{"id":3099,"date":"2026-05-26T10:57:49","date_gmt":"2026-05-26T14:57:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/envahisseur\/scuttigeres-et-centipedes\/"},"modified":"2026-06-08T16:25:49","modified_gmt":"2026-06-08T20:25:49","slug":"centipedes-and-millipedes","status":"publish","type":"envahisseur","link":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/en\/pest\/centipedes-and-millipedes\/","title":{"rendered":"Centipedes and Millipedes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>House centipedes, centipedes, and millipedes are occasional invaders commonly found in homes throughout Quebec. Although they are often confused because of their many legs, these arthropods have very different behaviours.<\/p>\n<p>In Gatineau, Val-des-Monts, Cantley, Chelsea, L&#8217;Ange-Gardien, and throughout the Outaouais region, they are most often found in basements, garages, bathrooms, and other damp areas of the home.<\/p>\n<p>Their presence can be alarming, especially when they suddenly appear in large numbers or move quickly across a room. Fortunately, they rarely pose a danger to occupants.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 40px!important; font-weight: 700!important;\">How can you identify a house centipede, a centipede, or a millipede?<\/h3>\n<p>Although they may look similar at first glance, several characteristics make them easy to distinguish.<\/p>\n<p><strong>House centipedes and centipedes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>House centipedes are the centipedes most commonly found inside homes.<\/p>\n<p>They can be identified by:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px!important;\">\n<li>Flattened, segmented body;<\/li>\n<li>Yellowish-gray to brown coloration;<\/li>\n<li>Very long, slender legs;<\/li>\n<li>Long antennae;<\/li>\n<li>Extremely fast movement;<\/li>\n<li>One pair of legs per body segment.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The house centipede has an almost hairy appearance because of its long legs and can reach several centimetres in length.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Millipedes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Millipedes have a noticeably different appearance:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px!important;\">\n<li>Cylindrical, rounded body;<\/li>\n<li>Dark brown to black coloration;<\/li>\n<li>Numerous pairs of legs distributed along the entire body;<\/li>\n<li>Slow movement;<\/li>\n<li>Tendency to curl into a spiral when disturbed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Unlike centipedes, millipedes are not predators and feed primarily on decaying organic matter.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 40px!important; font-weight: 700!important;\">Why are they found inside homes?<\/h3>\n<p>House centipedes, centipedes, and millipedes generally seek conditions that favour their survival.<\/p>\n<p>They are attracted to:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px!important;\">\n<li>Damp environments;<\/li>\n<li>Dark, undisturbed areas;<\/li>\n<li>Basements and crawl spaces;<\/li>\n<li>Garages;<\/li>\n<li>Storage areas;<\/li>\n<li>Cracks and openings in foundations.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Millipedes normally live outdoors in:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px!important;\">\n<li>Mulch;<\/li>\n<li>Dead leaves;<\/li>\n<li>Compost;<\/li>\n<li>Gardens;<\/li>\n<li>Beneath rocks and pieces of wood.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>They often enter homes during periods of heavy rain, drought, or seasonal changes.<\/p>\n<p>Centipedes and house centipedes, on the other hand, primarily enter homes in search of shelter and food.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 40px!important; font-weight: 700!important;\">Are house centipedes and centipedes beneficial?<\/h3>\n<p>Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Unlike many other household pests, centipedes and house centipedes are beneficial predators.<\/p>\n<p>They feed on:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px!important;\">\n<li>Ants;<\/li>\n<li>Spiders;<\/li>\n<li>Silverfish;<\/li>\n<li>Cockroaches;<\/li>\n<li>Flies;<\/li>\n<li>Other small insects.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Their presence can sometimes indicate that another insect population is present within the building.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 40px!important; font-weight: 700!important;\">Are they dangerous?<\/h3>\n<p>In the vast majority of cases, no.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Millipedes:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px!important;\">\n<li>Do not bite;<\/li>\n<li>Do not sting;<\/li>\n<li>Do not transmit diseases;<\/li>\n<li>Do not damage buildings.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>However, some species may release a mild odour or secrete a defensive fluid when handled or crushed.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Centipedes and house centipedes<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>Centipedes possess venomous claws used to capture prey.<\/p>\n<p>However:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px!important;\">\n<li>Bites are very rare;<\/li>\n<li>They generally occur only when the insect is handled directly;<\/li>\n<li>They rarely pose any serious risk to humans.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>The primary concern is their intimidating appearance and their presence inside the home.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 40px!important; font-weight: 700!important;\">Why does the problem keep coming back?<\/h3>\n<p>When house centipedes, centipedes, or millipedes are regularly observed inside a home, favourable conditions are often present.<\/p>\n<p>The most common contributing factors include:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px!important;\">\n<li>Excess moisture;<\/li>\n<li>Poor drainage;<\/li>\n<li>Accumulations of dead leaves;<\/li>\n<li>Mulch placed directly against foundations;<\/li>\n<li>The presence of other insects;<\/li>\n<li>Poorly ventilated basements;<\/li>\n<li>Cracks in foundations;<\/li>\n<li>Unsealed entry points.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>As long as these conditions remain, new individuals may continue to enter the building.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 40px!important; font-weight: 700!important;\">What should you do if you find them in your home?<\/h3>\n<p>When sightings are occasional, they can generally be removed using a vacuum cleaner.<\/p>\n<p>To reduce their presence over the long term, we recommend:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px!important;\">\n<li>Reducing moisture levels inside the building;<\/li>\n<li>Correcting water infiltration problems;<\/li>\n<li>Improving ventilation;<\/li>\n<li>Removing accumulated dead leaves;<\/li>\n<li>Keeping mulch away from foundations;<\/li>\n<li>Correcting drainage issues;<\/li>\n<li>Sealing cracks and openings;<\/li>\n<li>Controlling other insects present in the home.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These measures often significantly reduce future intrusions.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 40px!important; font-weight: 700!important;\">Our solution<\/h3>\n<p>At <strong>Maranda Pest Control<\/strong>, our approach begins by identifying the factors that contribute to the presence of house centipedes, centipedes, or millipedes.<\/p>\n<p>Our inspection allows us to:<\/p>\n<ul style=\"margin-bottom: 20px!important;\">\n<li>Identify the species involved;<\/li>\n<li>Locate areas of entry;<\/li>\n<li>Assess moisture-related issues;<\/li>\n<li>Search for other insect activity;<\/li>\n<li>Evaluate exterior conditions around the building;<\/li>\n<li>Identify contributing environmental factors;<\/li>\n<li>Recommend appropriate corrective measures.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Depending on the situation, various prevention and control strategies can be implemented to reduce existing populations and limit future intrusions.<\/p>\n<p>Our goal is always to address the root cause of the problem rather than simply eliminating the visible individuals.<\/p>\n<h3 style=\"margin-top: 40px!important; font-weight: 700!important;\">Need help with centipedes or millipedes?<\/h3>\n<p>Whether you are in Gatineau, Val-des-Monts, Cantley, Chelsea, L&#8217;Ange-Gardien, or anywhere in the Outaouais region, our team can identify the causes of the problem and offer solutions tailored to your property.<\/p>\n<p>Contact <strong>Maranda Pest Control<\/strong> for a professional inspection and regain peace of mind in the face of these sometimes impressive but generally harmless invaders.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":3023,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_seopress_robots_follow":"","_seopress_robots_imageindex":"","_seopress_robots_snippet":"","_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_robots_breadcrumbs":"","_seopress_robots_freeze_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_custom_modified_date":"","_seopress_robots_canonical":"","_seopress_social_fb_title":"","_seopress_social_fb_desc":"","_seopress_social_fb_img":"","_seopress_social_fb_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_fb_img_height":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_title":"","_seopress_social_twitter_desc":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img":"","_seopress_social_twitter_img_attachment_id":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_width":0,"_seopress_social_twitter_img_height":0,"_seopress_redirections_value":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled":"","_seopress_redirections_enabled_regex":"","_seopress_redirections_logged_status":"","_seopress_redirections_param":"","_seopress_redirections_type":0,"_seopress_analysis_target_kw":"","_seopress_news_disabled":"","_seopress_video_disabled":"","_seopress_video":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas_manual":[],"_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable_all":"","_seopress_pro_rich_snippets_disable":[],"_seopress_pro_schemas":[],"inline_featured_image":false},"categorie":[66],"service":[],"class_list":["post-3099","envahisseur","type-envahisseur","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","categorie-scuttigera-and-centipedes"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/envahisseur\/3099","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/envahisseur"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/envahisseur"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/envahisseur\/3099\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3101,"href":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/envahisseur\/3099\/revisions\/3101"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3023"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3099"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"categorie","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categorie?post=3099"},{"taxonomy":"service","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/exterminationmaranda.ca\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/service?post=3099"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}