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Hawaiian Centipedes | Largest Centipede Species in Hawaii

When it comes to Hawaii, the first impression by most individual is a beautiful place like a paradise. But, you may be surprised to know that it is also the home of the largest species of centipede that is on the current record of the scientists. The average length of a fully matured Hawaiian centipede can actually grow between 5 to 9 inches long. Although, there were some witnesses who claimed that they have even seen longer sizes.

Since Hawaii is a tourist attraction, most of the vacationers are the once who often encounters large crawling centipedes either inside or outside their rooms. And as their natural reaction, they usually panic in fear that the insect might bite them. As for the permanent residents, they already got used to the presence of these large sized centipedes around their surroundings.

Hawaii is highly populated with large centipedes that the residents have developed the habit of ensuring their safety from getting bitten (Hawaiian centipede bite can actually inflict the most excruciating pain as compared to all other centipede species). So when they go out, it became a common practice that they always shake or inspect their clothing before wearing them. You may be surprised to know that there were already countless number of individuals that got bitten by the insect by simply "not checking" and directly wearing their clothes.

There was actually one reported incident that went viral around the internet which involved a Hawaiian centipede and a certain guy who went surfing on the beach. According to the report, he was a tourist who took a vacation along with his friends in Hawaii.

Due to their excitement, the victim removed and thrown his jeans onto the floor then immediately wore his board-shorts for surfing. He and his friends then went surfing where they enjoyed and had so much fan until they came back. Unfortunately, the victim wasn't aware that a centipede crawled inside his pants but being unaware about the presence of the insect, he wore it. As a result he got bitten by the creature.

According to the report, the victim was bitten three to four times starting from his thigh down to his ankle. These bites had immediately sent him into the hospital for treatment.

While crying in pain, none of his friends didn't even attempt to help the victim in fear that the centipede may also bite them.

Origin of the Hawaiian Centipedes


Large crawling centipedes of Hawaii didn't really originated from the country itself where it was introduced by the Polynesian Voyagers in 1847. And, it was not just introduced in Hawaii but also the entire Pacific and Tropical regions. Until now, their purpose for introducing these pesky insects remains unknown.

Hawaiian Large Centipede

Moreover, Hawaiian centipedes thrives on warm and dry areas. So when it rains, it stirs them from their hideouts to come out and crawl all over various places. Thus, it is common to encounter them under tarps, plant pots, car tires or any objects on the floor that can provide cover for the insects to hide.

Revenge of the House Centipedes

It is actually very funny that some people who encountered a house centipede and killed them have develop a sense of fear that the insect's companions will seek revenge for their fallen comrade. So the question is, "Do house centipede really knows how to seek revenge?".

Before we answer that question, let me share you some interesting experiences of different individuals regarding about this subject.

1. A Mother who Protected her Baby

A certain mother's house was crawling with centipedes. Until, there was one time that a 2 inches long house centipede came close enough to her baby. Being too protective that the insect will harm her baby, she immediately nailed the crawling insect down on the floor.

After taking the life of the many legged-creature, the mother had develop a sense of fear that the family or relatives of the centipede that she killed might come back to seek for revenge.

2. A Guy who Smashed a Centipede

There was a guy who was about to fall asleep. When he was about to close his eyes, a house centipede had suddenly crawled on the ceiling of his bedroom. He thought that the centipede was planning on jumping over his face to he immediately woke up and smashed the centipede with his own fist.

From that time on-wards, he keeps on seeing more centipedes gathering around his room with the feeling of fear that they seem to be waiting for the perfect opportunity to take revenge from their fallen comrade.

3. A Person who Killed Several Centipedes

A certain person had moved into an old apartment where he wasn't expecting it to be infested with house centipedes. Since the only possible option he had was to smash the insects, he was able to take down several of them. Yet, the centipedes seems to have an endless number. In short, they keep on coming back running around the corners, walls and ceiling.

According to this person, one of the centipede had bitten his right hand during the first night of his sleep on his newly rented apartment. He thought that the insects were taking their revenge so early in the morning, he packed all of his things and left.

Not Intelligent

Now to answer the question above, house centipedes are not intelligent creatures. They don't have the feeling or emotion that can anger them to seek revenge against those who killed one of their kind. Even a mother centipede who aggressively protect its offspring or eggs won't bother seeking for revenge if it happens that you killed its offspring or destroyed its eggs.

Overall, house centipedes taking their revenge is just an over exaggeration of a certain individual's own interpretation with his or her surroundings.

Physical Anatomy of Centipedes

Believe it or not, centipedes are not just composed of body segments, multiple legs and forcipules which are clearly visible on their physical appearance. Centipedes may seem like simple creatures but they are not. They actually have an interesting and complex "anatomy".

Similar to the arthropods, centipedes do not have an internal skeleton which explains why they feel "squishy" when held by hand. Instead of an internal skeleton, they have a "cuticle exoskeleton" which usually protects their vulnerable organs and soft bodies.

Their exoskeleton has something called "chitin" which can be found in the shells of the sea creatures such as crab shell. In addition, centipedes have multiple cuticle layers. The first layer is the skin (in scientific term, it's called "epidermis"). But unlike other arthropods, centipedes do not have a waxy outer cuticle.

Since the body of a centipede lacks a waxy cuticle, it is common for them to die from dehydration. It is due to this reason why they joyfully inhabit hot climates. They actually reside under rocks, in soil and near the water as it allows them to conserve water and prevents them from dehydration.

Going back into the exoskeleton of a centipede, scientists had discovered it as "non-living" which means, it does not grow. Thus, when the centipede grow, its exoskeleton stays the same exact size from the time that the creature was hatched. As a result, the exoskeleton can get extremely tight that the centipedes may need to shed their exoskeleton to grow a new one. In fact, this process is referred by researchers as "molting".

The other parts of the centipede body include a long antennae (most species has an average length of 1 to 2 inches long) and many pairs of legs. Depending on the type of centipede specie, they can have anywhere between 15 pairs of legs to a whopping 141 pairs of legs. Additionally, centipedes possess a head and a pseudo-head (which is a sort of defense mechanism).

It is known that all species of centipedes choose to prey on insects. Their strategic hunting style is to surprise attack their prey using their forcipules attached into their real head. If they managed to successfully embed their jaws and delivered some amount of venom, this causes an immediate effect which paralyze their prey.

Centipedes actually have multi-jointed antennae and jaws that are connected into their forcipules which are filled with poison. And above all, their jaw is located behind their head which they use to kill their prey.

Anamorphy and Epimorphy of Centipedes Legs


Everybody know that it is common to all kinds of centipedes that they have dozen pairs of legs. One interesting fact about their legs is that, most of them actually grow their legs at different rates. These rates has been classified by the scientists as "Anamorphic" and "Epimorphic".

The growth rate of centipedes depends on several factors which include their class, age and status of their evolution. But in general, any centipedes that almost complete the number of their legs during their molting period is categorized as anamorphic. As for those who almost complete their legs before they go through their molting period is categorized as epimosphic. Newly hatched centipedes start off with only a dozen pair of legs or less. Usually they have no more than 4 or 10 legs and no more than 12 or 15 legs.

Anamorphy

There are two common species of centipedes that undergoes anamorphic growth rate of their legs. They are the Scutigera Coleoptrata (commonly known as the "American House Centipede") and Craterostigmomorpha. On their early stage of being hatched, they have 4 to 6 legs. And once they go through their first molt, they grow another four legs.

When they reached an age of 6 months to 1 year-old, they have completed all of their legs. Female centipedes with up to 15 legs are considered as sexually mature adult which they are ready to produce their own young.

Epimorphy

Just like anamorphy, epimorphy is also commonly observed from two species which are the Geophilomorpha and Scolopendromorpha. Surprisingly, these two kinds of centipedes already have their complete set of legs when they are embryos. They got up to 12 or more legs and once born, they have their complete legs.

Females actually have some slight differences to the males. It's because female centipedes usually have more number of legs than the males. To be more specific, the females can have over 15 total number of legs while the males can only have between 8 to 12 legs.

House Centipede Anatomy

Overall, despite of the simple appearance of centipedes, the anatomy of their body are composed of interesting parts which are a lot more than meets the eye.

Do House Centipedes Bite a Sleeping Person?

If it happens that your house is hardly infested with house centipedes, you might have already experienced where these insects disturbed your comfortable-sleep several times. There may also be some cases that they crawled under your shirt and even onto your face. Worst, they bit you where you woke up crying in pain.

So the question is, "Do house centipedes really intentionally bite a sleeping person?".

House centipedes are low-intelligent life-forms. This means that they don't have the capability to think like us. They are simply acting according to their natural behavior which is to keep hunting for their food. So in the first place, they really don't intend to harm humans. Although, they may fight back when feel threatened.

When a house centipede crawl onto your body, you will be perfectly fine as long as you remain stable on your sleeping position. However, it is impossible for anyone not to move or change sleeping positions from time-to-time. So if it happens that a centipede crawled under your shirt and you moved at a position where you squeezed the insect, you will surely get bitten.

Sleeping Comfortably

Anyway, there are still some possible ways on how to prevent house centipedes from crawling onto your body while you are asleep. Here are some of the following effective tips that might work:

1. Turn the Lights ON

Centipedes are afraid of bright environment. So if you sleep with the lights turned ON, they won't even dare to come close near you. Although, your electric bill will add up.

2. Shake Everything before you Sleep

Shake everything on your bed which include your pillow, bed sheet and bedding. This is to get rid of the any possible centipedes hiding underneath them.

3. Pray for your Safety

If you have a certain religion that you believe then include in your prayers about your safety against centipede bites throughout the whole night.

House Centipede Inside the Mouth of a Sleeping Individual


Is it really possible that a house centipede may choose to get inside the mouth of a certain sleeping individual?

There was a guy who claimed to have a habit of unconsciously opening his mouth when fallen asleep. And since his room was fully infested with house centipedes, he was always worried that a centipede might crawl inside and worse, the insect could bite either his tongue or gums.

The probability that a house centipede will crawl inside a sleeping individual's mouth is very low. But, it could still happen. Thus, it's always best to find a solution because it's better to be safe than sorry.

If it happens that you are suffering from this kind of condition, some medical experts claim that you can use a handkerchief and tie it from your jaw around your head. First, roll your handkerchief then place the middle portion of it below your jaw then wrap the two ends around your head. Second, tie both ends on the top of your head. Although, this method is not recommended for those who have trouble breathing in their nose (particularly those who are suffering from sinus problems).

The best method though is actually, to get rid of the house centipedes. It's because once you completely got rid of them, you can safely sleep at any comfortable position.

Symptoms and Treatments of Centipede Bites

Centipedes bites to human victims don't frequently happen in the United States unlike bites from other common insects such as ants, bees, wasps and hornets. But at some point, you can also become one of the most unfortunate individual that can be the next victim of a centipede bite.

Common to all centipedes is their maxillipeds (also known as their "poison claws") which is located on their head allowing them to easily bite into their prey. They actually have a very painful bite which depends on their size. Bigger-sized centipedes can really induce extremely painful bite. When bitten against other insects, their venom can immediately take effect which can immobilize and numb their prey.

What really makes centipedes a frightening creature is that they do not only go after insects but also attack anyone who might cause harm to them. Common human victims are gardeners who often find themselves getting bitten by centipedes while tending into their plants or flower beds.

So far, the good news about centipede bites is that there have been no records of deaths or major health crises about it. However, those that have the greatest risk of major health problems from an insect bite are the elderly, children and those who are allergic to insects.

Symptoms of a Centipede Bite


There are some rare cases where you can get bitten by a centipede without you knowing what exactly bit you. It's because they are quite speedy creatures that they can ran away unnoticed. Thus, here are the following symptoms to determine a centipede bite:

1. Two Punctured Wounds

If you take a close look into the wound, you should notice two punctured wounds which is due to the insect's modified jaws. You may want to use a magnifying glass if you have poor-eyesight.

2. Extreme Pain

Once got bitten by the insect, the victim will experience a terrifying pain. The pain can be experienced for several period of hours but for some individuals, it could last for several days.

The bitten portion will turn red, numb and swell.

3. Effects of the Bite

Aside from the painful bite of the centipede, the victim will also experience the following after-effect symptoms of the bite:

a. Intense itching
b. Local tenderness
c. Headache
d. Swollen lymph
e. Dizziness
f. Nausea
g. Palpitations
h. Anxiety
i. High blood pressure
j. Local tissue damage

Treating a Centipede Bite


If you got bit by a centipede, sad to say that you really have to endure the pain but rest assured that you will be fine unless you are allergic to the bite. Anyway, here are the following steps on how to treat a centipede bite:

1. Wash the Wound

When you got bitten by a centipede, the first important step that you need to do is to wash your wound with anti-bacterial soap (such as safeguard) and clean water to prevent infection.

2. Apply a Cold Ice

To help relieve the pain, you can apply a cold ice or water into the bitten area for at least 10 minutes.

3. Seek Medical Care

If you are experiencing several symptoms (mentioned above), you are advised to seek immediate medical help.

Flower Garden

Overall, to reduce the risk of centipede bites it is highly recommended to wear gloves when working in the garden. As for the young children, parents should keep them supervised if playing with soil to prevent them from picking up a centipede.

Pregnant Women and Unborn Baby Died | Insect Bite

In Kuala Selangor, there was an incident where a pregnant women along with her unborn child had died from a centipede bite.

According to the news report, the whole incident occurred when Azlina Saian (33 years-old) got bitten by a centipede. Unfortunately, she didn't know what kind of insect had actually bit her. She simply thought that it was an ant so she simply laid down on the floor and watched on the television with her husband.

Pregnant

The biting incident occurred inside their house in Kampung Tanjung siam Baru on December 29th. Both husband and wife thought that the bit was caused by just an ordinary insect. So the husband Abdul Rahman Samad (37 years-old) had instructed her wife to apply some ointment-disinfectant.

After a few hours later, Azlina's face started to swell then followed by a high fever.

In the next early morning, some worker came to clean their house and claimed that she found some small centipedes on Azlina's pillow. The pillow that the victim used from the time that she got bitten.

In the next following day, Azlina's condition became a lot more worse where she started to bleed from the gums. Due to such serious symptoms, her husband rushed her into the Tanjung Karang Hospital. And from that same time, Azlina claims that she can feel their baby dying.

After some physical examinations from the clinical doctors, they had a bad news to Abdul Rahman. The fetus carried by her wife had died. But, the problem didn't end there yet. Azlina's condition even become more severe that she was transferred into a better hospital, Hospital Tengku Ampuan Rahimah (HTAR) in Klang.

According to the further statement of Abdul Rahman, her wife was bleeding a lot on her nose including under her fingernails which was a very strange case for a centipede bite. Her body even refuses blood transfusion. As a result, Azlina died at exactly 8:15 AM. Based from HTAT director, Dr. Yahaya Baba, she died from "Septicaemic" (blood poisoning) and shock which is also known as "Septic Shock".

Blood Poisoning

In your own opinion, do you think that the venom of a house centipede is capable of causing blood poisoning? And, could it possibly be that Azlina was bitten by some other kind of unknown insect?

So what's your own opinion guys?

Dangerous Centipedes in the Philippines

Despite the fact that most species of centipedes does not possess a deadly threat to humans and animals, you will be surprised to know that this seems to be quite untrue. It's because there was a certain report in the Philippines claiming that a certain centipede had bitten a 7 year-old girl right on her head. As a result, she end up dead after 29 hours period.

The centipede that had bitten the poor girl was probably a rare and undiscovered kind. Some researchers actually claims that it is probably a newly evolved type of centipede. You have to know that these creatures are continuously evolving at a fast-rate that scientists are being able to record new species every year.

According to the clinical doctors, a centipede bite will only cause some serious pain to the victim which is an effect of the creature's venom. Once the pain goes away, the victim will recover from the shock so as the swelling wound which may take several days. Although, the centipede's bite can be lethal to those who are allergic to the bite.

Going back into the case of the young girl, the doctors claimed that she doesn't had any allergies to insect bites. Based on their medical findings, the centipede had injected a large amount of venom into the child's bloodstream which was sufficient enough that got her killed.

Centipede Species in the Philippines


Philippines have a lot of naturally preserved regions that are covered with thick forest. It is also a tropical country that often experiences heavy rainfall. Due to these type of environment, it is a perfect habitat for any kinds of insects to thrive such as the centipedes.

Philippine Forest
The Philippine Forest
According to the some researchers, most species of centipedes that are found in the Philippines are the "Scolopendra Subspinipes". They are the same type of species that are found in South and Central America.

Other more common names of centipedes found in the Philippines are the following:

1. Chinese Red Head
2. Giant Centipede
3. Jungle Centipede
4. Orange Legged-Centipede
5. Red-Headed Centipede
6. Vietnamese Centipede

Latest reports claimed that there are 54 species of millipedes and 44 species of centipedes that has been discovered in the Philippines. These 44 species of centipedes varies in several different aspects such as colors, sizes and appearances. But, the most common and famous among them all is the Scolopendra Subspinipes where they have been recognized by many people due to their terrifying looks and aggressive behavior.

The Scolopendra Subspinipes specie of centipedes that inhabits the forest regions of the Philippines can grow at an average length of up to 30 centimeters long and 1 centimeters thick. And, finding one of them is actually an easy task. All you have to do is to search dump areas with rotten woods or leaves. Although, you really have to be careful because they can aggressively attack and bite your hands. Thus, you should always wear protective gloves when attempting to catch these kinds of creatures.

Colors of Scolopendra Centipedes


Philippine's own version of Scolopendra Subspinipes centipedes comes in several different colors. But, the most common color that can be easily spotted around are those with brown colors. Some interesting colors are yellow, green, red and bright orange. These are the type of colors that most centipede pet-owners would like to own.

According to some researchers, centipedes with bright colors possess more potent venom as compared to those with brown color. Despite the danger involve, bright colored centipedes are considered by most exotic pet-owners as a beautiful pet. Due to this reason, some people purposely collect and sell them for their profitable gain.

How Painful is Philippine's Scolopendra Subspinipes Bite?


The bigger the size of the Scolopendra centipede, the larger amount of venom that it can inject into its victim. Assuming that you got bitten by a large and fully matured centipede, there is no doubt that you will suffer an agonizing pain more than enough to make you cry no matter how tough you claim you are.

Along with the pain, the following symptoms may also be observed:

1. Swelling and redness of the wound
2. Deafness
3. Headaches
4. Nausea

Being bitten by Scolopendra centipedes can be really very uncomfortable that some people think that they are about to die. But the real fact is that, the pain will go away after a few hours of rest but the swelling and redness may take more time to heal. So whenever you encounter one of these kinds of giant centipedes, it is highly advised not to touch it or you will suffer a painful consequence.

Small Insects Can Crawl Inside your Ears

One of the most uncomfortable thing that could happen while you are sleeping inside a room infested with house centipedes is that, one of these creatures can crawl and enter one of your ears. The feeling of having an insect inside your ear can be a bit painful especially when the insect keeps on struggling to find its way out.

A fully matured house centipede usually have an average size that ranges from half-inch to 3 inches long. With such sizes, they won't be able to fit inside your ear. But, what you really need to worry about are the young centipedes because they are smaller in sizes that can perfectly fit inside your ears.

Human Ear

Why would a house centipede crawl inside your ear?

House centipedes are present around your house because of the other insects that they prey and eat for their survival. In relation to crawling inside your ear, there's a pretty low chances that they do it intentionally. Unless there's already an insect living inside your ear (that you are unaware about) which attracted the house centipede.

On some cases, accidents happens. Assuming that you are sleeping in your room that is infested with house centipedes. They are all over the place crawling around hunting for other insects. One of them came crawling on your bed towards your head. Then suddenly, your mom entered your room or a flash of lightning unexpectedly occurred. As a result, the creature will be shocked or surprised where it has to find the nearest possible place to hid itself. Considering that the insect is near your head, there are chances that it will choose to enter inside your ear.

Is it possible that when a house centipede entered your ear, it can also penetrate its way through the brain?

Many individuals have the wrong idea that when a certain insect crawled inside their ears, the creature can find its way through the brain (just like in the funny cartoon shows). The fact is that, it is not possible because your ear-drum blocks the path that connects your ear from your brain.

How to Remove a House Centipede Out from your Ear


If it happens that a house centipede or any other small type of insects had crawled and entered a certain individual's ear, it is important that he needs to seek immediately help from the a professional doctor.

Anyway, here is a method that should only be performed when a doctor is not available:

1. Calm down the patient

It is important that the patient needs to be calm because panicking or freaking out can cause the insect to struggle even more. You should also advise the patient not to talk or move his jaw because this can cause the insect to dig its way deeper.

2. Lie the patient flat on his bed

Assists that patient into his bed and help him lay down flat with his infested ear facing up. Take note, this has to be done carefully slow and calm.

3. Clean towels

You need a clean towel to protect the patient's clothing from getting stained it's because you will be applying natural oils (such as baby oil, mineral oil, vegetable oil and olive oil).

4. Killing the insect

The use of any oils mentioned above can actually kill the insect. If you do not have any of those oils, you can simply use clean water with equal mixture of alcohol or peroxide.

What you have to do is to slowly fill a few drops into the ear of the patient. Take note, the oil or water won't take effect right away. It may take a few minutes to an hour that only the patient can confirm if the insect is dead. If he no longer feel the insect moving then it is probably dead.

5. Flushing the ear

"Flushing" means, you are going to fill the ear of the patient with tepid water. It is important that you have to do it in a way that the water will slowly overflow. An easy to do it appropriately is to use a syringe (without the needle) or a container with a directional spout.

6. Inspect the insect

Once you have successfully flushed the insect out from the patient's ear, you have to inspect the creature. If it has any missing body parts then a medical attention is further advised to the patient. Either way, the patient is still advised to have a follow-up checkup regardless of the outcome of the flushing process. This is to ensure that no damage from the ear was done.

Is it possible to use tweezers to get rid of the insect?

Tweezers

It is quite impossible to remove an insect especially a house centipede that got stuck inside a certain person's ear by using any kind of tweezers, bobby-pin or any other manual ear-cleaning tools. The use of these tools can worsen the condition of the patient where the insect will most likely embed itself deeper into the ear canal. As a result, the insect can damage the ear-drum of the patient.

Effective Pesky Insect Repellents

There are actually plenty of "house centipede repellent" products that are available in the market. The only problem is choosing the right product that can effectively work against the pests. You also have to consider the contents of the product if it's either safe or toxic.

Toxic Repellents are products that are not friendly to the environment. They can affect your health and animals who are exposed on their contents. It is for this reason why only professional Insect Exterminators can use them the right way.

For home owners or regular individuals, it is highly suggested to use the "Natural Friendly" type of repellents. It's because you don't have to worry about your family members and pets as you get rid of those pesky bugs.

Insect Repellent

Here are the following house centipede repellents that are best recommended by many home owners to be quite effective against various insects:

1. Victor M256 Poison - Free Insect Magnet Traps

Magnet traps does not only catch house centipedes but also other crawling insects that roams around such as cockroaches, spiders, ants and etc... The best feature of this product is that, it's "Poison-Free".

In order to use it, take one sheet of the magnet trap then strip it apart into two separate traps. Situate your traps into the corner or the favorite place of the insects where they love to hung around. Some common places are the kitchen, inside cabinets and dark & dirty corners of the room.

After setting up the trap, all you have to do now is to wait for at least 3 to 4 days. If it happens that your magnet traps didn't caught anything then move it into another different location.

(Visit http://amzn.to/YyTT94 for more information about Victor M256 Poison Magnet Trap)

2. EcoPCO AR-X

"EcoPCO AR-X" is one of the few eco-friendly insecticide products that are available in the market today. It is a multi-purpose insecticide spray that is capable of exterminating various pests. Some of these pests includes house centipedes, ants, carpet beetles, carpenter bees, moths, mites, spiders, termites and etc...

Here are the following good features of EcoPCO AR-X:

a. It does not leave any visible residue.
b. It quickly knocks the insects down.
c. Great for school IPM (Integrated Pest Management).

(Visit http://amzn.to/1mEVeGy for more information about EcoPCO AR-X)

3. FireBack Bedbug and Insect Spray

For those who easily get's irritated by the strong odor of insecticide products, here comes the "FireBack Bedbug and Insect Spray" which features "no unpleasant" odor to the user. Other than that, it's content also does not cause any stains when accidentally applied on a piece of cloth. Overall, this insect-spray repellent can be used both indoor and outdoor.

According to some users of this insect repellent product, it can terminate insects such as centipedes, bedbugs, ants, beetles, cockroaches, crickets, silverfish, ticks, flies, wasps and etc...

(Visit http://amzn.to/YyXhkp for more information about Fireback Bedbug and Insect Spray)

4. Bed Bug FixTM

"Bed Bug FixTM" manufacturers had designed this insect repellent product as green and environmentally friendly. It's because it can be used even when there are children, pets and plants around. It is actually due to the reason that it non-toxic, non-flammable, bio-degradable, non-staining, food-derived and voluntary type of product.

When applied to an insect, Bed Bug FixTM's has a special content that will remain in contact with the creature which is lethal for up to 90 days. It is due to this reason why this product has a high-guarantee of terminating insects.

Despite of the product's name (which was derived from bed bugs), it can actually exterminate all sorts of other pesky insects.

(Visit http://amzn.to/1xteACj for more information about Bed Bug Fix TM)

5. Pro-Citra DL Aerosol

You may be surprised to know that the "Pro-Citra DL Aerosol" is an insect repellent that are made of organic chemicals which can be found on fruits and various plants. Some of the contents come from citrus, vegetables, meats, spices and other types of fruits.

Some insects which Pro-Citra DL Aerosol has been proven effective are the ants, house centipedes, boxelder bugs, chocolate moths, clover mites, cluster flies, crickets and dermestids. When sprayed into these kinds of insects, you will notice a fast-acting result. In addition to its effectiveness, it has a fresh type of odor.

(Visit http://amzn.to/1qMak8x for more information about Pro-Citra DL Aerosol)

Giant Scolopendra Gigantea

According to some scientific findings about centipedes, most of their species are not venomous enough to kill humans or large animals unless they are allergic to the bite. But among all the species, one among the most threatening of their kind is the "Scolopendra Gigantea" which is more commonly known as the "Amazonian Giant Centipede".

Amazonian giant centipedes find their perfect dwelling place or habitat at the tropical climate of South America's Amazon jungle.

Amazon Jungle
Amazon Jungle

A scolopendra gigantea can actually grow into a massive size which makes it unique and quite fascinating especially to any centipede pet owners. An adult or fully matured scolopendra gigantea can reach over 35 centimeters in length. This is comparable to the length of a man's forearm. And with such incredible size, anyone who hasn't encountered this kind of centipede will surely tremble and run away in fear.

The shell-color of an amazonian giant centipede is commonly "red-maroon" or "dark-brown". Most of them actually possess dark colors. No one is able to confirm yet if there's an amazonian giant centipede with bright colors.

When it comes to the legs, a fully matured scolopendra gigantea usually consists of around 46 color-yellow tinted legs. Common to all centipedes, if it happens that they lost one of their legs, they actually have the capability to grow a new one.

As a hunter or predator of the jungle, a giant amazonian centipede possess the power of speed to run around unnoticed. Due to this characteristics, some scientists describe them as "Swift Runners". Other than their speedy movement, these creatures are also good climbers. With their several pairs of legs, it allows them to climb through vertical surfaces with ease.

Scolopendra Gigantea are Carnivorous Creatures


All kinds of centipedes are actually both "carnivores" and "herbivores" (they eat dead plants). However, they are more categorized as carnivorous creatures because they prefer to eat meat. Probably, meat taste better to their appetite.

Small-sized centipedes have a long lists on their food menu which are other smaller creatures particularly insects as their prey. Some of these insects includes ants, beetles, spiders and termites. Common small-sized centipedes are the "House Centipedes" which can be observed running around the corners of an untidy room.

Unlike house centipedes, scolopendra gigantea does not invade house premises where they prefer to stay in the jungle. Due to their large sizes, they are surprisingly capable of hunting large rats in the rice-field. In fact, they can also hunt down small snakes. But above all, the most impressive display of their hunting skill is that, they can hunt bats living inside caves.

According to some biologists, the amazonian giant centipedes have highly developed quick responses. This is what makes them as "fierce hunters" and the reason why they can catch a flying bat in an instant.

Today, there's a growing number of exotic pet owners who are adding giant centipedes into their collections. If you are one of them and it's your first-time to own one of this kind of pet, you are advised not to touch or handle it with your bare hands. You have to know that a slight venom of the creature can cause severe reactions into your skin.

Do not touch

Although, some pet owners are able to handle their giant centipedes without getting harmed or bitten it's because they already have good handling experiences.

Finally, do you own a scolopendra gigantea giant centipede? If you do then it would be really grateful if you can share to us your experiences especially on how you handle and take good care of your pet.

Centipedes and their Habitats

Centipedes can actually be found all over the world consisting of different species. Each species are interestingly unique with one another where they can inhabit different types of environments (like the tropics and moist forests). Most species of centipedes have the capability to thrive on hot or warm weather conditions but as long as there's a source of water nearby. One interesting fact about centipedes is that, their bodies can absorb water which keeps them hydrated for long period of time. In short, Any place with a warm climate and moist places can actually become a perfect habitat for the centipedes to live.

Some common places with a large number of different species of centipedes are known in the regions of North America, South America, New Zealand and United Kingdom.

According to most scientific studies about centipedes, these creatures are more known to take shelters under decaying woods, near rock formations, loose type of soil, base boards and in the gardens. It's because these areas allows them to stay warm and at the same time, prevents their bodies from drying up. In addition, living in tight objects can protect them from other more fearsome predators.

Did you know that several centipedes can live or hide fitting themselves in a small decaying log?

A female centipedes can actually have up to fifty or more eggs. Surprisingly, parental centipedes together with their eggs can live in a small log along with the other centipedes without needing a larger room for breeding.

Despite the fact that centipedes can inhabit various places of the world, there are actually two regions where they won't be able to survive. They are the Arctic and Antarctic regions. These two places can freeze the centipedes to their deaths. Since the areas are nothing but cold and ice, they won't surely last longer than a few hours. Furthermore, there has been no record of any centipede findings in the Arctic or Antarctic so long as they have been here on Earth.

Some Common Centipedes and their Habitats


Scutigeromorpha

The most common and popular specie of centipedes is the "Scutigeromorpha" or "House Centipedes". They are very fast creatures who can endure high-falls even at a rate of very fast speed.

House centipedes have multi-segmented antennae, compound eyes and they have adapted the characteristic of burrowing themselves around their habitat. Their average body-length ranges from 2.5 to 3 centimeters only. As for the color of their body, some people describe them as grayish-yellow, brownish-yellow, dark-orange or yellowish-gold.

Scutigeromorpha are commonly found hidden inside homes. Thus, they are considered as pests. According to some statistical survey, Southern Africa and Madagascar has the highest number of house centipede infestation.

Lithobiomorpha

"Lithobiomorpha" is also known as "Stone Centipedes" and they are very similar to the scutigeromorpha specie. But their main difference is that, lithobiomorpha had lost their compound eyes which according to the scientific discovery, they lost it due to the process of evolution that took place through time. Instead of an eye, they have a group of ocelli. Another difference is that they have shorter legs and antennae.

Stone centipedes are commonly found inhabiting various regions of New Zealand.

Craterostigmomorpha

The least diverse centipede group is the "Craterostigmomorpha" which inhabits both regions of Tasmania and New Zealand. Centipedes in this group are generally greenish-brown in color with a large red-brown head supporting the creature's massive forcipules. Despite of its existence, many scientists still have very little information about their biology. Although, it is estimated that this specie had originated for about 375 million years ago.

Scolopendromorpha

The "Scolopendromorpha" specie is also known as the "Tropical Centipedes" and they are considered as the world's largest centipede. These creatures possess between 21 to 43 body segments with a total body-length that measures an average of over 16 centimeters in length. As for their antennae, it usually consists of 17 segments.

Although, there are some slight differences of other scolopendromorpha specie to their native counterparts that inhabits on the same regions of New Zealand. Some Tropical Centipedes do not exceed 5 centimeters. And unique to them is that, they always have 21 pairs of legs and are either blind or have ocelli.

Geophilomorpha

"Geophilomorpha" is also known as "Soil Centipedes". You may be surprised to know that they are "eyeless" and blind creatures. Due to their blindness, they are like earthworms that have adapted themselves living beneath the ground.

Their long and thin bodies possess numerous short legs ranging from 31 to 181 pairs. As for their body-length, they can grow from 1 to 25 centimeters long. Their common type of colors can be reddish-brown or pale yellow.

Soil centipedes can be found inhabiting any areas of the world that offers them a thriving place such as the gardens, yards, woodlands and agricultural land farms.

Woodlands

Moreover, there are over 3,000 identified species of centipedes across the world with varying habitats. Not to mention those that are still unidentified and undiscovered species. Who knows that there can be a newly evolved specie that can survive at any kind of environment.

Millipedes and Silverfish

Centipedes and "Millipedes" are commonly mistaken by many individuals from one another because of their worm-like body and countless number of legs. They may actually seem like similar in appearance but there are several aspects that can be closely observed to distinguish them apart. Millipedes are usually dark colored with two pairs of legs per body segments. While the centipedes, they usually have reddish brown color with only one pair of legs per body segments.

The easiest method in distinguishing centipedes from the millipedes is by observing the number of legs on their body. A Centipede actually have fewer number of legs than millipedes and have more flattened type of body.

Foods for Centipedes and Millipedes


Both centipedes and millipedes feed on dead plants but the centipedes prefers more hunting for small insects such as flies, ants, cockroaches and etc... They are actually good hunters equipped with their fast-running legs and jaws that secretes venom into their prey. Millipedes doesn't possess such aggressive predatory characteristic of the centipedes so they often simply stick eating dead plants for their diets (some special species of millipedes are known to feed on small insects, earthworms and snails).

millipedes

Most people view the centipedes as a "not-so-attractive" type of bugs. Nevertheless, they are actually beneficial to the growth of garden plants as they feed on both dead plants and pesky insects. Thus, they provide the lawn a free fertilizing nutrients into the soil. Although, it is still generally important to keep an eye to the population levels of both centipedes and millipedes. It's because their population growth can result into the loss of the garden plants.

Habitats

Aside from the differences in appearances, both centipedes and millipedes thrive in moist habitats. They often find shelter under rocks, composts, under rotting woods and etc... According to some sources, both creatures propagates across the regions of U.S. and Europe.

Other than the outside environment, centipede species known as "House Centipedes" prefers to take shelter inside homes along with other insects that they can catch and eat. The same thing goes to the millipedes. But despite of their predacious characteristics, they are harmless to humans and animal pets. In fact, they are even beneficial for eliminating other insect-pests inside the house.

House Centipedes and the Silverfish


Both house centipedes and "Silverfish" are pesky creatures that lurks around a certain untidy house. Just like the millipedes, house centipedes and silverfish are also often mistaken with one another. But most importantly, once you spotted either one of them, you are advised to seek immediate help from the professional exterminators as their numbers can grow at a fast alarming rate.

Comparison between a House Centipede and Silverfish

The name of the insect, "silverfish" was derived from the silver-gray color of their soft body and their body-shape that look-like a fish. As for the house centipedes, they usually have light brown or yellowish colors.

An average mature size of a silverfish ranges from one-quarter and one-half of an inch long. In comparison to the house centipedes, they are much longer in length which goes between 1 to 1.5 inches long for the males while the females can grow for up to 3 inches long.

A silverfish's head consists of two antennae and connected into their abdomen are a total of six legs (three legs on each opposite sides). House centipede also have two long antennae on top of its head but with more number of legs. The average total legs of an adult house centipede ranges between 15 to 30 pairs of legs.

Many people think that a silverfish can fly. They actually don't because they do not have wings.

Silverfish Foods and Habitats

Both house centipede and silverfish thrive on similar type of environment or habitat. They do prefer to take shelter inside houses that provides them a good source of food for their survival.

Silverfish Insect

When it comes to food, silverfish have a long list on their menu. They can actually eat almost any type of objects as long as they consists of carbohydrates and sugar contents on them. Some examples of their favorite foods are things like paper, natural fibers, crumbs, dried foods and etc... On the other hand, house centipedes only prey on other living insects and the silverfish is just one among them.

Are Centipedes Dangerous to Humans and Animals?

Common to all species of centipedes is that they possess a venom in which they use it to inject into their prey causing them to get paralyzed. The only differences among them is that, some species particularly those that belong into the wild have a more potent venom. Wild centipedes even have bigger sizes in which they are capable of injecting larger quantity of their venom into their prey.

The centipede's venom is actually strong enough to immobilize any insects especially those that are smaller and weaker. However, their venom have very little effect on small animals including house pets and reptiles.

A centipede posses a "Maxillipeds" that very is similar to a "pincer" which they use to sting their victims. Some people also refer the maxillipeds as the "Poison Claws".

The maxillipeds or poison claws are located at the top of the centipede's head which allow them an easy access to deliver their bite. Upon biting their victims, they will inject their toxic venom through those claws. Luckily, most animals including humans have strong immune-resistance against their deadly bites (but except for the pain).

Most of the victims of centipede bites are the children who loves to play on the dirt, gardens or outdoors. As for the animals, they are those who spend most of their time from the outside environment.

Some medical experts claims that centipede bites or their venom are known as harmless for both humans and animals. If it happens that a certain individual or animal got bitten, the side effects of the venom will only last for a few hours and they are gone. It actually depends on the size of the centipede, a giant sized centipede tends to inflict a more agonizing pain. And, the pain from the bite can last for up to a few days and it can be very uncomfortable.

Those who have allergies to a centipede bite are advised to call or seek immediate help from the doctors or go to the emergency room if any symptoms are suddenly observed. The common known side effects and symptoms are as follows:

1. Swelling
2. Skin Irritation
3. Mild Pain
4. Discoloration
5. Numbness

How Dangerous are the Centipedes to Dogs?


It is actually normal for any dogs to pick small things up especially something that is moving around the ground. So if it happens that your house is infested with house centipedes then, there are chances that your dog might have already eaten one of them. On this case, will your pet get poisoned and die?

Dog

House centipedes are quite more harmless as compared to their wild species-counterpart that lives in the forest. Most of those wild centipedes even have bigger sizes that they can surprisingly prey on mouse and small snakes.

Common house centipedes measures an average size of about 1 to 3 inches long. They do bite their prey with their sharp fangs but if they are going to use it against humans or large animals, their fangs might not be able to penetrate through their skins.

Going back into the question above, if it happens that your dog ate a house centipede then there isn't nothing to worry about because no serious harm will happen to your pet. In fact, even if your dog ate a wild centipede, your pet is completely safe.

The explanation is that, a centipede's venom will only work once it gets injected into a human or animal's bloodstream. So if your dog ate or swallowed the creature without getting bitten, there is no way the venom could get inside the bloodstream of your pet.

Wild Centipedes

As already mentioned above, wild centipedes that dwell in the forest have a huge differences to those found inside the house. They are actually bigger in size and equipped with sharper fangs and more potent venom. Now, if a wild (giant) centipede had bitten a dog, will the dog die?

The answer is "No" but it will bring a lot of pain to the dog that could last for a few hours which has the same effect to humans. A dog can only be seriously harmed if he or she is allergic to the centipede's bite.

Is it Safe for a Dog to keep Eating House Centipedes?


Upon knowing that dogs won't get harmed by eating house centipedes, it doesn't really mean that you have completely nothing to worry about. If your pet enjoy chasing and eating them around, you have to know that those insects could possibly carry diseases or bacteria. As a result, your pet may end up getting sick from eating them.

To protect or prevent your pet from eating house centipedes, the best way to get rid of them are through the methods that has already been shared on the previous posts of this blog.

Overall, when speaking about a centipede bite, it has already been confirmed by clinical doctors that it is not dangerous to humans and animals. But, with the exemption of those who are allergic to the creature's bite.

How to keep Giant Centipede as a Pet?

There's a sudden interests of a growing number of individuals who wants to keep giant centipedes as one of their pets. Due to them, such creatures are now being sold from Pet Stores and even via online stores.

According to some centipede pet owners, they find the obsession of keeping centipedes as their pet due to their varied colors and their unquenchable appetite of eating their prey. As a matter of fact, most centipede pet owners are actually being fascinated by how these many legged creature catches their helpless victims and feed on them.

The best place to watch centipedes in action is to visit YouTube. In the past previous post, I have covered giant centipede versus other top predators such as mouse, snakes, scorpions and etc... Included in the discussion are the links to their YouTube videos.

You may already have probably seen some owners holding their own giant centipede pet with their own "bare hands". Be warned that only few individuals can do this act that only trained handlers can perform. In fact, even professionals handlers claim that there's still a risk of them from being bitten by the insect.

If it happens that you seem to have the interest of keeping a giant centipede as a pet, you have to be warned that they do bite resulting into extreme and excruciating pain. Due to this reason, they are pets strictly for adult individuals only.

Taking care a giant centipede as a pet isn't just like any other ordinary pets around. So before you start owning one of them, you need to conduct a thorough research about these creatures first.

Proper Housing of a Centipede Pet


The house or container of your centipede pet is of vital importance. If you do not provide them the right environment comparable to their habitat then they won't live long enough.

Here are the following tips on how to provide a proper housing for your many-legged pet:

1. Enough room

The house or the container must provide enough room for your pet to move around. If you are planning to take care two or more giant centipedes then you should make sure that there is enough room for them to stretch and explore around the corners.

2. Soil

Centipedes do really love to cover or bury themselves underground (particularly with soil). Thus, you should fill the bottom floor of the container with soft type of soil (maybe at least 2 to 3 inches). It is important that you must maintain the soil always at its soft condition.

3. Maintaining Temperature of the Environment

Since centipedes inhabit swampy and misty environments, it is important that you have to offer the same type of atmosphere to your pet's new home.

4. Other components

Aside from the soil, you should also add other components such as bark, leaf litter and rotting woods. You will be surprised to know that they also love to burrow themselves under them.

5. Container Walls must be High

The height of the container or its walls must be high enough that you centipede pet won't be able to reach the lid and escape out. Take not, sealing the opening of the container in order to prevent your pet from escaping out is not a good idea. Your pet won't be able to breathe air and die.

Centipede Pets that are for Sale


I myself actually have the interest of keeping a giant centipede as a pet. So I went visiting all Pet Shops near my place. As a result, there were only few numbers of giant centipedes that I found on-sale. When I asked the seller "Why?", he claims the there's a huge demand for centipede pets these days. Most of them are even requesting him rare species that they are willing to pay it for a very high price.

Here are the following giant centipedes that are commonly available on various Pet Shops:

Common Species

1. Vietnamese Giant Centipede

2. Red Head Tiger Leg Centipede

3. Amazon Centipede

(*Prices of the above species starts at $25.)

Rare Species

1. Barbados Giant Centipede

2. Chilean Centipede

3. Fan Tailed Centipede

4. Egyptian Centipede

5. Haiti Giant Centipede

6. Tanzanian Centipede

Catch or Buy your own Centipede Pet


If there are places you know where you can catch giant centipedes (such as in the forest) then you may choose to catch one provided that you know how to capture it. If you don't then you are simply putting yourself at risk of getting bitten by the insect.

In order for you to catch a wild-giant centipede, you need to wear appropriate protective gear. These includes boots, gloves and clothing that covers most of your skin body-parts.

Catching a wild centipede is best done by using a net rather than grabbing it by hand. Some people also use sticks but this isn't advisable to be used especially when it's your first-time to capture a centipede.

Anyway, if you have the extra-money and you do not want to put yourself at the risk of catching one then your best option is to buy it from the Pet Shop.

Giant Centipede Pet for Exterminating Bug Infestation


If your main purpose of keeping or owning a giant centipede as a pet is to exterminate bug infestation around your house, sad to say that this is not the solution into your problem. Assuming that you set your pet out "free" to roam around the corner of your house, what if you suddenly encounter it on your bed or on the sofa? If you didn't notice its presence and you lay down on it, you will surely feel an agonizing pain of its bite.

Giant centipedes are considered good pets for the adult individuals but they are not intended for exterminating bug infestations. The best method for bug infestation problem is "still" to seek immediate help from the professional bug exterminators.

Centipede Pet

Moreover, keeping a giant centipede as a pet is both interesting and challenging. However, some owners do gave up due to the reason that they could not sustain or provide the food that their pet needs. So if you do not have a good source of acquiring foods for your pet then owning a centipede pet is not for you.

Wild or Giant Centipedes versus Other Predators

Wild or Giant Centipedes proves to be at the "top of the food-chain" (specifically in the world of the insect) because they can actually prey on any kind of insects that they can come across around. To confirm their supremacy among other predatory insects, I have conducted further researches and found several interesting results at YouTube.

Here are the following results of my research which confirms that centipedes are the kings and queens of the insects:

Giant Centipede versus Giant Tarantula


If a giant centipede goes against a giant tarantula, who do you think is going to win?

First, let's discuss both qualities of the two predators regarding on how they attack and defend themselves. Through their attacks and defensive mechanisms, we can derive our speculation on who will gain the glory of supremacy against one another.

The Giant Centipede

Giant Centipede Attacking Mechanism

Common to all kinds or species of centipedes are their fearsome "poison claws". Scientists identified them as "toxicognaths" (which is like a pincer) located at the adjacent part of their head.

As compared to other venomous insects that stings, centipedes does not inject their poison but they do deliver it right into their victims through their bites. When a centipede is going to attack its prey, it will grab its target followed by a quick bite and at the same time releases its toxic venom. The poison will immediately take effect paralyzing the victim making it unable to move.

Giant Centipede Defensive Mechanism

No matter how fierce the centipedes as predators, they can also end up as prey against other more superior creatures in the forest. In order to defend themselves, centipedes has the ability to "camouflage" (conceal or hid themselves). But their most interesting defensive mechanism is that, if a tougher predator managed to grasp a centipede's leg, the centipede can actually drop or release its leg off from its body to flee itself.

The Giant Tarantula

A giant tarantula is a spider-specie that is feared by many individuals especially in the US. The size of this spider alone is very frightening and the threat of their bite to humans is also similar to the centipedes. Tarantulas also possess "neurotoxic venoms". According to some scientific studies, a tarantula's venom isn't good enough to kill humans or animals. In fact, there weren't any recorded incidents or verified cases of human death concerning about a tarantula bite.

Giant Tarantula Attacking Mechanism

A tarantula's main offensive weapon is its pair of fangs. The fangs posses muscular base that is attached from the head. It can be described as a "backward-pointing" fang in which the venom comes out (secreted from the glands inside the basal part).

When a giant tarantula attacks its prey, it will aggressively drive its fangs right into the body of its victim. At the same time, the venom is injected causing its prey to be completely paralyzed.

Giant Tarantula Defensive Mechanism

According to some scientific research, the hairs of a giant tarantula spider can penetrate through the soft skin tissues of your skin. This can result into "urtication" or "irritation".

Who do you think will win the match between a giant centipede against a giant tarantula?

Before you derive on your own conclusion, you may first want to watch this short video of an actual battle of the two competitors above.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qf8pAwGsuF4

Based from the video, the giant centipede easily preyed on the unsuspecting giant tarantula. The spider got bitten from behind (or ambushed) making it unable to fight back and defend itself. If it happens that the tarantula managed to avoid the centipede's sneaky attack, do you think that the spider have the chance of beating the centipede?

The answer is "No". If the tarantula will simply run away then it will have better chances of surviving but if not, the giant centipede can still take the spider down. It's because the giant centipede has tougher armor and equipped with more legs that can easily out-power the pitiful tarantula.

Giant Centipede versus Giant Hornet/Wasp


When a giant centipede will aggressively attack its prey, you will be surprised by its fast and very speedy crawling prowess. When you see one coming or charging towards you, you can actually outrun it provided that you are a good runner. But, not for the case of a flying giant hornet.

Giant hornets actually belong to the "Wasp" family. They are flying insects with large, fat rounded bodies and they do emit a noisier sound as compared to their ordinary species. The most fearsome about them is their powerful sting filled with high-volume of venom that they use as defensive mechanism.

Despite of the hornet's fearsome appearance and annoying vibrating sound, they are not aggressive to anyone. To tell you something interesting, there were already several stunts performed by different individuals allowing themselves to be crawled by a large number of hornets all over their bodies. As a result, no harm was done to them by this kind of friendly wasps.

Is the hornet venom dangerous to human?

Unfortunately, there were a few records of individuals who died from wasps sting. Most of these individuals were those with allergic-reaction to the flying insect's venom. Hornet's sting can be really painful where the damage or harm that it can bring to their human victim is comparable to the Yellow Jacket or Bee.

As mentioned above, hornets are not aggressive type of insects but they won't hesitate to attack anyone who are blocking their flight-path or moving rapidly towards their nests.

Common to all wasps, a hornet's stinging apparatus consists of a "sac" which contains the venom. Along with the sac is a sharp injection-tube which they use to penetrate their victim's flesh before extracting the venom in.

According to some scientists, a hornet's venom sac contains around 50 mg of venom. And when they do sting their prey, they usually inject about 10/15 mg of their venom which means that they can sting up to 3 to 5 five times before their sac of venom is emptied. Once their sac got completely depleted, it may take some time before it gets to be filled up again.

Here is an interesting video that I found about a giant centipede preying on a giant hornet:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qZZE_Trw5zE

Based on my observation, the battle between the giant centipede against the giant hornet was a "slaughter". If you are going to take a close look, you will realize that the two contenders were enclosed inside a glass-cage. With such battleground, the giant centipede surely does have the upper hand.

Hornets actually rely on their flying capability to hunt down their prey (usually by surprise). But with an enclosed environment, the hornet cannot barely fly around until it got tired and was caught by the giant centipede.

Giant Centipede versus Giant Scorpion


Scorpions are just like crabs where they posses two-large pincers which they use to grab and wrestle their prey. They also have eight pairs of legs which allow them to move quick enough to catch their food. However, the most dangerous part of a scorpion's attacking mechanism are their tails.

A scorpion's tail actually consists of several segments with an average length that ranges from 9 to 21 cm. At the end or tip of their tail is called the "stinger" or "telson". This stinger or telson is a very sharp needle in which they use to sting into their prey and at the same time, apply their venomous toxins.

Are scorpions dangerous to humans?

There is actually a very large number of scorpions belonging to different species. But, most of their species are harmless to both humans and animals. According to some researchers, they had an estimate of about 2000 species of scorpions that currently exists on this period of our time. In addition, there are only 25 to 40 unique species that has the capability to inject potent venom to kill their human or animal victims.

Here's a video owned by "Monster Bug Wars" where they had featured a fierce battle of survival between a giant centipede and a giant scorpion.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE-LMPHR_TY

As shown on the video, the giant centipede was the aggressor. It keeps on attacking the scorpion that was simply waiting and trying to defend itself. At first, the giant centipede was having a hard time on its attempt to grab the giant scorpion. This was because of the scorpion's large and strong pincers that prevents the many-legged creature from getting close to it.

After several engagements, the centipede was finally able to grab the tail of the scorpion. It then bit off the scorpion's tail to disable it from delivering or injecting its poison.

With the scorpion's tail disabled, all it can do now was to rely on its pair of pincers. Unfortunately, the giant centipede has a bigger size body with more number of legs which makes it impossible for the scorpion to out-wrestle it. As a result, the scorpion was defeated.

Centipede versus Grasshopper Mouse


Normally, centipedes only prey on small sized insects such as bugs, spiders and cockroaches. Interestingly, giant centipedes can also hunt larger-sized prey such as the "Grasshopper Mouse".

National Geographic Channel have a wonderful discovery about the outcome of a giant centipede battling a grasshopper mouse. You can watch the video on the link provided below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOsmeOceOsg

As shown on the video, the giant centipede had aggressively invaded the mouse's nest without fear. Those new born babies of the mother grasshopper mouse can easily be devoured by the giant centipede.

An interesting fact about a grasshopper mouse (especially females or mothers) is that, they won't back out from any challenge that involves threat to their offspring. And the most interesting fact is that, the females are the main combatants while the male goes to hide.

Going back into the video, the mother mouse went to confront the giant centipede. Their battle involves lightning-reflexes that when one of them receives a "vital hit", surely the creature that got hit will be the end of it. Fortunately, the grasshopper mouse was able to pin and disable the giant centipede saving its young from the unwary predator.

Snake versus Giant Centipede


Snake do belong into the "reptilian" world of creatures (while centipedes into the world of insects), but do you know that some giant centipede can go over-board by also attacking snakes as their prey?

The majority of individuals claim that there is no way for a snake to fall as prey by any giant centipedes. It's because any snake can easily crush the centipede with their constricting-body (or inject their poisonous venom with their fangs). However, this was not the case from an interesting encounter between a giant centipede and snake in the plantation area in Penang, Malaysia.

Here's the video that went viral around the web which was about a giant centipede feeding on its snake prey:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ooFSFR2s7Ig

As shown on the video, you can see that the giant centipede had genuinely grabbed the lower-half portion of the snake's body. The snake seem to panicked probably it doesn't know what to do. Suddenly, the snake rolled and twisted around showing some kind of painful struggle. At this point, the giant centipede had actually embedded its fangs deep into the snake's flesh.

After a few more minutes, the centipede's venom finally took effect where the snake can no longer move.

Giant Centipede versus a Young Viper Snake


In the Island of Macedonia, Golem Grad which is also known as "Snake Island", a group of scientists were surprised on what they had found on their exploration around the island. They had surprising encountered a young dead viper snake with a head and nose of a giant centipede sticking out from its stomach.

The scientists took both of the creatures in an attempt to solve the mystery. To find out the answer, they had dissected the snake's body to take the centipede out.

According to the scientists' speculations, both creatures had a duel and at some point, the viper managed to devour the centipede as a whole but still remained alive. Since the giant centipede was still alive, it chewed and ate the inside tissues of the snake. This was due to the findings of the scientists that the internal organs of the snake got dissolved and what only remains were the snake's stomach-wall. As a result, the snake died while the giant centipede died from suffocation or got poisoned by the snake's deadly venom.

The young snake viper measures exactly 20 centipedes in length while the giant centipede was about 16 centimeters. Thus, their difference in length is only 4 centimeters.

Wild Forest Ground

Overall, wild or giant centipedes have proven that they are indeed at the top of the food-chain specifically in the world of small creatures.

Where Do House Centipedes Go During Winter?

If your house or surrounding environment has been infested by centipedes, you might have already experienced noticing them missing during the cold winter season.

Where did they go?

The answer into this question is all about their habitat. You have to know that centipedes can only propagate on places that offers warmth, moist and damp areas. This means that they cannot live on dry places or on extremely cold environments. If they insists of going out hunting for their food during winter, they will eventually won't survive long enough.

Speaking about survival, what do they exactly do during winder in order to survive this type of extreme condition of the weather?

Centipedes Do Hibernate During Winter


Centipedes actually do hibernate throughout the winter season for their survival.

What is hibernation?

For a centipede to go under hibernation, it needs to find a perfect suitable place to stay for the whole winter. In addition to this, it also needs to conserve most of its energy and store sufficient food to eat. Although, centipedes won't actually be eating a lot because of the effect of the cold temperature which slow down the rate of their metabolism. Thus, they won't be eating much food as compared to their normal appetite.

The winter season in the United States actually starts in the month of December until the month of March. That's 4 months of hibernation period for the centipedes staying inside their lair unbothered.

But, how come that there are still house centipedes running around inside your house even during the winter season?

House centipedes are one of the few species that can thrive on habitat that offers them warmth and food. This is the reason why house centipedes can still be observed even during winter but only inside homes or shelters. If you are suffering from a house centipede infestation then you may want to consider reading this topic:

Tips On How to Get Rid of House Centipedes

Once the winter is finally over, expect that centipedes will be all over various places to hunt for their food because they are surely hungry and exhausted.

How about the millipedes?

Some individuals has the wrong notion that centipedes and millipedes are the same type of creature. Well, they are not.

In terms of hibernation, millipedes also do hibernate during the winter season. I have been researching on various communities regarding about this subject where there are many pet owners who were able to closely observed how they hibernate. There was even one pet owner who claimed that he left his "African Millipede" pet outside on a branch of a tree. It was there for the whole period of the winter season.

When winter was finally over, the pet owner of the millipede went to check on it. At first, he thought that his pet was dead because it wasn't moving at all. But after further inspecting the creature, it surprisingly moved giving him a sign of life that it was pretty much alive.

Perhaps, the main difference between a centipede from a millipede when it comes to their hibernation is that, millipedes can simply hibernate at any places whereas centipedes needs to look for the perfect and suitable place to settle down.

Winter Season

Overall, centipedes that lives in the wild goes to hibernation during winter. But for the house centipedes, they won't be going nowhere provided that they have a warm environment and food to eat inside the house or shelter.

Scientific Discovery and Study of Centipedes

The study of centipedes is actually very complex that really challenges most researchers about uncovering information about them. But despite of the complexity involve, discovering and studying various species of centipedes are also quite very fascinating.

For years, the centipede (also referred by some as the "100 legged worm or insect") has frightened but intrigued a lot of people throughout the world. Due to their existence, "Biologist" (scientists that studies centipedes and other various life forms on Earth) has been studying these particular arthropod for decades.

Throughout the years of studying the centipedes, scientists came to discover the most important thing to know about them. Most scientists had actually focused their research on the specie called "Scutigera Coleoptrata" where they were able to learn their biology especially on how their venom works.

The importance of studying centipedes is actually for the benefit of everyone. By understanding them, the general public will be able to know, how or what precautions to take when in contact with a centipede. And also, how to eliminate them and to know the benefits that they do bring to us.

Biology of Centipedes


A centipede's biology is fairly simple where scientists had classified them under the arthropod category. Since the most commonly seen specie of centipedes around are the scutigera coleoptrata, they are the favorite test subjects by most researchers.

Scutigera coleoptrata possess a long and soft body with anywhere between 15 to 100 pairs of legs. They have small claws (also known as "pincers") that they use to either defend themselves or to catch their prey. On top of their tiny heads, they have antennas.

As one of the top predators, wild centipedes are quite good at camouflaging themselves especially when they are in the forests or near the water. To be more specific, they generally love the tropics, parks that feature small rivers or beaches that have rock formations gathered near the ocean.

When Centipede Bite a Human Victim


Centipedes only use their venom in catching their prey but they won't hesitate to use it against human when they feel threatened. The good thing is that, centipede venom is not dangerous to human unless the person is allergic to the bite. However, their venom is deadly to their prey especially those insects that are beneath them in the "Food Chain".

If it happens that you got bitten by a wild centipede (assuming that it's a Scolopendra), it's venom will work on you where you will be suffering an unbearable or excruciating pain that could last for an hour. The bitten area will then leave a red bump that will itch and swell for up to three days or more. And for the good news, there have been no recorded human deaths from centipede bites due to their venom.

On the other hand, if the centipede bit its prey, it will paralyze them to the extent that they are unable to move and defend themselves. This makes their prey an easy target and meal for the centipede.

Their venom is very effective on any insects regardless of their size. They can easily take down ants or even bees!

Study of Centipedes for Preventing Centipede Infestation


Scientists or biologists aren't studying centipedes just for the sole purpose of being fascinated about them. The main objective of their studies is to discover the best and effective method on how to prevent centipede infestation especially around your home. So far, they have found out that home owners should always keep their homes dry and clean (a habitat in which centipedes cannot thrive in).

Without the study of centipedes, people may see them as a threat that needs to be completely terminated. It is very important that you have to know the fact that centipedes do have a major importance in the ecosystem. They are the once responsible for controlling the numbers of other insects especially pests such as ants, termites, bed bugs, cockroaches and etc...

If it happens that centipedes are all wiped out of their existence, this will cause chaos in the ecosystem allowing over population of other tiny insects which the centipedes preys on. Some scientists speculates that spiders may take the place of the centipedes if they are gone.

As a result of the study, centipedes plays a very important role in the ecosystem. Other than their importance, scientists have also discovered hundreds of different species around the world. To tell you, they even keep on discovering new species every year that probably undergone the process of evolution.

centipede


Regardless of the ongoing studies about centipedes, scientists have not yet learned everything there is to know about them where some aspects of their lifestyle remains to be a mystery.

What Are House Centipedes?

House centipedes is a centipede specie that are obviously found inhibiting homes or shelters. They are categorized as arthropods and commonly referred as the "Spiderman" of the house. The good thing about them is that, they do eat other insects that they can find around the house such as ants, termites, cockroaches and etc...

The scientific name of a house centipede is "Scutigera Coleoptrata" in which they fall under the Scutigeromorpha group of centipedes. Their common color is yellowish-grey and usually have a total of fifteen legs. They can actually grow a size of up to 25 mm (one inch) to a total of 35 mm ( one and a half inches). However, with their long nimble legs and antennae, they may appear to have a size of up to 85 mm (four inches) long.

The most impressive characteristic of house centipedes is that, they can easily able to crawl all over the walls, floors and even on the ceiling at the rate of an impressive 0.4 meters per second (or 1.3 feet per second).

How House Centipedes Lay their Eggs?


House centipedes only choose to lay their eggs in the spring season. Within months after laying their eggs, between 83 to 151 number of baby centipedes are born. The baby scutigera coleoptrata look-like mini me's of their parents and only few of them have four pairs of legs at birth.

Baby house centipedes can grow additional number of legs once they started molting. Their first molting stage allows them to grow one to two pairs of legs. By their fifth or sixth molting stage, they finally have their complete number of legs.

Scutigera Coleoptrata usually live between one year and up to three years of age.

Do House Centipedes Live in Colonies?


Unlike ants, termites and bees that lives in colonies, house centipedes does not. They prefer to live on their own the reason why researchers refers to them as "Solitary Hunters". In fact, even centipedes in the wild are solitary predators.

Ant Colony

In comparison to the ants, they won't be able to survive alone. Researchers actually claim that when their queen dies, the entire colony also follow. As for the centipedes, they don't need a colony because they themselves are the kings and queens. They do not have underlings where each one of them are born with equal capability to survive alone on their own separate ways.

A centipede's capability to survive on its own is due to its excellent hunting skills. They possess the speed, power and venom that can disable their prey in an instant. Although, house centipedes is not as strong as their wild counterpart but they still reign as the supreme predator amongst all bugs inside a house.

Either house or wild centipedes, they don't live in colonies it's not because they don't like one another but due to their characteristics of simply being the top predator. In short, they possess the traits they need in order to survive as individual creatures of their own.

House Centipedes Inside your Home


The main reason why house centipedes are being attracted into your home are the array of bugs that can be found inside. This can be beneficial because they actually prey on any insects and arthropods that they can find around the house. Some of these insects includes ants, bed bugs, spiders, cock roaches and other annoying and creepy creatures that inhibits your home.

house_centipede

Just like other species of centipedes, the scutigera coleoptrata captures their prey by biting them and injecting their powerful venom. This paralyzes their victim allowing the predator to feast on its prey.

House centipedes do not attack humans and generally, they avoid being near you.

Are House Centipedes Harmful to Humans or Pets?


If you are worried about the house centipedes lurking around the corner of your house that they might hurt you or your pet, they are actually not harmful as you may think. But if you really want to get rid of them, the best method is to keep your home always clean and dry to prevent them from staying around your house.

Since house centipedes are not as harmful as the species found in the wild, it is advised that you (or home owners) should safely pick them up and place the creatures in the garden. As opposed to killing the centipedes, you have to know that they pose more benefits than harm.

Despite of their benefits, allowing house centipedes to freely roam around your home can cause serious infestation. This can lead to an unnecessary biting and extermination as a result of their high breeding population.

Moreover, if your home is infested with a number of house centipedes, you have to blame yourself for inviting them in the first place. You might not be aware that you have invited them but by simply leaving your house untidy, you are sending them out a message of invitation for them to come around.