When you encounter an insect in your home, what’s your initial reaction? For many, it’s to grab something nearby and quickly squash it. This instinct makes sense, especially considering that some insects can sting or spread harmful toxins. However, there’s one creature you might want to reconsider killing: the house centipede.

House centipedes are creepy crawlers that often give people the chills with their many legs and quick movements. But before you reach for the nearest shoe, you should know that these unsettling critters actually play a helpful role inside your home. After reading this, you might change your mind about squashing the next centipede you find lurking in your bathroom.

Spotting a centipede darting across the floor can be startling, to say the least. However, these fast-moving insects are more beneficial than they seem. They act as natural pest control, quietly protecting your home from a variety of other, more problematic pests. In fact, the house centipede is a specific type of centipede that’s slightly smaller than others and has about 20 legs. Despite their unsettling appearance, house centipedes play a vital role by preying on a wide range of pests, including cockroaches, spiders, silverfish, bedbugs, and ants. Their insatiable appetite makes them effective at keeping these pests under control.

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should let your house become a haven for centipedes. But if you see one or two around, it might be a good idea to spare them. Letting a few live can be a way of appreciating the job they do in reducing other unwanted critters in your home.

While house centipedes can be alarming, especially for children or those who are particularly squeamish, they’re generally harmless to humans. In fact, they’re quite delicate and are not known to cause any real harm other than a fright. They don’t spread germs like cockroaches or flies, which makes them relatively harmless compared to some other insects.

If centipedes still make you uncomfortable, you don’t have to tolerate them entirely. Instead of killing them, try to gently capture and release them outside. By avoiding the impulse to squash, you’ll not only help preserve these beneficial insects but also prevent unintended consequences. For example, killing some insects, like spiders, can lead to the sudden release of hundreds of baby spiders, which is certainly not a welcome sight.

While centipedes are mostly harmless and even helpful, there are some insects you should be wary of encountering indoors. These pests can pose serious health risks and may require immediate action. Here are some of the deadliest insects that you might encounter indoors:

1. Bullet Ants: Named for their incredibly painful sting, which feels like being shot, these large ants are found in the jungles of Paraguay and Nicaragua.
2. Botfly Larvae: The danger comes from the larvae, which burrow under the skin, causing infections as they grow. This can lead to painful skin conditions.
3. Fleas: These tiny, blood-sucking pests can cause itchy bites and skin infections, especially for pets.
4. Fire Ants: Known for their painful, repeated stings, fire ants can cause allergic reactions in some people, with their stings resulting in white pustules that can last for weeks.
5. Kissing Bugs (Chagas Disease): These bugs transmit a parasite responsible for Chagas disease, which causes up to 12,000 deaths annually.
6. Giant Japanese Hornets: These large hornets have powerful stings that can be lethal, causing about 40 deaths each year.
7. Tsetse Flies: These flies are known for spreading sleeping sickness, which leads to around 500,000 deaths annually in Africa.
8. Killer Bees: These aggressive insects can attack in large swarms, leading to fatalities due to the sheer number of stings.
9. Driver Ants: With strong mandibles, these ants can kill small animals and deliver painful bites to humans.
10. Mosquitoes: Considered the deadliest insects in the world, mosquitoes are responsible for up to 1 million deaths each year, spreading diseases such as malaria, encephalitis, and yellow fever.

In summary, while it’s natural to want to eliminate any creepy crawler you find indoors, the house centipede is one you might want to spare. Their role as natural pest control makes them a valuable, if unexpected, ally. Though their presence can be unsettling, they are generally harmless and contribute to a healthier home by keeping more troublesome pests at bay. So, the next time you spot a centipede, consider letting it live—it’s doing more good than harm.