Centipede & Millipede Control in Kansas City

Centipedes vs. Millipedes: What Kansas City Homeowners Are Dealing With

These two pests are often lumped together, but they behave differently, invade for different reasons, and respond to different conditions. Knowing which one you have helps determine what’s driving the problem.

House Centipedes

The house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is the one most Kansas City homeowners encounter indoors year-round. It’s fast-moving, yellowish-gray, and unmistakable thanks to its long banded legs extending from each body segment. Unlike millipedes, centipedes are predators. They eat silverfish, spiders, crickets, and other insects, which means a centipede in your basement isn’t just a nuisance; it’s a sign that prey insects are present. They thrive in humid basements, bathrooms, and utility rooms. Bites are uncommon and, for most people, result in only mild, localized irritation.

Millipedes

Millipedes are slower, darker, and cylindrical, with two pairs of legs per body segment rather than one. They feed on decaying plant matter and curl into a tight spiral when disturbed. Millipedes invade from outdoors, typically after heavy rain or when conditions outside become too dry. Kansas City’s heavy autumn rains often trigger mass migrations toward foundations and into garages and basements. Once indoors, millipedes don’t survive long because interior humidity is too low for them, but finding dozens along your baseboards after a storm is a clear sign of pressure from outside. Some species can secrete a defensive fluid that may irritate skin, though they don’t bite.

Signs You Have a Centipede or Millipede Problem

An occasional sighting might be just that. But certain patterns are worth addressing with professional help.

• Regular centipede sightings in damp areas at night, particularly in bathrooms, basements, or utility rooms, point to an established population rather than a stray.
• Centipedes trapped in bathtubs or sinks are common; they fall in while hunting other insects and can’t climb out of smooth surfaces.
• Mass millipede appearances on foundations or garage floors after heavy autumn rains are a hallmark of the fall migration event that affects many Kansas City properties each year.
• Dead millipedes along baseboards or in window wells, sometimes with a faint musty odor, indicate an ongoing invasion from outside the structure.
• Co-occurring moisture pests such as silverfish, crickets, or earwigs alongside centipedes are a strong indicator of underlying humidity issues sustaining both populations.
• Shed centipede exoskeletons in basements or utility areas signal active molting and an established, growing population.