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Centipedes

Suzie - 5-24-2010 at 10:02 AM

We have spent the last 20 years mouse and vermin-proofing our house here in San Antonio de Las Minas. This last spring we have encountered huge, light gray centipedes in the house and can't figure out where they're getting in. Two of them were at least 6 inhes long and more than a half inch wide. Does anyone have any ideas about what kind they are and how they get into the house?

Skipjack Joe - 5-24-2010 at 11:56 AM

Stay away from those things. They can give you a nasty bite.

DianaT - 5-24-2010 at 12:18 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Suzie
We have spent the last 20 years mouse and vermin-proofing our house here in San Antonio de Las Minas. This last spring we have encountered huge, light gray centipedes in the house and can't figure out where they're getting in. Two of them were at least 6 inhes long and more than a half inch wide. Does anyone have any ideas about what kind they are and how they get into the house?

I think they can squeeze in through the smallest crack. We often have a couple in our place, usually around a window. But they are dead. When we leave for the states we almost always set off some bug bombs. I dislike those things, but I prefer finding scorpions, centipedes, black widow spiders, etc., not taking up permanent residence in the house.

BTW we have been using those plug in mouse things that emit a faint noise, and they work. We used to have the tiny little field mice move in, but now we see their droppings on the front porch, sometimes a few just inside the front door, but they don't stay.

Good luck

bigzaggin - 5-24-2010 at 12:53 PM

Search around the centipede section of What's That Bug, the most awesome bug ID site on earth.

Regardless, I hope it's not a HUMAN CENTIPEDE. Those things are nasty.

BajaWarrior - 5-24-2010 at 03:29 PM

Over the years I have found rather large centipedes twice in our Beach House in the sink. I just always thought they made their way from the septic and up the plumbing and into the sink. We have a porcelin sink so I figured they might not have been able to get out.

BW

jeremias - 5-24-2010 at 04:01 PM

Centipedes can crawl underneath doors that look almost airtight. I ran into plenty of those things in Hawaii, super hard to kill too.

Bob and Susan - 5-25-2010 at 06:05 AM

i always thought they crawled in your ears at nighttime...
i guess i've seen too many movies

_________________

"Hazards to humans"
centipede can be hazardous to humans because of their bite

a bite to a human is very painful and causes swelling,
chills, fever, and weakness, it is unlikely to be fatal.

bites are dangerous to small children and those with allergies to bee stings

bites of larger centipedes can induce anaphylactic shock

smaller centipede bites usually do not puncture human skin
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DianaT - 5-25-2010 at 08:32 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
i always thought they crawled in your ears at nighttime...
i guess i've seen too many movies

_________________
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Now that should help everyone sleep well. :lol:

irenemm - 5-25-2010 at 09:42 AM

Hold them over and open flame to kill them. I spray everything with Windex. that will stun them. Then get tongs and burn them. It sound pretty mean it is. but they won't get in my ears.

jeremias - 5-25-2010 at 09:53 AM

i would usually smash one repeatedly with a baseball bat until it finally stopped squirming-and that would take a long time.

irenemm - 5-25-2010 at 09:56 AM

fire is fast. it smells a little but then burn a tortilla and that is a nice smell
no bats needed

Bugman - 5-25-2010 at 01:16 PM

Centipedes are very flat and usually get in under doors or or around window screens. They are good climbers too and go up stucco and brick to gain entry at higher points. Get good guards on the doors and check to see that other areas are sealed well and that will help. Inside your ear is not their preferred location but if you like to be paranoid then feel free to keep believing this. I never like to get in the way of a good paranoia :biggrin:

. Try to avoid being bitten when killing or removing them from your home as some species can deliver a very painful bite and usually the bigger they are the worse it is. Sleep tight! Your nomad entomologist...............

Chris

Skipjack Joe - 5-25-2010 at 03:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob and Susan
i always thought they crawled in your ears at nighttime...
i guess i've seen too many movies

I remember a Twilight Zone episode like that.

Anyway, even earwigs don't do that.

DanO - 5-25-2010 at 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by irenemm
fire is fast. it smells a little but then burn a tortilla and that is a nice smell
no bats needed

Sounds like a waste of a perfectly good protein source and the perfect packaging -- centipede tacos!

Suzie - 5-25-2010 at 04:51 PM

Thanks everyone for your input. I looked at "What's That Bug" and I did not see any that resembled a "Mexican" centipede. I need to take a picture of the next one we find. All insect books depict brown or dark colored centipedes. These are huge, flat, light gray with tinges of light blue. They would be beautiful if they weren't so scary! Actually, this is the sixth one we've found in the house in 20 years. (And they are way too big to crawl into my ear)

jeremias - 5-25-2010 at 05:01 PM

just check the shoes!

Cypress - 5-25-2010 at 05:08 PM

Was bitten by one once, woke me from a sound sleep, and it bite me on the ear.

BajaBlanca - 5-25-2010 at 06:22 PM

Is it a nino de la tierra ???????????????? My neighbor showed me one in the sand the other day - I had never seen it before and was not even sure what it was ........... but she said the pain was terrible if bitten ...

Cypress - 5-25-2010 at 06:27 PM

Don't know what the name of the critter was. The pain? Not in the "terrible" catagory, but it got my attention. :biggrin:

Suzie - 5-25-2010 at 06:35 PM

The "Niña de La Tierra" is a Jerusalem Cricket or sometimes called a Potato Bug. It's not really a cricket nor is it from Jerusalem nor does it eat potatoes. It lives on rotting vegetation and small insects and is very fat and ugly. It is also very shy. I doubt very much that it would bite a human.
Look up Jerusalem Cricket in Wikipedia

BajaBlanca - 5-25-2010 at 07:24 PM

then maybe my neighbor was referring to another cirtter. I just had another neighbor confirm that these so-called Ninos de la Tierra are nasty critters here in La Bocana ..... ???

Bugman - 5-26-2010 at 10:01 AM

Jerusalem Crickets or (Ninos de la Tierra) are not poisonous and pretty much not an issue. They look scary because they can get fairly large and they do have a decent set of chompers on them so if you mishandle one you might get a god nip out of it but not that big of a deal. A lot of bugs get a bad rap just because they are big or scary looking but they don't live up to the hype. Your nomad entomologist.....

Chris

durrelllrobert - 5-26-2010 at 11:47 AM

is a millipede 100 times more dangerous than a centipede :?:

Bugman - 5-26-2010 at 12:23 PM

Only if you are afraid of legs! The distinction between millipedes and centipedes is based on the number of legs per body segment. Centipedes have one pair of of legs per segment where millipedes have two. Also, most millipedes don't bite and are harmless (feeding on plants or other decaying matter) but there are some that can emit a foul smelling odor when alarmed and in a few species the chemicals emitted when alarmed can be harmful. Centipedes are predatory feeding on other insects or very small animals. They tend to be more flattened in shape and can move fast. They have a set of mandibles on the front end that can deliver a very painful bite. Some of the larger species can deliver enough venom to make this a very unhappy experience. These are best avoided unless you really know what you are doing.

jeremias - 5-26-2010 at 08:18 PM

There's no chance I'd voluntarily touch a centipede, or a potato bug.

wessongroup - 5-26-2010 at 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bugman
Jerusalem Crickets or (Ninos de la Tierra) are not poisonous and pretty much not an issue. They look scary because they can get fairly large and they do have a decent set of chompers on them so if you mishandle one you might get a god nip out of it but not that big of a deal. A lot of bugs get a bad rap just because they are big or scary looking but they don't live up to the hype. Your nomad entomologist.....

Chris

Chris if you carry a hand lens.. I will scream.. but, the (not sure on tax anymore, been a very long time)... insect is really the one we all should all really be concerned with.. they will in most likely "inherent the earth"....

Thanks Chris....

grace59 - 5-26-2010 at 09:15 PM

Quote:

About the Jerusalem Cricket "As is true for other large, "ugly" arthropods (e.g. solfugids), there are a number of folk tales regarding Jerusalem crickets which are simply untrue; first and foremost, they are not venomous. However, they can emit a foul smell and are capable of inflicting a painful bite - but neither is lethal, as some of the tales would suggest. They also do not cry like children, nor do they rub their legs together to make sounds." It indicates that while they are not venomous that they can inflict a painful bite.

durrelllrobert - 5-27-2010 at 09:27 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bugman
Only if you are afraid of legs! The distinction between millipedes and centipedes is based on the number of legs per body segment. Centipedes have one pair of of legs per segment where millipedes have two. Also, most millipedes don't bite and are harmless (feeding on plants or other decaying matter) but there are some that can emit a foul smelling odor when alarmed and in a few species the chemicals emitted when alarmed can be harmful. Centipedes are predatory feeding on other insects or very small animals. They tend to be more flattened in shape and can move fast. They have a set of mandibles on the front end that can deliver a very painful bite. Some of the larger species can deliver enough venom to make this a very unhappy experience. These are best avoided unless you really know what you are doing.

Thanks for info. :yes:

DavidE - 5-27-2010 at 09:47 AM

In Mexico look for AMBUSH 50, concentrated permethrin at a vet or feed and supply store. Follow directions exactly.

I use a commercial grade spray bottle to apply. I squirt in and around openings and crevices. Don't forget to spray behind wall switches and receptacles. Many houses use plastic tubing or pipe for wiring raceways and this can let in all sorts of unwanted critters that can squeeze through an otherwise tight fit wall switch or receptacle plate.

Permethrin properly applied will last for at least a couple of months in dry country. Rain washes it away.

From painful experience I can say that centipedes can leave a nasty welt on the skin even from just crawling. Very much like a jellyfish sting.

Suzie - 5-27-2010 at 02:55 PM

Thanks David for the info. I never thought about wall switches or recepticle plates. The house is made out of cement blocks. Imagine what could be lurking inside those blocks!!

jeremias - 5-27-2010 at 08:33 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Suzie
Thanks David for the info. I never thought about wall switches or recepticle plates. The house is made out of cement blocks. Imagine what could be lurking inside those blocks!! [/quotet

thousands and thousands of potato bugs.....hopefully not.