Centipedes look like something out of a horror movie, but in your home they’re often working for you, not against you. These ancient predators, whose lineage stretches back more than 400 million years, are built to chase down roaches, spiders, silverfish, and even small pests you rarely see. Silent and fast, they don’t spin webs, build nests, or chew your walls; they simply hunt, eat, and vanish into cracks.

Yet their presence is also a warning. A centipede only stays where food is plentiful, which means if you’re seeing them regularly, something else is thriving in your walls and basement. Because they can live for years and reproduce, a few helpful hunters can quietly turn into an unsettling colony. That’s why the smartest move isn’t a shoe or a spray can, but a professional inspection that targets the real infestation hiding behind the centipede’s sudden appearance.