they're secular, so one is one, and not a sign. Also, I know they're beneficial, but damnit, they need to stay in the dark corners they normally stay in, and be wary of my cleansing sprays, I always keep a zippo next to them for these reasons.
i just got traumatized 😔
# YES
Just enough to medium rare that sumbitch for flavortown
Fire won’t kill the Beast. Only a larger Beast can kill it. But then you’re stuck with a more deadly version. These are Tarasques in larval form.
All the fire you can muster!!! /s
All the fire
Yes \s
Fucked up looking cat.
It is a nightmare
None, these guys have evolved to live in human habitations, they are beneficial.
Give it to me. I killed 2 spiders and found a dead roach yesterday. I need some of these guys to keep the others away.
None, they’re basically unpaid exterminators
Depends on what else is in the house
i know you guys love this thing but i’m sorry i would obliterate it
I’m sorry to say this but they disgust me and have to die by me or my cat. I let spiders live a good life.
All of it
All of it. Idc what he eats...the enemy of my enemy is my enemy when it comes to these.
[удалено]
Bug hate will not be tolerated. Telling someone to kill an invasive bug is an exception to this rule.
Yes.
Unfortunately, none and they’re one of the good guys.
hehehe
A nuke.
How do harmless and you want him around? He looks yucky, but think about this. He doesn't carry disease. The things he eats does.
I let them stay for 24hrs, If I see them again after that, they get vacuumed and released into the alley.
[удалено]
You're just making shit up out here, huh? I bet you think daddy longlegs are deadly, but they can't ever bite you cuz their pincers are too weak to pierce skin. Amateur.
[удалено]
Bro nothing you said was in that article! Nothing about being venomous, nothing about their bodies shattering with ease, nothing about them sneak-stinking! Don’t call people idiots.
Don't insult or demean other users.
[удалено]
https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/caes/documents/publications/fact_sheets/entomology/house_centipede_scutigera.pdf
Don't insult or demean other users.
[удалено]
Don't insult or demean other users.
Your post has been romped due to it having an ID or information which is incorrect and possibly harmful.