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Centipedes

Also known as Chilopoda, Brown centipede (Lithobius forficatus), Soil centipedes

Beneficial or harmlessBeneficial
The brown centipede (Lithobius forficatus), with one pair of legs per segmentCC BY-SA 3.0

In short

Centipedes are fast, flattened predators of the soil surface and leaf litter. They eat insects, spiders and other small invertebrates and do not feed on plants, so they are welcome in beds and pots.

How it looks

Flattened, segmented bodies with one pair of legs per segment (from about 10 to 100 legs in total, depending on species) and long antennae. Garden species are usually brown, yellowish or orange. Stone or brown centipedes reach about 30 mm and run over the surface; slender pale yellow-orange soil centipedes reach about 60 mm and move snake-like through the soil. Species range from about 2.5 cm to 15 cm. They run for cover when disturbed.

Signs

No plant damage. Seen under pots, stones and mulch or darting across the soil when a plant is repotted.

Life cycle

Eggs are laid in batches in soil cavities in spring and summer. Young look like adults and moult several times over two to three years before maturing; they can live five to six years.

What favours it

Damp, sheltered spots under stones, logs, pots and mulch where prey is plentiful.

Prevention

  • Nothing to prevent outdoors.
  • Indoors, reduce damp hiding places and seal gaps around doors if strays are a nuisance.

Treatment

Start with the first step and move down only if the problem persists.

  1. Leave them alone in the garden.
  2. Indoors, catch or sweep up strays and release them outside.
  3. Do not handle large species with bare hands.

Pros and cons

Pros

  • Predators of many soil invertebrates, part of the natural balance that keeps pests in check.
  • Do not eat plants.

Cons

  • Larger species can give a painful bite if handled.
  • Unsettling to find indoors.

Look-alikes

Millipedes
Two pairs of legs per segment, rounder bodies and slow movement.
Wireworms
Stiff beetle larvae with only three pairs of legs at the head end.

Sources

  1. Centipedes — RHS
  2. Millipedes, centipedes, sowbugs and pillbugs — Colorado State University Agricultural Biology
  3. Millipedes, Centipedes, Sowbugs and Pillbugs (IG093) — UF/IFAS

Written in our own words from these sources. Check a product label before using any treatment.