However, unlike their marine cousins, millipedes and centipedes are land dwellers. They are most often found in moist habitats or areas of high humidity. Millipedes and centipedes do not carry diseases to man or his animals and plants. Millipedes occasionally damage seedling plants by feeding on stems and leaves and may enter homes in large numbers during periods of migration and become a considerable nuisance. They do not cause damage inside the home except for possible stains when they are crushed.
Centipedes have poison glands and can bite and therefore pose an occasional threat to man.
They are wormlike with rounded body segments that bear two pairs of legs on each segment. The head is rounded with short antennae. Species can vary in length from less than one to two or more inches. They are light brown to black in color. Millipedes are not poisonous, but many species have glands capable of producing irritating fluids which may produce allergic reactions in some individuals.