Gross: It’s House Centipede Time in Connecticut

Bear attack? Wolves? Rabid Raccoons? Yeah, I'd be scared to encounter any of those animals in the wild. But I was terrified by a bug in my bathroom this morning.

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House centipedes are the only bug in Connecticut that make me scream like a child. Have you ever had one climb over your toes while you're enjoying your morning sit-down? That's what happened to me at 4 AM, and let me tell you, that's terror.

I didn't expect to see dozens of tiny legs fluttering across my toenails, but I should have. This is the time of year house centipedes invade our warm homes to get out of the cold.

Scutigeria coleoptrara is also known as the house centipede, they typically grow to be about an inch, up to an inch and a half long. There are bigger ones, and with up to 15 sets of legs, even the little ones appear to be about 3-4 inches. House centipedes are not harmful to humans, their venom is not strong enough to cause serious medical problems, but, they do have a bite powerful enough inflict pain, so don't mess with them.

House centipedes cause no property damage, and they're insectivores, the kind of bug that eats the bad bugs that crawled under your foundation, through a crack, or into that damp, dark space in your bathroom.

How do you get rid of them so you won't scream like I did at 4 AM? Thespruce.com suggests: Get rid of their food supply (Other bugs), and if you truly have an infestation - sprinkle Diatomaceous earth around cracks, corners, and especially damp areas, leave it for a few days, and vacuum it up.

You could also do what I did this morning - Scream, kick my foot like I was attempting one from the 20, and wait for your Chihuahua to attack it, but that didn't work.