When you encounter insects around your house, how does it make you feel? It’s understandable that your first instinct would be to snatch anything and run over them. Some of them carry dangerous poisons and can sting you brutally and fatally.
The creepiest ones make you feel the worst; you usually want to strangle those small, frightening animals with so many legs as soon as possible.
However, after reading this, you may be reluctant to kill those menacing-looking centipedes the next time you see them in your toilet.
It might be quite hard to resist the impulse to smash centipedes when you notice them crawling around the house. You can be shocked by centipedes. However, after learning how useful they have been around the house, you might wish to just express your gratitude by not killing them in the future.
It turns out that those squirmy, fast-moving organisms have been keeping other tiny insects out of your house. There’s a special kind of centipede around the house that has about 20 legs wrapped around its body and is slightly shorter than its other wormy brethren.
These tiny animals have acted as an undetectable pest deterrent for your house, keeping out ants, bedbugs, silverfish, spiders, and cockroaches. Their appetite is so great that they practically eat any arthropod they find about the house.
Centipedes are good guys, but that doesn’t mean you should open your doors and let them in in large numbers. Instead, it means you should be grateful to the one or two you find about the house and give them a free pass the next time they come.
They may make some noise when they are found, particularly if small children or even adults think they are disgusting and dirty. Let them go on their own or send them outside to munch some leaves instead of just squashing them.
Don’t squish every bug you come across inside your house to avoid the possibility of introducing hundreds of small baby spiders into your house. You really don’t want to see it.
Furthermore, centipedes aren’t all that terrible. They are only weak, small creatures that, aside from terrifying your heart, are hardly strong enough to cause serious harm.
Considering that they don’t actually spread germs throughout the house like other insects do will help convince you that they are genuinely good people.
Since centipedes are basically non-lethal, you shouldn’t be afraid of them either. However, we are unable to say the same regarding a few others. These insects cause a number of terrible diseases that are quite dangerous and could be fatal if properly treated.
Definitely keep an eye out for those. These are a few of the poisonous insects you should avoid coming into contact with indoors.
After being bitten, bullet ants give you the sensation that you have been fired, as their name implies. Therefore, you should try to avoid getting bitten. One of the largest ant species, they are commonly found in the rainforests of Nicaragua and Paraguay.
The problem is not the botfly itself, but rather its larvae, which are an inside parasite of many animals, including humans. The female deposits her eggs beneath the skin, and the developing larvae dig further into the skin, causing an infection that alters the tissue of the skin significantly.
According to some parents, they can feel the larvae scuttling inside their skin.
Fleas: Because they feed on blood, flea bites can cause itching, irritation, and sometimes even skin infection.
An invader may sustain agonizing white pustules on their skin for weeks after being repeatedly stung by the notorious fire ant. There are about 295 different species of ants. Some of them discharge toxic venom that might cause allergic reactions in certain persons.
Up to 12,000 people may die each year from the trypanosome cruzi parasite, which is spread by the kissing bug biting its victims’ lips.
The largest hornets are giant Japanese hornets, which may reach a length of 2 inches and have a deadly sting that kills about 40 people per year.
Tsetse Flies: An estimated 500,000 people die from sleeping sickness on the African continent as a result of being bitten by tsetse flies.
Killer Bees: Due to their immense numbers, killer bees usually launch aggressive, overwhelming attacks that are frequently fatal.
Driver ants: These ants use their powerful mandibles to strike with tremendous force. They may kill several animals in a single raid. In addition to attacking other insects, they have a horrible habit of biting humans.
Mosquitoes: Known as the deadliest insects and maybe the deadliest organisms on the planet, mosquitoes are believed to be responsible for up to one million deaths each year from diseases like yellow fever, encephalitis, West Nile virus, and malaria.
For Months, I Kept Receiving Gifts From a Secret Admirer, but the Truth I Discovered on Valentine’s Day Shocked Me — Story of the Day
I never cared for romance. It always seemed like a fantasy, something that belonged in movies, not real life. But then the gifts started arriving—flowers, chocolates, even books I had wanted. No name, no clues. Just a secret admirer who knew too much. Someone was watching. But who? And why?
To be honest, I was never the romantic type. It had always been that way. Ever since my teenage years, I never understood why everyone was so obsessed with romantic comedies.
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The grand gestures, the dramatic confessions, the over-the-top happy endings—it all felt staged, unrealistic.
Love didn’t work like that in real life. At least, that’s what I believed. Yet, someone decided to prove me wrong.
One day, I arrived at work, juggling my coffee and bag, only to freeze at my desk.
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A massive bouquet of flowers sat there, bright and overwhelming. A note was attached.
My heart pounded as I unfolded it, hoping for a name. But all it said was, “Your smile brightens my days.”
“Did anyone see who brought this bouquet?” I asked, holding up the note.
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Robert looked up from his computer. “No. I was the first one here. It was already on your desk when I arrived.” His usual warm smile made me trust him.
Robert was my favorite coworker. He was kind, thoughtful, and always had my back.
“Wow,” Brian said from across the room. “Someone actually noticed you exist.”
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I rolled my eyes. Brian was my least favorite coworker. Brian never missed a chance to annoy me.
Since my first day at the office, he had made it his mission to get on my nerves.
“Do you have to be like that?” Robert asked, shaking his head. “Jealous the bouquet isn’t for you?”
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Brian smirked. “Oh, look at our knight in shining armor.” He walked off before I could reply.
“Thanks,” I said to Robert.
“Always happy to help,” he said, winking.
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I smiled, pushed the flowers aside, and turned on my computer. Work had to come first.
The thing was, Robert, Brian, and I were each working on a project for the company, but only one of us would receive funding.
Winning meant recognition, respect, and career growth. Losing meant months of effort wasted. I figured that was why Brian had been even more unbearable lately.
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He thrived on competition and loved getting under my skin. This was a battle, and in battles, anything was fair game.
I couldn’t let him—or even Robert—win. I was one of the only women in the company, and I had worked hard to get here.
If my project got funded, it would prove I belonged, that I was just as good—no, better—than the men.
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But then, there were the gifts. The gifts from my secret admirer didn’t stop—they kept arriving almost daily.
At first, I didn’t mind. A bouquet one day, chocolates the next. Then, candy and books—ones I had wanted but never mentioned aloud, at least not that I remembered.
That’s when it stopped feeling sweet and started feeling… unsettling. I wasn’t the kind of person to daydream about romance.
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I didn’t swoon over mystery admirers. I analyzed, questioned, doubted. How did this person know so much about me?
Someone was watching. Someone knew my habits, my preferences. I wasn’t flattered. I was scared.
“You must be happy to have a secret admirer,” Robert said one day, leaning back in his chair.
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“Honestly, it freaks me out,” I admitted.
Robert raised an eyebrow. “Oh, come on. It’s sweet.”
I shook my head. “Not so sure about that.”
Brian, who had been eavesdropping, smirked. “Right. It’s probably some psycho who’s going to be waiting outside the office one day to get rid of you.”
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I grabbed a pencil and threw it at him. “Only a sick idiot like you would do that.”
Brian dodged it easily. “Touched a nerve?”
I turned back to my work, pushing away the anxious thoughts. My head was already spinning from this project.
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I just wanted to get it over with. The presentation wasn’t until February 14th. Ironic, wasn’t it?
Brian wasn’t done. He strolled over and glanced at my computer screen. “Are you sure this is a good idea?”
I turned the monitor away from him. “Stop snooping. You probably just want to steal my idea.”
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“My idea is way better,” Brian said, crossing his arms.
“Sure,” I said, dripping with sarcasm.
Brian rolled his eyes and walked away.
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I sighed and reached for my paper cup, but it was empty. “I really need to buy a water bottle. I’m tired of constantly running to the cooler,” I muttered to myself.
The next morning, when I arrived at work, a sleek new water bottle sat on my desk.
A note was attached. “So you don’t have to keep running to the cooler.” I froze.
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What the…?
Someone had overheard me. Someone from this office.
“Want to grab lunch together?” Robert asked, appearing beside me.
“Yeah, sure,” I said, distracted.
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“Nice bottle,” he said, pointing at it.
“Yeah,” I murmured, picking it up.
“You don’t seem too happy about it. Didn’t you want one?” Robert asked, watching me closely.
I nodded, but my mind kept racing. Something didn’t feel right. Then, it clicked. It was Robert. Robert was my secret admirer.
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He sat next to me every day, close enough to hear my offhand comments. He knew my favorite things.
He had always been kind, always supportive. Who else could it be? It made perfect sense.
I wanted to ask him about it, to confirm my theory. But the presentation was too important.
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I couldn’t let myself get distracted now. My focus had to stay on my project.
On February 14th, we finally presented. The conference room was packed, tension filling the air.
As the discussion began, I listened carefully. Robert’s project came up first.
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Then Brian’s. Executives asked questions, debated ideas. But no one mentioned mine. Not once.
“You’ve talked a lot about Robert’s and my projects, but you haven’t said anything about Leslie’s,” Brian suddenly said, his voice steady.
“You think it’s worth discussing?” our boss, Paul, asked, barely glancing at my report.
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Ouch. That stung.
Brian sat up straighter. “I think it’s the most deserving of the three. It’s obvious Leslie’s project is the best.”
I had to stop my jaw from dropping. Brian, of all people, was defending me?
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“I don’t think so,” Robert cut in. “I still believe mine is the best, or at the very least, Brian’s. Men are better architects than women.”
I felt like I had been slapped. Robert, who I had thought was supportive, had said that?
One of the executives finally looked at my project. He flipped through the pages, nodding slowly. “Actually, I think Brian is right. Leslie’s project is the strongest.”
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A heated debate followed. People argued back and forth, numbers and strategies thrown around. I held my breath, waiting for the final decision.
Nearly an hour later, we walked out of the conference room.
I had won.
My project had been chosen. Relief and pride flooded through me. I knew I had earned it.
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“Thanks for speaking up for me,” I told Brian as we walked down the hallway.
He shrugged, hands in his pockets, then kept walking.
I shook my head and turned to Robert. My excitement was quickly fading. “You were acting weird during the presentation. Especially considering how you feel about me.”
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Robert frowned. “What do you mean?”
“I know you like me. You’re my secret admirer,” I said, crossing my arms.
Robert blinked. “What? Where did you get that idea?”
“Everything fits. Plus, you’re always nice to me,” I said.
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Robert sighed. “I’m just polite. I have a girlfriend.”
“Oh…” My stomach dropped.
“Yeah. And I still think my project should have won,” he added.
I shook my head. “Learn to accept defeat,” I said and walked away.
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If it wasn’t Robert, then who was it?
Now, my secret admirer scared me even more. What if he had some kind of listening device at my desk? How else did he know everything?
That evening, as I left the office, unease settled in my stomach. Brian’s words kept replaying in my head—that one day, my admirer would be waiting outside.
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When I stepped out and saw a figure standing by the door, my heart stopped. I panicked and screamed.
“Oh my God, Brian! You scared me!” I yelled, my pulse racing.
“Sorry,” he said, shifting on his feet.
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“What are you doing here?” I asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Waiting outside the office to get rid of you,” he said, his tone unreadable.
“What…?” My confusion deepened.
Brian sighed. “Remember when we talked about your secret admirer, and I said that one day he’d be waiting for you outside?”
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I interrupted him. “Yeah, but what does that—” I froze. My mind pieced it together. “Wait… it’s you?”
Brian nodded.
Only then did I notice the large bouquet in his hands. Tulips. My favorite.
“But why all of this?” I asked, staring at the flowers.
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“I figured you needed to see a different side of me. Not just the Brian who teases you,” he said, shifting awkwardly.
“You could have just stopped acting like a jerk instead of scaring me half to death,” I said, narrowing my eyes.
“Yeah… it didn’t go exactly as I planned,” Brian admitted, rubbing the back of his neck.
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“So… you like me?” I asked.
Brian covered his face with his hand. “I’m not good at talking about this,” he muttered.
“I’ve noticed,” I said, smirking.
“…Yeah. I do,” he finally said, avoiding eye contact.
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I smiled.
“Well, happy Valentine’s Day,” Brian said, turning to walk away.
“Hey, that’s it?” I called after him. “No invitation to dinner?”
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Brian hesitated. “You’d actually want that?”
I walked up to him and took his arm. “Well, I do need to get to know this other Brian,” I said.
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Tell us what you think about this story and share it with your friends. It might inspire them and brighten their day.
If you enjoyed this story, read this one: I was living my ordinary life until one of my students gave me a Valentine. It looked familiar, and when I unfolded it, my heart stopped. It was the card I had written years ago for someone I once loved. I had to know how it ended up in his hands—even if it changed everything.
This piece is inspired by stories from the everyday lives of our readers and written by a professional writer. Any resemblance to actual names or locations is purely coincidental. All images are for illustration purposes only. Share your story with us; maybe it will change someone’s life.
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