Moisture Pests
Millipede & Centipede Control in Hampton Roads
Complete Pest Management has been treating Millipedes & Centipedes in Newport News and Hampton Roads since 1993. Licensed and insured in Virginia — VDACS #11694.
Millipedes and centipedes are two distinct pests that often get lumped together, but they have different habits and different levels of concern. Millipedes are harmless, moisture-loving decomposers that invade in huge numbers after rain — alarming but not dangerous. House centipedes are fast predators that do have functional venom, though bites on humans are rare. Both are moisture-indicator pests — their presence points to conditions in or around the foundation worth addressing.
Quick Facts
How to Identify Millipedes & Centipedes
Millipedes: cylindrical, dark brown to black, 1/2 to 2 inches long, with two pairs of legs per body segment (giving them their rolling gait). They coil into a tight spiral when disturbed. They're slow, completely harmless, and feed on decaying organic matter in soil. House centipedes: flattened, yellowish-gray with dark stripes, about 1 to 1.5 inches long, with 15 pairs of very long legs — one pair per segment — with the last pair nearly as long as the body. They're extremely fast, nocturnal predators. Unlike millipedes, they live in structures rather than soil and can be found in bathrooms, basements, and crawlspaces year-round. Larger, darker stone centipedes are also common in Hampton Roads crawlspaces.
Why Millipedes & Centipedes Are Common in Hampton Roads
Hampton Roads receives among the highest annual rainfall totals in Virginia, and our clay-heavy soil holds moisture at ground level for extended periods. This consistently moist soil environment surrounding crawlspace foundations maintains large millipede and centipede populations year-round. Newport News and Hampton's mature landscaping with heavy mulch and dense groundcover directly against foundations creates ideal harborage immediately adjacent to entry points. Crawlspace homes — extremely common throughout our area — give millipedes and centipedes direct soil-to-floor access through gaps in the subfloor.
What to Do About Millipedes & Centipedes
DIY Steps You Can Take Now
- ✓ Pull mulch at least 12 inches away from the foundation — this is the single highest-impact change you can make for millipedes.
- ✓ Improve crawlspace ventilation and repair or add a vapor barrier to reduce moisture below the floor — the root cause for most millipede and centipede populations.
- ✓ Seal gaps under exterior doors and around pipe penetrations at the foundation level.
- ✓ Fix exterior drainage issues: ensure gutters drain away from the foundation and that grading slopes away from the house.
- ✓ Apply a perimeter residual treatment around the foundation base after modifying the habitat — treatment without habitat modification provides only temporary relief.
When to Call a Professional
- → You're finding millipedes inside the home in large numbers or regularly, not just a few after heavy rain.
- → House centipedes are appearing in living areas (bathrooms, bedrooms) rather than just the basement and crawlspace.
- → You have an older crawlspace home with known moisture issues that need professional assessment before deciding on treatment.
- → Perimeter treatment and habitat modification haven't reduced activity within 2–3 weeks.
Professional Treatment
Complete Pest Management treats Millipedes & Centipedes as part of our Centipede & Millipede Control service.
Millipedes & Centipedes FAQs — Hampton Roads
House centipedes have functional venom delivered via modified front legs (not the rear pincers) and can technically bite, but bites are rare — they prefer to flee. A bite typically causes brief localized pain and minor swelling, similar to a bee sting, with no lasting effects in healthy adults. They're not considered medically significant, though children and sensitive individuals should seek medical attention for any bite that produces unusual symptoms.
Millipedes live in moist soil and leaf litter outdoors. When heavy rain saturates the soil, they're displaced and migrate toward higher, drier ground — which leads them directly to your foundation. They enter through any ground-level gap. This weather-driven migration is the most common cause of sudden large millipede invasions in Hampton Roads homes and is entirely predictable given our rainfall patterns.
House centipedes are predators — they eat cockroaches, silverfish, flies, and other insects. A significant indoor centipede population almost always indicates an underlying insect population providing their food source. If you're seeing many centipedes, investigate for cockroaches or silverfish in the same areas. Addressing the prey population is as important as treating the centipedes directly.
No structural damage from either. Millipedes feed only on decaying organic matter — they don't eat live plants or structural materials. House centipedes feed on other insects. The presence of either pest is primarily a nuisance and moisture-indicator issue, not a structural one. The moisture conditions that support them, however, can lead to mold, wood rot, and termite pressure if not addressed.
Dealing with Millipedes & Centipedes in Hampton Roads?
Same-week service available. Licensed and insured in Virginia.