A single species, the house centipede, commonly lives indoors - most live outdoors. They eat insects and spiders and are beneficial creatures but most people consider them a nuisance and want them controlled. Centipedes, despite all their legs, can move very rapidly. They prefer damp situations and are often found in mulch, wood chips, dead leaves, grass, crawl spaces, among firewood, or under stones and debris in the yard. They are flattened and elongate creatures.
Centipedes are usually gray, tan or brownish in color.
They vary from 1 to 6 inches in length. Antennae are long and prominent. The house centipede has 15 pairs of legs. It can easily fit through cracks and crevices to gain access into a house, and is usually found in basements, closets, or bathrooms, where it is dark and humid. It is most active at night.