Best Time to See Centipedes in the US
April, May and March is the best time to see centipedes in the United States. This is a national picture built from 118,138 verified iNaturalist observations across 50 states, showing when and where centipedes are most active.
By Tim, founder of Easy Street Markets. I maintain the wildlife database and verify every animal and source myself.
118,138 verified observations of centipedes in the US, recorded across 12 months of the year on iNaturalist.
When centipedes are recorded in the US
Peak month
April
20,400 records (17.3% of the year)
| Month | Observations | Share |
|---|---|---|
| January | 5,319 | 4.5% |
| February | 6,766 | 5.7% |
| Marchpeak | 14,021 | 11.9% |
| Aprilpeak | 20,400 | 17.3% |
| Maypeak | 14,446 | 12.2% |
| June | 10,173 | 8.6% |
| July | 8,232 | 7% |
| August | 6,797 | 5.8% |
| September | 9,224 | 7.8% |
| October | 10,156 | 8.6% |
| November | 7,377 | 6.2% |
| December | 5,227 | 4.4% |
Centipedes you are most likely to see
| Species | Verified observations |
|---|---|
| House Centipede | 22,486 |
| Brown Centipede | 8,668 |
| Common Desert Centipede | 7,467 |
| Eastern Red Centipede | 5,357 |
| Giant Desert Centipede | 4,809 |
| Eastern Bark Centipede | 4,784 |
| Japanese House Centipede | 2,643 |
| Thorn-tailed Bark Centipede | 1,307 |
Across the country, centipedes sightings peak in April, when 20,400 of the 118,138 annual observations are logged, about 17.3% of the national total. Nationwide activity stays high through April, May and March.
The best states to see centipedes by recorded sightings are California (23,219), Texas (10,492), New York (5,993), Virginia (5,781) and North Carolina (5,369). Each state page below breaks the year down month by month for that state.
The centipedes you are most likely to encounter nationwide are House Centipede, Brown Centipede and Common Desert Centipede, the most-recorded species across all states combined.
Best states to see centipedes
- centipedes in California23,219 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in Texas10,492 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in New York5,993 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in Virginia5,781 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in North Carolina5,369 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in Pennsylvania5,166 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in Ohio4,452 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in Massachusetts3,450 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in Arizona3,413 sightings, peak August
- centipedes in Maryland3,029 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in Georgia2,985 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in Florida2,941 sightings, peak March
- centipedes in Illinois2,717 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in Tennessee2,631 sightings, peak April
- centipedes in New Jersey2,626 sightings, peak April
Most-recorded centipedes species nationwide
- House Centipede22,486 records
- Brown Centipede8,668 records
- Common Desert Centipede7,467 records
- Eastern Red Centipede5,357 records
- Giant Desert Centipede4,809 records
- Eastern Bark Centipede4,784 records
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see centipedes in the US?+
April is the single best month nationwide, with the broader peak running through April, May and March, based on 118,138 verified observations across 50 states.
Which states are best for seeing centipedes?+
By recorded sightings, the top states are California, Texas and New York. California leads with 23,219 verified observations.
How many centipedes sightings are recorded in the US each year?+
About 118,138 verified centipedes observations are logged on iNaturalist across 50 states with enough data to chart a seasonal pattern.
What kinds of centipedes live in the US?+
The most-recorded species nationwide are House Centipede, Brown Centipede and Common Desert Centipede, based on all-time iNaturalist counts.