Becca is a writer and aspirational dog owner living in NYC.

Look, it goes against all reason and instinct, but you should really never squish a centipede.

Even if you’re in the bathroom at 2 a.m. and one comes scuttling out to the drain, you should try to resist the urge.

It’s challenging, because there are few crawlies as creepy as a squirmy, fast-moving centipede.

Even those of us who are immune to the creep factor of spiders, ants, and roaches might get the shivers when confronted with all those segmented legs.

The yuck factor gets even higher when you consider their favorite hangout spots. These guys like to hang out in cool damp place, and might even take up residence in your toilet if you aren’t careful.

You have our blessing to remove these guys from the commode, but if you get the urge to stomp, resist.

The reason why is simple: you should never squish a centipede because it might be the only thing standing between you and a bathroom literally crawling with other gross creatures.