Centipedes are related to millipedes and are also worm-like in form, but differ in having flattened bodies and only one pair of legs on each body segment.
Most centipedes are benefical.
Centipedes can be found outdoors, often under stones, boards or in wood piles. They also live under leaf litter and other organic matter. Occasionally these outdoor species invade homes and buildings where they are a nuisance, but are not destructive. Homeowners who need to control centipedes should first get the pest identified to see if it is an invader from outdoors or an indoor species associated with an insect infestation. If centipedes are common indoors, look for insects such as cockroaches, attic flies, boxelder bugs, elm leaf beetles and others.