EFFECTS ON HUMANS
Centipedes will bit humans, and the bites of large or even moderate-size scolopendromorphs and scutigeromorphs can be quite painful. Specimens should be grasped with forceps, never by hand, behind the head. Their bodies are so long and flexible that they can bend around and bite a collector if grasped at the caudal [tail] end. Bites vary with the species, but they produce moderate to severe pain for a few hours and may cause localized swelling, discoloration, and numbness. The only recorded human fatality is a child in the Philippines, who was bitten on the head and the poison was injected indirectly into the brain. If children, elderly, or allergic persons are bitten, medical assistance may be necessary. But unlike scorpions and spiders, there are no really dangerous, deadly centipedes.

Millipedes are entirely non-toxic to humans and can be picked up by hand. Some secretions discolor the skin, but this wears away in a few days without lasting effect. Some large, cylindrical, tropical species squirt their defensive secretions up to a half meter (2-3 feet) and can blind chickens and dogs. These fluids are painful if they get into the eyes, and persons working with tropical millipedes should be suitably cautious.