Information

[LaWanna]

Sorry if I freaked you out. But seriously what is it?

[Shadywolfe]

grrroooosssss! it's a centipede

[Scrappy69]

EW! I'm not sure. Is that really a centipede? He's creepy! Where'd you find him?

[Shadywolfe]

oh I might add a couple things.. one.. I HATE bugs.. I don't even like touching the crickets we feed to Rufus.. I avoid it all all costs.. however.. this bug does have some benefits.. here's a brief article with a response...

House Centipede

Most Horrific Thing I’ve Ever Seen
November 18, 2009
Hello!
My roommates and I have been finding these disgusting looking bugs around our house. They are in all rooms and have been found on the floor, walls, and ceililng. Aside from their gross appearance (if it’s not obvious by now, we are a bunch of girls – literally), when they die, all their legs seem to pop off. This makes sense when we smash them, but they’ve also died because we sprayed for them and as they crawl along, slowly dying, the legs seemed to disconnect. Perhaps I should mention they have more legs then I thought possible. They seem to go all around their body. The one in the picture is the biggest we’ve seen so far, it is about two inches in length. The average is 1-1 1/2 inches. Please help!
Horrified in the Heartland
Central Illinois


Dear Horrified,
If you are not seeing any cockroaches, it is probably because these beneficial and harmless House Centipedes are feeding upon them at night. Should you succeed in eliminating all the House Centipedes, you may find that the Cockroaches and Bedbugs and Silverfish will proliferate. Our advice is to learn to live in harmony with the House Centipedes and allow them to keep your home pest free.


Thanks Daniel! It would be nice if the “good” bugs would clearly identify themselves and not look so scary. Perhaps I will try and convey that to them next time I see one. Thanks again!

[Scrappy69]

Good bug or not, he creeps me out! Ha! I'm glad he eats the bad bugs, but I don't want to think about him crawling on me. I live in Illinois also, and have seen these a few times in my basement I think. I just didn't know it at the time. EW, EW, EW, EW!

[hlg1rose]

We have these all the time, and they still freak me out, the other day I was on the phone with DD#2 chatting away when I screamed and dropped the phone, after apologizing to her I told her one ran past me under the refrigerator, then she screamed! lol

[LaWanna]

LOL. I always think of centipedes as being cute and lovable like caterpillars. But it's good to know he eats other bugs. We live in the south and this time of the year we are always fighting the 'undesirable' critters, especially when it gets rainy. So he's welcome to stay as long as he doesn't get ON ME.

[handerful]

Ew!


Do they move fast?

[SarahA]

OMGosh! That is creepy scary! And I really don't think I could let him stay. It would make my skin crawl like 24/7 knowing he was in my house somewhere!

[Beth-W]

EWWWWWWWWWWWWWWHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Beth-W]

Don't know what it is but it would be dead if I found it.

[MarthaT]

something I hope to never see

[scrappininAK]

that's a little too up close and personal for me

[meteechtap]

Well I guess if you have to choose........I would take those over the "other" choices!!!!!!!!!!! We have a seasonal bug here in Oklahoma (wish I had a pic) its brown and has pinchers on both ends, and moves around kinda like a silverfish and a centepede. They love dark cool areas. When I go to replant pots in the spring I am alaways coming across them, and they are scary looking too!

[happayscrappay]

those guys are awesome! they eat all the other yucky bugs. we did freak out the first time we saw one in the house but now we leave them alone!

[happayscrappay]

oh, and they do move pretty fast, their legs look like waves as they run by. the kids love them!

[Scrappy69]

Well I guess if you have to choose........I would take those over the "other" choices!!!!!!!!!!! We have a seasonal bug here in Oklahoma (wish I had a pic) its brown and has pinchers on both ends, and moves around kinda like a silverfish and a centepede. They love dark cool areas. When I go to replant pots in the spring I am alaways coming across them, and they are scary looking too!

Those are here, in Illinois, also. I believe the unscientific name for them is EarWigs. Funny thing about that, my mother way laying in a porch swing one day and one fell into her ear. Coincidence? And, yah, mom doesn't think that's a funny story at all. Had to use tweezers to get him out.

[pawprints]

Ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwww! ((gag))

[Jenn Kellams]

I was really sick to my stomach already but this thread just sent me over the top....lol

[imwickedwitch]

My younger DD would think that was the ultimate in cool! But then, she had these as pets once...






They were Madagascar Hissing Cockroaches named Melmen and Gloria (from the movie Madagascar). They were hand raised and quite tame.