We have houseguests. I do NOT like them.

[LynzM]

I am warning you- crawly beasties ahead.


















Meet my new friend, the house centipede (scutigera coleoptrata)


Strange things on the web: Oragami Bugs

Points of note:
Life span up to 5 years
15 pairs of legs when fully mature
DAMN FAST
Up to 2 inches long
Not easily pest-controlled
Do eat other pests (their only redeeming feature, in my book)
Can I repeat DAMN FAST?
Can shed legs to escape/survive

GAHHH! These things freak me the hell out. Ok, I know it can't really hurt me, but the thought of it crawling on me... *insert giant shivers up the spine here*

This site gives a pretty good summary of about how I'm feeling about this beastie, tonight. Life with the House Centipede

Killed the first one two days ago, was freaked out and hoped it was a fluke, but no. Caught the second one tonight... it's under a wine glass on the counter at the moment... Bleh.

[mokawanis]

1. Cute little fella

I like the part about shedding legs to escape

[LynzM]

2. Yeah...

Cute like gives me the heebie-jeebies!

Found a song about them: http://www.pulverradio.com/artists/watchedpots/ :rofl:

[blue neen]

3. Geez, by this description I thought you were talking about Dick Cheney.

He's definitely not easily pest-controlled and is probably about 2 inches long. :evilgrin:

His life span is probably less than 5 years, and he is probably shedding legs or any body part that he has to just to escape/survive!

[LynzM]

5. ROFL

Thanks for the laugh, I needed that!! :rofl:

[Chan790]

4. I had those in my house.

Then one day...poof! All gone.

That was the day before I discovered we now had Brown Recluse spiders. Consider yourself lucky...I'd rather have scutigera coleoptrata.

[LynzM]

6. Oh geez, dude.

I did have the thought that there are worse things... at least they can't really *hurt* me, just creep me the hell out. I'm hoping we don't see many... sorry about the recluses. Egads.

[Chan790]

10. It was a fraternity house.

It was a college fraternity house. We moved out the following month and the landlord ended up having to have the place condemned. Scared the bejesus outta me though when I flipped over a boxspring and the entire thing was filled with Recluses. Needless to say that we all wore shoes 24/7 after that inside the house.

It was the landlord's fault that we had a bug issue in the first place. We'd told him five times that there was an issue with the water heater and he ignored it so we came home after a retreat to find that the WH had exploded and had been flooding water into the basement. (It was a gas heater so we were lucky that nobody turned on the stove or lit a match, one of my roomies was a chain-smoker.)

Where you have 24 inches of standing water and waterlogged everything...bugs will follow.

[LynzM]

12. Holy shit.

I'm glad nobody died in that adventure. Wow. (from the bugs or the gas, jeez). Yeah, 24 inches of standing water will breed all kinds of interesting things.... :scared:

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

7. I saw one of those guys scoot across my living room floor,

and my cat saw him, said "Mrrrrm!" and smacked him with his paw
and ate him.

[LynzM]

8. Oooh, good point.

We will soon have two cats and a dog here... maybe they will take care of it :)

[I Have A Dream]

9. I have these also. It's taken me a while, but I have pretty much...

decided that I'm just going to have to live with them. They're creepy because of all of the legs, but there are definitely worse things to have in your home.

As you said, they're really fast. However, when scared, they can also stay immobile for long period of times so that you don't see it moving. When I see one, I just go away from it because I really can't deal with trying to capture it and take it outside. (I don't kill bugs unless they can hurt me.)

[LynzM]

11. Yup...

I'm pretty sure I will get used to them, I just don't like the thought of them crawling on me. But if they'll pretty much leave me alone, I can probably stand to do the same. Reading more about them helps, which I'm doing. I just have seen both of them out of the corner of my eye, and they make my spine crawl, you know? As you said, though, there are definitely worse things...

[I Have A Dream]

13. I've lived in my house for over 10 years, and I've never had one crawl...

on me. They really want to avoid you at all costs, from what I can see, so if they would crawl on you, it would scare them even more than you probably. They really seem to be "scaredy cats".

[LynzM]

17. Good to know...

Since that's probably the thought that freaks me out the most. We'll just leave each other alone, then...

[grace0418]

23. Not only have I had them crawl on me, I had a bite from one.

It's not poisonous to humans, but SO GROSS to think about them on you.

[uncle ray]

37. that's just what they want you to think.

[sleipnir]

14. Well, they do eat other insects, like Roach Larva.

So, they've got that going for them.

I feel that if I've got them in my home, it means we probably have other insect problems. You only get predators when the prey is sufficient. Just deal with getting rid of roaches, spiders and other small insects and you should be fine.

Hey, they can't hurt you and they only get rid of disease causing insects, so don't freak out.

They are lighting fast and have amazing colors on their bodies. Actually, if you can catch a few. I hear they make good pets, I shit you not, especially if you can feed them. Supposedly, watching these things "hunt" is worth the time!

[LynzM]

16. I did read that, re: pets

I just can't imagine how I'd catch one without hurting it, then have something around to let loose for it to catch... give me a few weeks, maybe when I am less freaked, I will work on that...

[Capn Sunshine]

15. I encountered a 8-10" version in Tejas

Natives insist they are poisonous. Creepy, and fucking BIG.

[LynzM]

18. Egads.

I would *not* deal well with those. Holy shit. :scared:

[Kali]

19. those are different and they are poisonous

I have kept them as pets as well - they can almost be hand fed - they love crickets or other stuff like that and drink water off of a sponge. I have seen people handle them on TV, but never had the guts to myself, they can move pretty fast. My Grandfather said if they walk on you each leg makes a dot and is poisonous but most of what I have read says its just the bite - and they have wicked jaws.

The house centpedes of the OP are harmless.

[tjdee]

20. Would you like them in a box? Would you like them with a fox?

Gross, LOL, but when I read "I do not like them" it triggered much Dr. Seuss.

:silly:

[LynzM]

21. I DO NOT LIKE THEM, Sam I am!

:rofl: I would like them in a box, I would not like them on my sox!

:)

[grace0418]

22. I'm not grossed out by much. Mice, snakes, etc. don't bother

me at all. But THOSE THINGS. GAAA-AAA-AAA! I have had them in every place I've lived in Chicago and I fucking loathe them. My first apartment was infested with them and I almost lost my mind. My condo now has them, but not as bad. Still, they show up with seasonal changes, especially in our lower level. SO. EFFING. GROSS.

[LynzM]

28. Yup, same here...

I'm not much a fan of spiders, in general, and definitely not tarantulas, but most other things, ok. These things... GAAAA is a good approximation!

[lakemonster11]

24. The old house my roommates and I lived in until August

had big black rats.

We just had one at first, but then it *died* in the walls and we couldn't find it. The whole house stank except for my room (best ventilation?), so we would all eat and hang out in there until the smell just got so bad that we couldn't eat in the house anymore.

Finally, the rat smell went away (totally decomposed, I guess), but then we got more rats. And because it was an old house with holes all over the place, there was no way to seal them out.

:scared:

[LynzM]

29. Iiiiiewww. Iiew.

Wow. Yuck. Ok, I guess I'm glad we don't have rats!

[lies and propaganda]

25. Your profile says you are in Ct?

They have bugs like that there? Yuck,.

[LynzM]

30. Yup

Yeah, I didn't know we had these either, until this week. Hence my freaked-out-ness!

[NNadir]

26. Why are my in laws visiting you?

[LynzM]

31. Dude...

:rofl:

[Jamastiene]

27. Thanks for the warning.

Every time I start to get cocky and think I am not afraid of creepy crawlies, I see something else with a million legs and lots of fuzz all over its body. Shiver. :scared: Please swat it for me. I'm such a wuss.

[LynzM]

32. Sorry, dude....

I've taken care of the first two for ya! ;)

Though reading about all the other stuff they eat, I may have to learn to leave them alone...

[TallahasseeGrannie]

33. Pour boric acid powder behind

your fridge and in cracks and nooks and they run through it and IT SUCKS THE JUICE OUT OF THEM. Great stuff. Only works when dry. Non toxic.

[LynzM]

34. Ooooh.... good to know

Thanks, TG! :)

[TallahasseeGrannie]

35. Yeah

and it is great family entertainment because they come limping out looking for water and die in the middle of the kitchen floor.

[henslee]

36. I hear they can get in your ear and cause a lot of pain.