What Do Centipedes Eat? | Terminix

Content Updated: January 8, 2026

Key takeaways

• Centipedes are strict carnivores. A typical centipede diet includes live insects and even other centipedes when food is scarce. They don’t eat plants, human food, or garbage.
• Centipedes may enter homes for food, moisture, and shelter. They thrive in humid spaces, such as basements, bathrooms, and laundry rooms.
• Seeing centipedes indoors may indicate a larger pest issue. Because they follow other insects, frequent centipede sightings can mean there’s a higher population of pests in or around the home.
• Centipedes and millipedes have very different diets. Centipedes are predators, while millipedes feed on decaying plant material and organic debris.

Jump to section:

• The centipede diet
• Will centipedes try to eat people?
• What attracts centipedes to your house?
• Do house centipedes eat the same things?
• Centipede vs. millipede diet
• Tips for centipede prevention

If you’ve ever spotted a centipede skittering across your floor, you may have wondered what brought it inside. While they aren’t the most common household visitors, centipedes can find their way indoors in search of the things they need to survive, especially food. Understanding what centipedes eat can help explain why they’re in your home.

House centipede

The centipede diet

So, what do centipedes eat? When it comes to the centipede diet, many people are surprised to learn that centipedes are strict carnivores. They are nocturnal hunters, which means they hide during the day and emerge at night to stalk prey, utilizing their speed and, in some species, venom-injecting front legs to subdue their prey.

Common prey in a centipede's diet include:

• Silverfish
• Cockroaches
• Spiders
• Firebrats
• Crickets
• Moths

Additionally, centipedes can sometimes be cannibals. Larger centipedes may prey on smaller or weaker ones, especially if food is scarce.

Will centipedes try to eat people?

While many people believe that centipedes can bite, they actually pinch using their modified front legs, which can deliver venom. Centipedes can pinch humans, but it's very uncommon and typically only happens when they feel threatened. It’s also uncommon for centipedes to crawl on people.

A centipede pinch can cause mild symptoms in most people, including:

• Pain
• Redness
• Swelling

In rare cases, a person may experience an allergic reaction to centipede venom. If you suspect you’re having an allergic reaction, it’s best to seek medical attention as quickly as possible. Signs of an allergic reaction to centipede venom can include:

• Trouble breathing
• Numbness
• Rapid heart rate
• Throat swelling

What attracts centipedes to your house?

Centipedes may enter homes in search of food, moisture, and shelter. They’re most likely to be found in areas where their prey (other insects) are abundant. Centipedes tend to appear in bathrooms, basements, closets, laundry rooms, and other damp, humid spaces. You may also spot them along baseboards, window frames, and doorways, where they can slip in while hunting at night.

If your home has an existing pest problem, there’s a higher chance you may see centipedes. If centipedes or other pests are becoming an issue around your home, Terminix experts can help.

Do house centipedes eat the same things?

Yes, the house centipede diet is essentially the same as wild centipedes, but the specific insects they hunt depend on what’s available indoors. While most pests are unwelcome indoors, centipedes can be beneficial in certain situations because they are natural predators that can help reduce other pest populations. Typical prey includes:

• Silverfish
• Ants
• Cockroaches
• Spiders
• Moths
• Earwigs
• Other centipedes (they can be cannibalistic

House centipedes do not eat human food, crumbs, or stored pantry items. They need live, moving prey to trigger their hunting instinct. They won’t eat plants, garbage, or fabric either.

Centipede vs. millipede diet

Although centipedes and millipedes are often confused because of their many legs, their diets couldn’t be more different. Centipedes are strict carnivores that eat live prey, such as the bugs we mentioned above. Centipedes use speed and venom to subdue their prey and will not eat plants, decaying matter, or human food.

Millipede

Millipedes, on the other hand, are detritivores and sometimes herbivores. They do not hunt and cannot bite or immobilize their prey with venom. Their diet includes:

• Decaying leaves and wood
• Organic debris in soil
• Dead plant material
• Fungi

Because of their dietary differences, centipedes may enter homes looking for prey, while millipedes usually wander inside accidentally when outdoor conditions become too wet or too dry.

Tips for centipede prevention

Keeping centipedes out starts with reducing moisture, sealing entry points, and addressing any underlying pest issues that may be attracting them inside. Because these pests follow their food, eliminating other insects is one of the most effective centipede prevention tips.

If you’re dealing with centipedes in your home, Terminix centipede control can help by identifying what attracts them indoors, removing existing pests, and implementing preventive measures to prevent future infestations.