Do Not Squish This! Even If You Want to!

I am as guilty as the rest of you. I see this thing and the ONLY thing I want to do is squash it! Don't and here's why...

These are the good guys in the insect world! In fact, the house centipede (Scutigera coleoptrata) eats the things that should freak you out even more!

• cockroaches
• silverfish
• termites

After reading more about this little cutie (I'm trying to like them) they seem awesome. First of all, they are Mediterranean. And they are nocturnal and live in dirt and wet. Like your humid basement or your bathroom. Some can live inside their whole lives and others are outside during the growing season. They eat the bad bugs outside.

• grubs
• cutworms
• spiders

According to Rodale's Organic Life, these amazingly scary bugs can eat a ton! High metabolism lets them eat a bunch of those bad bugs. I won't get into how they kill their prey - it's only going to make you more scared of them. But they can't hurt humans. Our skin is too tough, and we probably taste bad.

Experts say that if you DO find these centipedes in your house, that means that there are possibly cracks around your foundation and windows.