I read that there are house centipedes and outdoor centipedes.

I was thinking the centipedes in my house were house centipedes but they came from outdoors.

Can you tell me how to know the difference?

I am just trying the best way to decrease them or eliminate them.

Thanks in advance.

Centipedes like dampness, and they are also good in the house, keep mostly to themselves and eat smaller insects, keeping the smaller ones away from you !

Outdoor centipedes are way larger then indoor, but then I have seen some pretty large ones, maybe an inch long around but really, rarely see them in the light.

In south america they are usually kept as housepets, and are about a foot long, to control the mouse and rat population.

The house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata, (http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/images/centipedemillipede/housecnt.jpg) has rather dainty long skinny bent legs. Click here for a good website on house centipedes. (http://ento.psu.edu/extension/factsheets/house-centipedes) Other species may wander inside, but the house centipede can live indoors.

Here is a picture of a garden centipede. (http://lancaster.unl.edu/pest/images/centipedemillipede/gardncnt.jpg) Centipedes are fascinating, creepy crawlers. Clean up the centipedes you find in your house. Then seal up your house with tight fitting window screens, door sweeps and thresholds; use foam seal where pipes enter the house, etc.

Here is an image search for centipedes (https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sugexp=les%3B&gs_rn=0&gs_ri=hp&gs_mss=house+cleaning+santa+barbara&tok=SMYp3nNwhV4OWAD4hXkegg&pq=house+centipede&cp=10&gs_id=1m&xhr=t&q=centipedes&newwindow=1&safe=off&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.&bvm=bv.1354675689,d.b2I&bpcl=39650382&ion=1&biw=1280&bih=640&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=isch&source=og&sa=N&tab=wi&ei=0OnDUNufMsWa2AXY3IG4Bg). Note that the house centipede has long skinny bent legs

This writer likes centipedes: House Centipedes: Your Best Friend for Household Pest Control (http://voices.yahoo.com/house-centipedes-best-friend-household-pest-182847.html)
Here is another site: Living with Bugs (http://www.livingwithbugs.com/centipede.html)

Hi, gha, good website on centipedes 'your best friend'. A lot of what I always thought they were like. I never kill one, I know they get rid of unsavoury insects that I don't like.

Tick