After contact with millipedes, wash hands thoroughly with soap and water until the odor is gone. All species of centipedes are more or less wormlike and have a flattened body with a distinct head that bears a pair of long antennae. Jaws containing poison glands are located on the first body segment immediately behind the head. Depending on the species, centipedes can vary in length from one to 12 or more inches when mature. The most common species of centipede found in Georgia are less than 5 inches in length.
Centipedes vary in color from light yellow to dark brown to a reddish brown.
Most species of centipedes feed on small creatures such as insects. They catch their prey with their powerful jaws and then kill the prey by injecting them with venom. Occasionally, man may be bitten by centipedes, but the poison usually produces only a moderate reaction similar to a bee sting. People who are allergic to insect venoms and other toxins may suffer severe reactions to the venom of a centipede. Life Cycle and Habits Most millipedes are scavengers and feed primarily on decaying vegetation and leaf litter, although some species attack roots of living plants.