Spider Crickets & Centipedes in Your Basement: What to Do

You head down to the lower level, flip on the light, and something long-legged springs straight at you — then you spot a fast, many-legged bug darting along the baseboard. If your basement, laundry room, or finished lower level has become home to spider crickets, centipedes, and the occasional spider, you are far from alone. These are some of the most common — and most startling — basement pests in Connecticut. Here is what they actually are, whether you need to worry, and how to get them out for good.

What Are Spider Crickets?

Spider crickets — also called camel crickets or cave crickets — are those humpbacked, long-legged insects that look like a cross between a spider and a cricket. They have no wings, do not chirp, and rely on damp, dark spaces to survive, which is exactly why basements and crawl spaces are their favorite real estate. Unlike field crickets, they are silent, so you usually discover them by sight rather than sound.

Why They Jump at You (and Whether They're Dangerous)

The unnerving habit of leaping toward you is actually a defense mechanism — they jump at a perceived threat to startle it, not to attack. The good news is they do not bite, sting, or carry venom, so they are harmless to people and pets. The catch is that in large numbers they can chew on fabric, cardboard, and stored paper, and a heavy population is a clear sign your lower level is damp enough to support them.

What About House Centipedes?

House centipedes are the fast, yellowish-gray bugs with dozens of long legs that seem to vanish the moment you spot them. They look alarming, but they are predators — they hunt and eat other insects like spiders, silverfish, ants, and roaches. In a strange way, their presence is a clue: centipedes only stick around where there is enough prey to eat and enough moisture to thrive. They rarely bite people, and when they do it is uncommon and mild, so they are far more unsettling than they are harmful.

Why They're All Showing Up in Your Basement

Spider crickets, centipedes, and basement spiders tend to appear together because they all want the same thing: moisture, darkness, and quiet places to hide. Connecticut's humidity, combined with cool below-grade rooms, makes finished lower levels and duplex basements especially attractive. They slip in through foundation cracks, gaps around pipes and utilities, window wells, and unsealed doors — and once inside, clutter and storage give them endless places to shelter.

The Moisture Connection

Here is the key insight: all three pests are driven by dampness, so the single most effective long-term step is drying things out. Running a dehumidifier, fixing leaks, improving ventilation, and clearing cardboard clutter makes your lower level far less hospitable. Sealing the gaps they enter through is the other half of the equation — our guide on how to seal your homefrom pests walks through where to focus.

How to Get Rid of Basement Bugs for Good

Squashing the ones you see does nothing about the population hiding in the cracks and harborage areas. Lasting control combines targeted treatment, exclusion, and moisture management — which is why a professional approach outperforms cans of spray. It also addresses the spiders that often share the same space; our spider control tips pair well with treating crickets and centipedes together.

What ProSource Does

We inspect the lower level to find harborage and entry points, treat the perimeter and the cracks and crevices where these pests hide, seal the gaps letting them in, and flag the moisture conditions feeding the problem. Centipedes, millipedes, silverfish, and spiders are all included in our Total Pest Coverage plan, so ongoing protection keeps them from coming back season after season.

Worried about treatment in a space where the family spends time? Our products are chosen with households in mind — see whether pest control is safe for pets and kids. And if the lower level you are dealing with is a rental or duplex unit, our guide for renters and landlord approval explains how to move forward.

Basement Pest Control in Waterbury, New Haven & Litchfield Counties

Damp basements and finished lower levels are everywhere in our service area, and so are the crickets, centipedes, and spiders that come with them. We treat homes throughout Waterbury and across New Haven County — including Cheshire, Wolcott, Naugatuck, Prospect, and Middlebury — as well as Litchfield County towns such as Watertown, Woodbury, and Thomaston, where older homes and humid lower levels are especially common.

Take Back Your Lower Level — Get a Free Inspection.

You should not have to brace yourself every time you walk into your own basement. ProSource will identify what is down there, treat it, seal it out, and help you keep it from returning. We offer a free inspection in our service area, most jobs are booked within 24 hours , and every visit is backed by our money-back guarantee .