Call us today 
Few household encounters are as startling as watching a centipede sprint across your bathroom floor at lightning speed or finding a mass of millipedes curled up in your basement. While these multi-legged arthropods are generally more alarming than dangerous, large indoor populations signal underlying moisture problems that need attention — and nobody wants to share their home with these unsightly creatures. Millipedes are found throughout most of the world and are considered unsightly pests when they invade homes.
In Kansas City, Omaha, and Des Moines, the house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) is the most commonly encountered indoor species, known for its long legs and incredible speed. Outdoors, millipedes (various species) can invade in huge numbers during fall rains, sometimes covering sidewalks, garage floors, and basement walls by the hundreds. Both centipedes and millipedes are moisture-dependent pests — their presence indoors almost always indicates excess humidity or water intrusion. Millipedes and centipedes are attracted to dark, moist environments, which is why they are often found indoors.
Miller Pest Solutions provides comprehensive centipede and millipede control near you that addresses both the pests and the moisture conditions attracting them. As an NPMA member and QualityPro-certified pest management company, we use safe, effective treatment methods that solve the problem at its source. Our residential pest control team understands how to manage moisture pests in the Midwest’s challenging climate. Prevention is the most effective method for millipede pest control in the first place.
Signs of a Centipede or Millipede Infestation
Centipedes and millipedes are moisture-seeking pests with distinct behaviors and appearances. Millipedes often go unnoticed because of their inconspicuous habitats in dark places until large numbers suddenly appear around and inside homes:
Fast-moving centipedes: House centipedes are yellowish-gray with 15 pairs of long, banded legs and move extremely quickly. They’re usually seen in bathrooms, basements, kitchens, and laundry rooms — anywhere moisture is present. Seeing them regularly (rather than occasionally) indicates a population is established in your home.
Millipede migrations: Millipedes are slow-moving, dark brown or black, worm-like arthropods with many short legs that curl into a spiral when disturbed. Mass millipede migrations — sometimes involving hundreds or thousands of individuals — occur after heavy rains in fall, sending waves of millipedes toward buildings in large numbers.
Concentration in damp areas: Finding centipedes or millipedes consistently in basements, crawl spaces, bathrooms, garages, and around floor drains or other dark places indicates moisture conditions that are supporting their population.
Dead millipedes indoors: Millipedes that enter homes often die from dehydration, but finding numerous dead millipedes along baseboards, in window wells, and in basements indicates ongoing invasion. Millipedes do not leave many signs of an infestation, but they can be seen scrambling from one bit of shelter to the next.
Musty smell from millipedes: Some millipede species emit a foul-smelling, yellowish secretion when handled or crushed. This defensive chemical can stain surfaces and irritate skin. Millipedes may also be found near firewood or cardboard as they feed on decaying materials. Millipedes are not dangerous to humans but can cause allergic reactions due to the toxins they secrete.
Other moisture pest activity: Centipedes and millipedes often share habitat with other moisture pests like silverfish, crickets, and earwigs. Seeing multiple moisture-loving species is a strong indicator of underlying humidity problems.
Check our Pest ID page for help identifying centipedes vs. millipedes and other similar pests.
Our Centipede & Millipede Treatment Process
Miller Pest Solutions takes a moisture-focused approach to centipede and millipede management:
Comprehensive Assessment: Our technician inspects your home’s interior and exterior to identify where centipedes and millipedes are entering, where they’re congregating, and what moisture conditions are supporting them. We check basements, crawl spaces, foundation perimeters, window wells, mulch beds, and other key areas.
Moisture Assessment: We evaluate humidity levels, identify water intrusion sources, assess drainage patterns, and determine which areas of your home are providing the damp conditions these pests need.
Exterior Perimeter Treatment: We apply a residual barrier treatment around your home’s foundation, extending outward into mulch beds and landscape areas where millipedes breed and centipedes forage. For long-term millipede control, granular insecticides containing Bifenthrin can be applied in a 3–10 foot wide band around the perimeter of a house. This intercepts these pests before they enter your home.
Interior Treatment: We apply targeted residual products along baseboards, around floor drains, in utility areas, and in other areas where centipedes and millipedes are active. Dust formulations are used in wall voids and crawl spaces for extended control. All products are pet-friendly and family-safe. Chemical treatments are most effective when applied as a perimeter barrier to prevent millipedes from migrating indoors.
Nonchemical Practices: We recommend nonchemical methods such as vacuuming millipedes from floors and walls to quickly remove them from indoor environments. Diatomaceous Earth (DE) can be sprinkled around foundations and entry points to dehydrate millipedes upon contact. Preventing access to structures by reducing moisture and using traps are also effective control measures.
Prey Insect Reduction: House centipedes are predators that feed on other insects — including spiders, crickets, silverfish, and cockroaches. By reducing the prey insect population, we remove the food source that sustains centipede populations.
Moisture Remediation Guidance: We provide detailed recommendations for reducing moisture levels in your home, including dehumidifier placement, drainage improvements, ventilation solutions, and landscaping modifications that redirect water away from your foundation.
Entry Point Recommendations: We identify and recommend sealing the gaps, cracks, holes, and openings that allow centipedes and millipedes to access your home and other structures. Properly sealing these entry points helps prevent future infestations.
Safety Note: Children and pets should be kept away from treated areas until insecticides are fully dry.
Centipede & Millipede Prevention Tips
Preventing centipede and millipede invasions is primarily about moisture management and entry point reduction. Creating and maintaining dry conditions are the best cure for millipede problems:
Reduce indoor humidity: Run dehumidifiers in basements, crawl spaces, and other damp areas. Target humidity levels below 60% to make your home inhospitable to moisture pests.
Fix water intrusion: Address leaky pipes, foundation cracks, seeping window wells, and poor drainage that allow moisture into your home.
Improve exterior drainage: Ensure gutters and downspouts direct water at least 4-6 feet away from your foundation. Grade soil away from the house to prevent water pooling against the foundation.
Create a dry perimeter: Replace organic mulch with gravel or stone within 12 inches of your foundation. Mulch retains moisture and provides ideal millipede habitat right against your home.
Manage flowerbeds and mulch: Flowerbeds, mulch, and other moist environments near the foundation attract millipedes. Reduce mulch thickness in flower beds to 2–4 inches and keep it 6–12 inches away from the foundation to help manage infestations.
Remove harborage: Clear dead leaves, grass clippings, rocks, stones, wood debris, leaf litter, fallen branches, landscape timbers, and other organic debris from the yard and around structures where millipedes breed and centipedes hunt. Millipedes often hide under rocks, stones, and wood in moist yard areas, including grass and flowerbeds.
Seal entry points: Caulk gaps around windows, doors, utility penetrations, and foundation cracks to prevent access to structures. Install door sweeps and ensure window wells have proper covers.
Reduce prey insects: Eliminating centipede food sources (other small insects) will help reduce centipede populations naturally.
Visit our Pest Learning Center for more moisture management strategies.
Why Centipedes & Millipedes Thrive in the Midwest
The Midwest’s climate and soil conditions are highly favorable for both centipedes and millipedes. The region’s hot, humid summers and frequent thunderstorms maintain the moist soil and organic matter that millipedes need to survive and reproduce. Weather, especially heavy rain and humidity, often triggers millipede migrations and increased activity. Millipedes feed on decaying organic matter in soil and mulch — and the Midwest’s rich, organic soils and landscaping practices provide an endless food supply. They are also attracted to moist environments like flowerbeds and feed on grass thatch and roots in lawns. Millipedes are nocturnal, preferring dark, cool, moist habitats, and typically become active in early spring, remaining active through summer and early fall.
Greenhouses in the Midwest offer ideal moist environments for millipedes, and the greenhouse millipede, which is not native to the US but originally from Asia, is a common pest in these settings due to the abundance of decaying organic matter.
Kansas City, Omaha, and Des Moines all experience the dramatic fall millipede migrations that occur when cooling temperatures and heavy autumn rains trigger mass movement toward buildings. These migrations can be overwhelming — homeowners sometimes find hundreds of millipedes covering their foundations, sidewalks, and garage floors overnight.
House centipedes thrive indoors year-round in the Midwest, taking advantage of the humid basements and crawl spaces common in the region’s housing stock. The presence of prey insects — crickets, silverfish, spiders, and small cockroaches — sustains centipede populations in homes that provide sufficient moisture. The Midwest’s cycle of humid summers, rainy falls, and heated winters with condensation problems means that moisture-related pest issues are a year-round concern.
Centipede & Millipede Control in Kansas City, Omaha & Des Moines
Miller Pest Solutions provides effective centipede and millipede management across all three of our Midwest markets.
Kansas City Centipede & Millipede Control
Kansas City’s warm, humid climate and clay soils create persistent centipede and millipede pressure. Our KC team treats homes throughout the metro with perimeter and interior treatments that solve moisture pest problems. With a 4.8-star rating from 553 Google reviews, Kansas City homeowners trust us for reliable centipede and millipede control near you. Call (816) 409-3884.
Omaha Centipede & Millipede Control
Omaha’s river-proximity humidity and expanding suburbs with fresh landscaping and organic mulch create ideal conditions for these moisture pests. Our Omaha team delivers effective treatment and moisture management guidance. Rated 4.9 stars from 297 Google reviews. Call (402) 796-6138.
Des Moines Centipede & Millipede Control
Des Moines homeowners frequently encounter both house centipedes and fall millipede migrations. Our Des Moines team provides comprehensive centipede and millipede control near me with a 4.9-star rating from 1,509 Google reviews. Call (515) 726-6397.
Root-Cause Approach: We address the moisture conditions attracting centipedes and millipedes, not just the symptoms. This delivers lasting results.
NPMA Member & QualityPro Certified: Our industry-leading certifications ensure responsible, effective pest management.
Multi-Pest Expertise: Centipedes and millipedes often coexist with other moisture pests. We provide integrated solutions that address your entire pest picture.
Pet-Friendly & Eco-Conscious Products: Our targeted treatments are safe for families and pets.
Moisture Management Guidance: We don’t just treat — we help you understand and fix the underlying moisture issues attracting these pests.
Satisfaction Guarantee: We guarantee our work. If centipedes or millipedes persist, we return at no additional cost.
Discover related services on our silverfish control and cricket control pages.
Frequently Asked Questions About Centipede & Millipede Control
Are house centipedes dangerous?
House centipedes can technically bite, but they rarely do and their venom is not medically significant for most people — comparable to a mild bee sting. They’re actually beneficial predators that eat spiders, cockroaches, and other household pests. However, their alarming appearance and speed make them unwelcome houseguests for most people.
Why do I have so many millipedes after it rains?
Heavy rain saturates the soil, flooding millipede habitat and forcing them to the surface. They then migrate en masse toward buildings seeking higher ground and drier shelter. This is especially common in fall when rain combines with cooling temperatures to trigger mass millipede movements.
Do millipedes bite?
No. Millipedes are not venomous and do not bite. Some species can secrete a mildly irritating fluid as a defense mechanism, which can cause minor skin irritation or stain surfaces, but they pose no real threat to humans.
Why are centipedes in my bathroom?
Bathrooms provide the moisture centipedes need to survive, along with potential prey insects. Centipedes are often found near drains, around toilets, and in shower areas. Improving bathroom ventilation and reducing humidity are key to discouraging their presence.
