The "You May Be Asking For More Trouble By Stepping On These Bugs!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Watching my early morning favorite..."Leave It To Beaver"...when this creepy bug went scooting across the wood floor under my TV.  I've seen them in the past, but not during the past couple of months.  Bug seems to have thousands of legs all around it's body.  I'm sure you too have seen them.  Pulled up a picture of one of them on my computer and found they are referred to as a centipede.  The creepy looking thing can really move and at times it is hard to catch or swat with a magazine or old newspaper.  And...it doesn't have thousands of legs...it only has 15 legs.  

Found it can travel about 1.3 feet-per-second.  Probably the reason it is hard to kill them.  Well, the centipede really does have a purpose in your house.  They are known to kill other house pests such as the roach, moths, silverfish, flies and even termites.  The centipede uses the two legs right near their head, which has been modified to carry venom, and their other legs to scoop up other bugs.  What they are doing is known as a "lassoing" technique where the centipede jumps on their prey and wraps them up with the rest of their legs.  So, they not only are killing the bugs we don't want in the house, but they are getting rid of their nests.  If you really do want to get rid of the centipedes in your house, try to get rid of the other house pests first which the centipedes prey on.  Make sure there isn't extra moisture in your walls by using a dehumidifier or installing a fan in the bathroom.  You can also seal off any cracks entering the house so other pests don't have places to lay their eggs.  Also, make sure to clear your house of any debris that is causing unnecessary moisture to leak into your wall.  I know...when I see one of these bugs with all the legs crawling all over the floor, I am tempted to try and tramp on them, but after reading a bit more about them, I came to realize that they are helping me rather than creating a nuisance for me.  

Another look at the centipede

Guess I should thank them rather than try and kill them.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of ordinary guy.