Heaven S(c)ent...i... pede?

[pyat]

Twice in the last four days I have come upon an enormous House Centipede, while performing late-night ablutions in the bathroom. They are among the largest specimens I’ve ever seen, larger even than ones I find in the sticky traps in the basement.

I presume the extremely damp summer has given them time to ripen.

I examined the remains of the one I killed last night. While the main body of the beast was “only” as long as my thumb (say, 15mm), it featured some extremely elongated tendrils fore and aft; appendages which were just a few millimeters shy of the length of my outstretched forefinger. Thus, the full length of the creature, superstructure included, was something approaching 60 mm, or about three inches. That is more that large enough for any terrestrial animal which does not bear fur or feathers. It falls into the category of “1/2 HD Monster” in my personal books.

So, in the assumption that these horrid beasties are coming up from the basement, I plan to erect a Stage One barrier across the likely vector of insertion into the bathroom. I will place a strip of double-sided tape around the pipes that ascend to the bathroom, and around the walls of the cavity that contains them. I will also heap diatomaceous earth around the base of the pipes.

If this does not prevent further sightings, I may have to consider the terrifying possible of a sub-floor community – or even culture - of the creatures, existing between the bathroom tiles and the dining room ceiling. No one wants to contemplate that scenario seriously.

Did you know centipedes take care of their young, can live for seven years, and, when they lunge toward you, they are, indeed, actually attacking you? They’re like Klingons.

Comments

[mmsword.livejournal.com]

Well, if you slay a few more of those, you should be ready to level up.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

*DING!*

[mmsword.livejournal.com]

Pyat, conqueror of centipedes, slayer of spiders, vanquisher of vermin.

[catsarah.livejournal.com]

Only some species of puppies take care of their young. And the house puppy is not one of them.

However, if you rid your home of the puppies, you may end up with other issues. House puppies feed on spiders, bedbugs, termites, cockroaches, silverfish, ants and other household arthropods. They kill their prey by injecting venom through their fangs.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Well, I don't want to rid my home of them. For years, we've had an uneasy alliance. They stay out of sight in the basement, I squish any that happen to scuttle into the light, or make their way upstairs. I just want them in my bathroom. That's where I do my... you know...

*makes toothbrushing motions*

[foomf.livejournal.com]

Once, back in around 1981 or 1982, we found a similar monstrosity in our bathtub. In addition to the very long, doubtless poison-bearing fore and aft spikes, it was covered with shorter, half-inch spikes over its entire segmented horror of a body, and it did, indeed, lunge at me as if to threaten my life. I dispatched it with hair spray.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Wise of you!

These beasties are from Greece or thereabouts, originally, and started spreading across North America in the 19th century - they only arrived on your coast fairly recently, as these things go.

[catsarah.livejournal.com]

I've dispatched puppies in that fashion before. That one sounds like the one that traumatised me as a child. I was using the loo, in the dark, and as I reached for the toilet paper, my sister turned on the light and my hand was mere millimetres away from on that was draped over the top of the toilet roll...my parents who had their bedroom in the basement (ours was on the 3rd floor), heard me screaming and came to see what had broken into our house to kill me *nods*.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

That happened to me, too! Except I was 28, and I put my hand on it...

[catsarah.livejournal.com]

I actually jerked my hand off my optical-mouse when I read that *GAH!*

[pyat.livejournal.com]

There was much *GAH!*ing that night, I can tell you! It was about 2 AM.

[paka.livejournal.com]

Have you taken SAN loss from this yet?

Also, as an aging dweeb, I appreciate the way you use "1/2 HD monster" rather than "Level 2 Soldier" or something like that.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I think you only take 1d3 from a single specimen, and I've taken the maximum SAN damage since moving to this house. Now they merely fill me with a reflexive desire to smash them, rather than a cowering fear.

[kaijugal.livejournal.com]

Centipedes are cool. ^_^ I never get them here.
I know a girl who keeps them as pets.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Apparently, they sell 'em in pet stores in Japan.

[zenten.livejournal.com]

On paper that is more frightening, but I find myself more afraid of the millipedes we used to get in our apartment (which were bigger than what you're describing).

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Narceus americanus?

[zenten.livejournal.com]

Yeah, that looks right.

[mrs-dm.livejournal.com]

I HATE those things, their maternal instincts notwithstanding. The first apartment I lived in was a basement apartment and there were far too many of them around. I won't actually step on bugs, so I sprayed them with RAID, and their legs would fall off one by one. GROSS!

Recently, I've found some (dead and alive) in my current basement. Specifically, in one of Girl-O's large plastic toy bins. It is round with smooth sides, so obviously the centipedes can get in, but they can't get out. These ones were dead, by the way. Even dead, they still give me the willies.

[avain.livejournal.com]

Diatomaceous earth! Earth of many uses! I say, where do you acquire yours? I had searched half-heartedly during the Flea War of '07, with no luck.

[avain.livejournal.com]

Oops. That was supposed to be in response to the whole entry, not the comment from mrs_dm. Sorry, mrs_dm!

[pyat.livejournal.com]

You can get it from Canadian Tire, I think, though it's usually sold as a pesticide powder under a fancy brand name.

[doc-mystery.livejournal.com]

You can find diatomaceous earth as the abrasive component of many commercial toothpastes.

So try smearing toothpaste all over your floor, walls, and ceiling.

A minty flavour would smell great!

::B::

[pyat.livejournal.com]

And the flouride would strengthen the bricks!

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Specifically, in one of Girl-O's large plastic toy bins.

When Elizabeth was about 2, a live one showed up in a toy bin in her room. She ran downstairs crying.

"Daddy! Daddy! There's a... there's a..."
"There's a what?"
"There's a creature!!"

I'd never heard her use the word "creature" before then.

[jordangreywolf.livejournal.com]

Ah ... I don't even want to get started sharing my bug stories from down here in Florida. Tales of mummified lizards and roaches-of-excessive-size-and-squishiness aren't likely to help.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

All part of my theory - Mankind was not meant to live in Florida! Hurricanes, swamps, alligators, heat... it's like another planet!

o_O

[anidada.livejournal.com]

1) You realize that on reading this post, several friends -- who already fear the basement denizens -- are going to think twice about using the upstairs biffy chez vous? ;)

2) I recall the tweedlebugs that haunted the apartment I lived in above a chi-chi Ptbo resto. They were enormous, and lightning quick. (Yes, I was sober.) The idea that such critters are actually intent on attack? *curls up, gibbering*

3) Have you ever seen Being John Malkovich? Suddenly I'm imagining Floor 7 1/2 populated by tweedlebugs...

Re: o_O

[pyat.livejournal.com]

1. I know. I feel a bit like the town council in "Jaws." Should I tell them, and risk ruining the biffy tourist traffic?

2. Centipedes can move 12+ inches a second. If you were centipedem this would mean you could run a three minute mile.

3. I have not! And I'm not sure I wanna, now!

Re: o_O

[mar2nee.livejournal.com]

oh no. Everyone has to see Being John Malkovich. It has nothing to do with centipedes. Floor 7 1/2 is one of the best parts.
See it. Seriously. See it.

Re: o_O

[pyat.livejournal.com]

I remember the idea of the movie fascinated me. I'll keep an eye out in the bargain bins!

[the-vulture.livejournal.com]

Fudge! Isn't that the kinda critter you get when you cast Summon Monster Level 1? *chuckle*

I can't say I've encountered any spineless crawlie quite that large, though I've seen a few really big house spiders. Oh, and I've dispatched a wasp nest or two.

Here's a neat bit o' insect psychology; to dissuade wasps from inviting themselves to your BBQ, hang up an inflated paper bag twisted shut at the top. We see a paper bag; they see a strange (thus hostile) wasp nest.

[pyat.livejournal.com]

Ooh. That's an interesting idea. I've seen paper replicas for sale at Canadian Tire, too.

[summerfields.livejournal.com]

Piet, please come and visit us.
You can see our centepedes.

http://www.scolopendromorpha.com/

We have a family of them. :)

[pyat.livejournal.com]

You could keep them in hamster balls, and let them roam around the house!