Large Centipede in Casa!

A couple of nights ago we found a large brown centipede lurking about in the bedroom closet.  I was about 6 inches long and maybe 1/2" wide across its legs.  I've never seen anything like it.  It was quite fast but eventually it was cornered and was squashed beneath a wad of paper.  But, it could not be killed and persisted in crawling away.

Do we need to be concerned about such creatures?  Are they common around Lakeside?  Are they dangerous?  Research suggests they may have a nasty bite!  I would prefer not to kill these things if they are harmless.  Does anyone have any insight on what type of centipedes we have around here?

I've seen plenty of scorpions here but never a large centipede! I've seen, and easily killed, a few small red ones in soil when transplanting plants, but never a big one or in any house I've lived in. Wow. You are absolutely sure it was a centipede? Where do you live, Cincy?

YES, they sting like scorpions and they hurt like hell!!!

I've only see one large centipede in 11 years. They sting.

We live in Upper Ajijic.  We are new to the area.  I spend a lot of time in garden, trimming/planting/weeding and was expecting to see scorpions but none yet, just a couple of small snakes and dozens of lizards, of course.  The entire garden was sprayed with malathion insecticide a couple of weeks ago mainly to control mosquitoes.

The centipede looked very similar to this this:
http://www.desertusa.com/insects/centipedes.html

Yep, that's a centipede. Lucky you didn't get stung. If there's one. . .

If malathion has been sprayed extensively in your garden, it's amazing anything is alive! Or, maybe that's why it came in the house. Won't be anything for the lizards or little snakes to eat either. yuk

We had those nasty things in the Caribbean. I probably found at least 1 a year. They really are mean and aggressive. So far, I haven't run into one here thankfully.

A friend in Maui got stung and her foot swelled horribly. DO NOT TOUCH!!

I have seen a few of these up in the mountains. It seems those that live close to the mountains or near empty lots see far more critters than the city slickers.

My trick for killing scorpions and similar beasties. I drop a book on them and then step on it until I hear a crunch. Works every time.

I live in Centro Ajijic. During a project, a worker had a large one bite him on the arm and had to go to the local clinic for treatment.
We've seen both kinds several times. Don't touch.

Yeah...the book approach is 100%  effective and doesn't hurt other critters.  I think why you don't see many is they're pretty hard to miss....visually ...or with a book.

And then there are those very lovely furry caterpillars with brown and black stripes--deadly! Me, I have a rule: the insects and caterpillars and scorpions get the entire outside, but any bug that gets into the house is a dead bug. I may have taken tennis 101 three times, but I have a deadly fore hand and backhand with my fly swatters on the bugs! I do sometimes feel bad, particularly about the large pretty spiders, but that is my rule and I'm sticking to it! BTW, have any of you noticed that bugs come in pairs? With spiders, the missus is smaller than the mister. SIGH--I don't think I ever appreciated the variety in the bug world until I lived in Mexico! P.S. to newcomers: don't go barefoot in the yard OR the house!

omg What is that, CB? A centipede curled up in something? A nest? argh gross

What is the story with that picture CB? Looks like a family of baby centipedes...!!!

kipissippi wrote:Yeah...the book approach is 100%  effective and doesn't hurt other critters.  I think why you don't see many is they're pretty hard to miss....visually ...or with a book.

Pointy shoes for getting em in the corners laugh out loud.

It's a big mama centipede cuddling her babies. I got it from a St. Thomas page on Facebook.

omg Those are babies. . .oh gross. They do have a lot of chilun don't they. ugg

That they do. I wish elephants or apes bred like that.

Ive' only seen those in hawaii. was doing yoga in the house once and there i was on the floor when a foot long one came snaking by. i almost had a heart attack. the boyfriend got him. i left him over there (the boyfriend AND centipede) so thanks for the tip on the book method shall i see one. YIKES

Like Lilikoi, have seen 12 inch and longer centipedes on Maui. Last humongus one, in Hana, took 3 of us to finish off. A friend there was bitten by one that took refuge under her pillow. To this day I never tuck my hand under a pillow in the middle of the night no matter where I am. Here, so far, all have been found in the garden including a large nest of babies sans a mother. The Tropics -- a love/hate relationship.

Thanks so much Axixic! Centipedes, spiders, scorpions and ANY type of arachnid really creeps me out. They always have.....so muchos gracias for the warning!

barbicheesecake wrote:Thanks so much Axixic! Centipedes, spiders, scorpions and ANY type of arachnid really creeps me out. They always have.....so muchos gracias for the warning!

Same topic, wrong thread.

Ya gotta love Wikipedia . . .




-- Centipedes as street food in Wangfujing, Beijing, China