Scary and fast

The house centipede is a creepy little insect most people just want to kill and not think about. But the house centipede is not such a bad fellow even if he has 30 or more legs and runs fast.

You might be surprised to know why house centipedes enter your home. They are hunting for spiders, cockroaches and other insects to eat. They don't want to run up your leg and scare you half to death. And although they do have tiny fangs, they are very unlikely to bite you.

I was digging sweet potatoes in my garden when this one came out of the ground litter. Knowing that it would not harm me, I allowed it to climb onto my dirt-covered finger, where I photographed it with my cellphone.

The best way to keep house centipedes out of your house is to keep out the insects it eats.