Written by Jessica Johnsrud
With Halloween around the corner, I am reminded of some of the creepy, crawly creatures that live in our homes. There is one critter that definitely looks scary, but turns out to actually be one of the good guys. In fact, I recently heard this critter described by a scientist as, “an ideal roommate.” You may be surprised to learn that I am talking about the house centipede.
I understand their long legs are what give house centipedes a scary appearance. Scientists believe the human brain is wired to be afraid of centipedes and other multi-legged critters. Perhaps if we take a moment to learn more about them, we can move beyond their scary reputation and maybe even learn to appreciate them.
Let’s talk about those legs. House centipedes do not have 100 legs as their name implies. Instead, they have one pair on each of their 15 body segments. The legs are segmented (jointed) and this makes them appear to be much larger than they actually are. The body of the house centipede is only 1-1.5 inches long, but when you factor in the length of the legs, the creature is about 3-4 inches in length. The last set of legs are almost twice the length of the rest and look like antennae. If the house centipede is still, it is very difficult to tell which end is the head. This is called automimicry, when one part of the body imitates another, and is meant to confuse predators and potential prey.
Long legs are what help house centipedes be such impressive hunters. They prey on bed bugs, termites, cockroaches and other unwelcome visitors in your home. Their long legs and well-developed eyes allow them to have lightning fast reflexes. They are also sensitive to vibrations, which aids them when hunting. House centipedes have modified appendages in the front of their body for injecting venom into their prey, causing paralysis.
If I haven’t convinced you yet, female house centipedes exhibit maternal behaviors. They protect their eggs by curling their body around them and will continue to do this after the eggs hatch. The females even lick fungal spores off the eggs to keep them clean. What good mothers!
I know this all sounds a bit creepy, but if you think about it, perhaps house centipedes are the ideal roommate. They actively hunt and eat the truly scary bugs that can carry disease or cause damage to our homes. They care for their young and they do not like attention. They are rarely seen because they are active at night. They are even clean and do not spread disease, leave a mess or smell. When described in this way, I guess the house centipede isn’t so bad after all.
