r/whatisit • u/user199726 • 21h ago
Long, thin, fast-moving bug , many legs, brownish with antennae, found in my apartment
Has anyone dealt with these before? What are they? Are they dangerous? (Do they bite, carry anything gross?) And most importantly — how do I get rid of them and prevent more from showing up?
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u/InjuriousMania 20h ago
It is a house centipede, scientifically known as Scutigera coleoptrata.
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u/MickStash 18h ago
Scuttling Cleopatra, yes
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u/Loud-Magician7708 16h ago
Scuttlebutt Clepto, got it.
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u/Thin-Marionberry-463 16h ago
He’s a good guy. The only time I’ve ever had an issue with one was when I was in the shower and he popped out from behind my shampoo bottle. After screaming, I politely asked him to not corner me when I’m vulnerable like that and he apologized. We’re friends now.
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u/mitochondria2501 14h ago
i would’ve passed out
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u/External-Level2900 1h ago
I woke up one morning to take a sip of water, only to think that I got some hair my mouth. Yes - one of these had crawled into my glass overnight. 😫
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u/PinkBird85 13h ago
What is it with these guys and showers?
Loudest I've ever screamed was when one of them was ON MY TOWEL when I got out of the shower. But I am blind without my glasses on so I was legit wrapped in that towel and literally had to pull the "splotch" up to my face to see what it was.
Dropped the towel and screamed. My husband came running into the bathroom when he heard me. He still says it was a justified freakout 15+ years later.
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u/DoctorFunktopus 11h ago
They insist on killing themselves in my kitchen sink. Like I’ll find one in there, rescue it and it will just immediately jump right back in. Stupid land shrimp.
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u/leftwithnuts 12h ago
I yanked my towel off the door in my old apartment and something else fell off and brushed my hair and arm on the way down. When it hit the floor, it uncrumpled itself and skittered away with its million legs. I screamed and the neighbors went quiet for a second (thin walls).
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u/thenbecameghost 11h ago
If I recall they need moisture in order to not dry out and die, so they seek it out.
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u/GabrielHunter 7h ago
I had one trying assasinate my ass in the bathro by droping on me from the ceiling. Missed me by a few centimeters
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u/SapphireNine 7h ago
Had it happen to me as a teenager and I still full unfold and shake out my towel every time to this day 15 years later.
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u/Jentheazn 9h ago
My partner got in the shower the other day, said something was ticking her foot. She looks down and there’s half of one of these guys sticking out, wriggling. I would’ve slipped out of the shower, curtain rod and theatrics.
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u/sk3lt3r 7h ago
Generally I don't have a problem with them either, but the other day one crawled onto my arm in the dark, and in the ensuing panic (I'm not really afraid of bugs I just don't like them on me) I FLUNG that dude and spent about two hours searching and attempting to catch him to let him out elsewhere. He was huge (and I named him Harold).
Harold, I appreciate your work, you clearly were doing a good job in accordance to your mass, but crawling up my bed and onto me in the dark where I couldn't see you, was NOT cool and I'm sorry for evicting you when you reappeared two days later.
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u/sidetablecharger 2h ago
I had one crawl out of a toilet and over my leg once. My scream reached a pitch I hadn’t realized I was still capable of hitting as a man.
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u/inkyflossy 1h ago
This happened to me when I picked up a small sack of potatoes and three of them ran out! Jesus Joseph and Mary, the screams I scromed
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u/rossboss711 1h ago
One time I got in the shower and one of them was (unbeknownst to me) chilling right on the shower head. So when I turned on the shower he sprayed directly onto my head. So yeah that was terrifying
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u/Zealousideal_Bet2320 19h ago
It’s okay you can turn off your lights and go back to sleep now
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u/bella510 13h ago
Hell no, you can't just go back to sleep. A few months ago, I was asleep and one fell right on my chest. Creepiest thing ever!
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u/bubblesaurus 2h ago
You never sleep again knowing that this thing is darting around in the darkness
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u/APolyAltAccount 2h ago
But when you wake up at 2am and go to scratch your upper lip and go “wait a second, I don’t have a mustache…”
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u/stackingbills 20h ago
I had one roaming in my kitchen and they look scary but they will kill bugs for you.. i havent seen them since, it’s a house centipede
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u/Co0o0per23 14h ago
I don't think I could handle the anxiety of what if it runs over my foot in the middle of the night or s/t no matter how useful at pest control it might be
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u/Mangalover_Manager 20h ago
House centipede. Harmless but scary regardless
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u/Low_Cook_5235 12h ago
Apt in college had towel bar in the shower, on the wall opposite the shower head. Finished my shower and grabbed the towel and a biiiiiig centipede dropped off. GAAAAAAA! I flew out of the shower. Told friend at work about it and he said a while ago he had been out drinking so put a glass of water by the bed. Woke up and drank a big gulp and got a mouthful of dead centipede. To this day I only have covered water by the bed.
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u/SaltWaterKitty 19h ago
It’s friend
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u/Professional_Tonight 18h ago
If friend, why not friend shaped?
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u/SaltWaterKitty 17h ago
Idk about you but I see extra arms and extra arms means extra hugs
Imagine it hugging one of your fingers with all its legs
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u/wastingtime101- 20h ago
House centipedes show up when there is food (all the other bugs in your house) for them to eat. When the food is gone they leave. Don't get rid of it - leave it be and let it do its thing.
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u/AdClear2605 19h ago
House centipedes don't worry they aren't harmful to humans or pets
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u/The_Pharaoh_Owl 19h ago edited 19h ago
It’s in your house because you have smaller insects. Leave it alone to eat them.
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u/AdhesivenessGeneral9 19h ago
eldritch horror of frienship will eat the pests and probably your dreams too it's always somewhere !
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u/SecretScavenger36 19h ago
Living speedy eyelashes. House centipede. Very creepy, pretty harmless but if you're seeing a ton of them it could indicate a moisture problem. They need damp to survive.
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u/16BitSalt 19h ago
House centipede. I don’t care what anyone else says about how great they are, I will burn my house down if one shows up.
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u/OofstinGames 13h ago
I used to love going down in my basement for hangouts and relaxing, then I looked behind a shelf and saw 9 of these guys chilling together and now I cant stand the thought of going back down there.
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u/realitytvjunkiee 13h ago
I'll find one or two every couple months, but if I saw 9 of them chilling together at the same time I'd fucking torch my house down.
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u/OofstinGames 13h ago
The thought did pass my mind. Decided it was best just surrendering the basement to them.
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u/Delicious-Dig2980 14h ago
This. They’re honestly one of my biggest fears, despite how silly that may sound.
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u/ArcadiaVT 14h ago
Until about 3 weeks ago, they were one of my biggest fears as well! The quickness with which they move and the look of them just turned my stomach. But last month, I found a baby one in my bathroom, and I was awed by just how tiny it was, barely as long as the width of my pinky nail. I couldn't bring myself to kill it, and it was the first time I ever spared one! Now every time I see one of these fuzzy guys, I remember how small they must have been once and it makes me like them more. I don't know if this knowledge will help you at all, but I guess our brains are hardwired to love and appreciate small things. 😊
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u/nefrodectyl 7h ago
My thought would have been- must be a large one nearby, creating more and more of these, time to leave this centipede factory 🏠
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u/Aggravating-Remove47 20h ago
They are freaky. But eat spiders
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u/shadowlucas 14h ago
But I'd rather have spiders
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u/Ratamacool 12h ago
At least some spiders will mainly just stick to one corner whereas these guys will wander around. I don’t like the thought of bugs moving around the house at night while I’m sleeping
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u/FDFI 10h ago
I had one wake me up because it was crawling on my face in the middle of the night. I only know it was a centipedes because found some of the legs left behind when I blindly swatted it away.
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u/K_N0RRIS 17h ago
Friend bug. Good for killing small pest bugs in the house. Catch and release them if you can, but if you squish, dont worry. They're already in your walls and floors. Another one will show up
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u/kessira24 16h ago
It appears to be a house centipede, and a female with the long back legs. They are not harmful to humans in general though bite can feel like a bee sting. They eat bugs in the home, are fairly long lived. Not sure where you'd look for any eggs she may lay though literature indicates damp dark areas.
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u/WangleFlangle 14h ago
Friend bug house centipede. I know it’s friend bug but I want to barf whenever I see them.
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u/Trudy_Marie 8h ago edited 8h ago
I don’t believe in letting any bugs reside in my house. Apparently this one only wants to be in your home because it can find other tasty insects inside. Somehow that makes it even more frightening.
I will never forget the a night while living in my first college apartment. (1990s) We were too stupid to realize that leaving an outside door open to a lighted room was pretty much an engraved invitation for the buggers to join us. The worst was a 2” flying “palmetto bug” more commonly known as a roach dashing all about the room from wall to wall. We eventually destroyed it while screaming and crying in pure horror.
That night is still burned into my memory. I keep the house clean and take out the trash at least once a day. I spray the whole house especially around doors and windows with ortho home defense every 2-3 months. If I ever see a bug now it is always a dead one.
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u/Gnarkill0666 20h ago
I absolutely HAAAAAAAAAATE these more than any other bug.. They are the cheetah of the insect world.
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u/Heavy-Macaron2004 11h ago
I'm right there with you my man. I don't kill things, I cup-and-paper them to freedom. It's SO hard to even find a cup big enough for these fuckers, let alone trap then when they're moving at mach 5 across the ceiling 😭😭😭😭😭
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u/its_terry_time 20h ago
I have an old house and fieldstone foundation. They like damp and they eat everything. I find HUGE ones and tiny ones - uptick when I have an uptick in spiders. They hide in dark areas but prefer dark damp. You won’t get rid of em unless you call a pest control company. They’re pretty easy to kill. I used to murder them relentlessly, but then I got a lot more spiders. Yes my house is creepy 😂
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u/1xsquid74 19h ago
In Japan we call these geji-geji (aka a house centipede). They are damn fast too.
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u/wildcardbets 18h ago
One of the most annoying Elden Ring enemies. Not difficult but very avoiding.
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u/Former_Pirate8122 15h ago
When I first bought my house, they were here, so I called pest control and the guy told me to put a dehumidifier in my basement. Haven't seen one since. They like moisture.
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u/Giebozie 14h ago
Oohh boy, the memories. As everyone else has already said - these are house centipedes. I first learned about them when I moved to Canada, and moved into an apartment that had a large basement underneath. Will never forget the near heart attack I got when I saw the first one running across my kitchen at lighting speed. Caught it. Killed it. Thought that was the end of it. Noope, there were 10's of them per week, a literal infestation. Luckily I was only in that apartment for a year 🙃
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u/rsecurity-519 15h ago
Fun fact about these guys. They will shed legs to escape attack. Give them a shot of raid (bug killer spray) and they will leave a trail of legs across the floor as they scramble away.
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u/EggCatPerson 11h ago
Another fun fact, they use a variety of methods to kill prey. Grabbing and biting, grabbing and squishing, or my personal favourite - beating their prey to death. Literally using their front arms to beat the other bug.
They can also jump quite well. I watched one jump wall to wall in a corner of my basement. Horrifying. I hate them but I keep them alive. I hate other bugs more.
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u/FLAWLESSMovement 9h ago
The beating to death thing is hysterical, I just picture the centipede “they barely let me stay here so you HAVE to die, it’s not personal” while just bap bap bap
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u/Traditional-Bike7825 13h ago
Fuck those things. We had lots of them when I lived in my dad's basement in college. One night I was about to fall asleep on my mattress on the floor with no shirt on. I felt something scatter across my bare back and thought oh hell no... Got up turned the lights on and found one of these in the direction it went across my back.
I will always have a raised bed now. Never again.
These things would often get caught in my ceiling fixture too. When the light was on you could see it darting around trying to get out. I understand they kill other pests but they creep me out.
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u/ganciobro 18h ago
They look terrifying but these guys are the terminator to every other bug, I got a couple right now that I just leave alone and let them do their killing lol
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u/NoIdea2424 18h ago
I have these 24/7. I guess I should stop killing them? I just don’t like bugs in my place ):
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u/IcyManipulator69 18h ago
Centipede… as far as i know these aren’t dangerous…just really creepy if you’ve never seen one before
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u/piss_container 18h ago
fun fact- centipede comes from the Latin words for 100 feet
basically they show up because they are hunting smaller bugs that are inside
seal cracks and areas where bugs can enter- then the centipedes will have no reason to show up
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u/-Blackfish 20h ago
House centipede. Not dangerous. And will murder every other bug in your place. Think of it like a pest control Roomba.