The Centipede
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Ugh! Whack it with a hammer. Burn it. Scissor it repeatedly with pruning shears. Grind it to smithereens with the tip of a cane...
Five years ago, one got in my shoe and bit or stung me. I thought I had a glass shard in my shoe. Ever since, I hate the SOBs and kill every one I see.
Five years ago, one got in my shoe and bit or stung me. I thought I had a glass shard in my shoe. Ever since, I hate the SOBs and kill every one I see.
Texas Star
US Veteran
Some tropical species are as deadly as cobras.
In the book, Dr. No, James Bond killed a centipede ,and Ian Fleming did a superb job of describing his ordeal with the animal. I loved the way he killed it, smashing it with a shoe.
The movie subbed a harmless tarantula. The centipede was probably too dangerous to use.
In the book, Dr. No, James Bond killed a centipede ,and Ian Fleming did a superb job of describing his ordeal with the animal. I loved the way he killed it, smashing it with a shoe.
The movie subbed a harmless tarantula. The centipede was probably too dangerous to use.
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Had one get on me in Ga. it stung are bit are pinched me on the nose. I hit myself in the face to try to kill it. Nose is still sore. This happened in the dark of night. Used my tactical flashlight to find and kill the thing.
vigil617
US Veteran
Looks to me like an all-terrain critter designed by committee.
DWalt
Member
No expert in centipedes, but I have seen some really big ones in West Texas, like around 6 inches. And from a distance I once saw one which appeared much longer than that just north of Midland. I didn't want to get close enough to measure - saw it crossing a highway.
Did a quick check - the Texas Red Headed centipede can grow up to 12 inches long.
Did a quick check - the Texas Red Headed centipede can grow up to 12 inches long.
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Zombie..ipede !! 
Don
Don
shouldazagged
Absent Comrade
Many years ago my late brother was doing some U.S. government contract work in Saudi Arabia when he found a huge centipede in the toilet in his quarters.
Locals told him it was a deadly variety, that a bite from it could have been fatal or at least terribly injurious. He wondered if they were kidding, but was very, very careful after that.
Locals told him it was a deadly variety, that a bite from it could have been fatal or at least terribly injurious. He wondered if they were kidding, but was very, very careful after that.
Did you ask him why he was out during the Day??
Perhaps he was lost, dazed and confused. Could have tried talking to him first.
Another senseless death
Perhaps he was lost, dazed and confused. Could have tried talking to him first.
Another senseless death
OFT II
US Veteran
I would rather encounter a four foot rattler than a four inch centipede.
The red head of this centipede was still moving as well. Yesterday was a west Texas insect Trifecta:
Black Widow
Centipede
Scorpion
LVSteve
Member
If you can, catch one of each then drop them in a bucket together. The resulting video should be a huge hit on youtube.
DWalt
Member
And there is also the Vinegaroon. Probably one of the ugliest creatures on earth. But at least it doesn't sting or bite.
You don't need to look too closely to see that the spider wasn't actually on him. A bit of primitive trick photography don'tcha know...
So what about the 1st cousin to the centipede, the millipede? They sting or bite?
DWalt
Member
It really was a crudely done effect.
cmort666
Member
Centipedes are very primitive. I'm not surprised that it was hard to kill.
They're so primitive that they don't actually have fangs like a spider. Instead of fangs, the things that look like fangs are actually modified legs with poison ducts.
I see the relative small house centipedes from time to time. They can't really do a human any harm, but are annoying. When I catch them in the bathroom, I douse them in Clorox bathroom cleaner with bleach, which dissolves them.
They're so primitive that they don't actually have fangs like a spider. Instead of fangs, the things that look like fangs are actually modified legs with poison ducts.
I see the relative small house centipedes from time to time. They can't really do a human any harm, but are annoying. When I catch them in the bathroom, I douse them in Clorox bathroom cleaner with bleach, which dissolves them.
DWalt
Member
The millipedes I have seen are much smaller. I saw them frequently in my basement when I lived in Ohio, don't remember ever seeing any in Texas.
LVSteve
Member
You mean the Solfugids as a group. We get them here and they will bite, even though it's not venomous. Oh, and talk about aggressive, one of them held three of my co-worker's cats at bay.
DWalt
Member
The Vinegaroon's main defense is spraying its opponents with an acetic acid-containing fluid which smells like vinegar. Thence the name. They look somewhat like a Scorpion. I have never heard of them stinging or biting, but they do have pincers sort of like a scorpion, and I guess they could pinch with them. I have seen a lot of them around the Devil's River area of west Texas. There was once a small community there called "Vinegaroon Station" in Val Verde County (Del Rio) which no longer exists. For those who are unfamiliar with the Devil's River area between Del Rio and Sonora, I can describe it as most resembling being on the Moon, except a lot hotter. About 90 miles of nothingness, largely uninhabited.
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Watchdog
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What kind of devil creature is this? I cut the head off this cutie pie at noon today; I returned at 11pm, kicked it, and the body just starts crawling around. WTH?
Well, your cutting the head off makes it harder to identify, but since you're in Texas, I'm guessing it was a Texas Redheaded Centipede, Scolopendra heros (if it had a red head). You don't say how big it was, but they can grow from 6-inches to 9-inches. They're known by different names, depending on where they live, but they're all over the southwestern states.
If they bite you, it'll hurt for hours, and may be accompanied by some swelling. I don't believe their bite is fatal to a healthy adult, but I wouldn't want to be the guy who finds out.
vigil617
US Veteran
And I thought the RedHeaded StepChild had a hard way to go in life! Ugh!
Got him!
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Ran into centipedes numerous times in Africa, the 1st encounter a very large one was crawling around under my cot. They are disgusting and I am told their venom is compared to that of a scorpion
Had an encounter with a similar critter when I was in HI; walked into the guest bedroom and there it was. Nasty thing reared up and hissed at me. Fortunately, it stayed put long enough for me to return with the wasp spray. I didn't walk around barefoot for many days after that.
No, they do nothing but eat detritus, live in plant litter. The give of a strong odor if you pick them up or step on one.
Along with the centipedes they are pretty much beneficial
They are prehistoric and more of very distant cousins, not 1st cousins.
