About the Centipede
The Common Centipedes usually live outside, but the House Centipede you can find inside as well.
Centipedes are usually brownish, flattened, and elongate animals which have many body segments. The regular centipede: is flattened, with many different body segments . One pair of legs is attached to most of these body segments.
They differ from millipedes in that millipedes have two pairs of legs on most segments and bodies which are not flattened. They are between 1-6 inches and the House Centipede is 1-1/12 inches.
Centipedes usually live outdoors in damp areas such as under leaves, stones, boards, tree bark, or in mulch around outdoor plantings. If they are around the foundation of the house, they may wander inside.
The larger Centipede can bite if it is injured, with a light swelling. A physician should be consulted if the bite has penetrated the skin.
The centipede is beneficial, eating other insects. Centipedes do not damage food supplies or household furnishings.Most centipedes are active at night.
Centipedes typically overwinter outdoors, and, in the summer, lay 35 eggs or more in or on the soil.
Newly hatched centipedes have four pairs of legs; during subsequent molts, the centipede progressively increases the number of legs until becoming adult. Adults of many species live a year and some as long as five to six years.