I could barely bring myself to post a picture here. This creature truly terrifies me like no other. I'd like to think I'm pretty immune to being scared by household pests. The occasional spider or pill bug doesn't freak me out. But something about the look of the house centipede catches me off guard every time. It's like it crawled out of some portal to another world that's hidden somewhere in my house. I'd like to say that learning about these creatures has taken the edge off, but it hasn't. Each one can lay around 100 eggs. Which means if you don't kill one when you see it, you could have a hundred little larva somewhere in your home (and you probably already do). They like cool dark places like basements and bathrooms but they can live anywhere as long as they get enough moisture. As they grow, the centipede molts and gains a new set of legs each time. They start off with 2 pairs then somewhere along the way grow another pair but it's stuck inside their skin until they molt and the legs become free. How disgusting is that? And they grow to be pretty large as far has Northeastern American pests go, 15 sets of legs and around 1 to 2 inches. I killed one when I was a kid and it's legs became detached but they were still twitching. Seriously, this thing is horrifying. They're insectivores and eat other insects (even some nasty ones like cockroaches and bedbugs). Although I appreciate spiders for taking care of my pest problem, the image of this monster grasping another bug and devouring it with all it's legs just creeps me out even more. The only thing I could find to like about it is that it has the nickname the "mustache bug" which is kind of cute and appropriate. But then I think about it crawling on my face and I'm back to disgusted. I think it tops my list of most horrifying creatures.
62 comments:
ugh, I hate them. Got one the other night actually, he was slow and seemed confused.
Hello,
I happened to see a link to your blog on Boris Vallejo's blog. The silver fish(house centipede)caught my eye. I get freaked out by those things also. I have a snake, I've had a tarantula, lizards, and I've been around many bugs. Its something about those damn centipedes that creep my out... maybe its the legs
Hey Karinzo, thanks for reading. They really are the creepiest things aren't they?
It's a nice creature!
Home Centipede
sorry, if it is repeated, something goes wrong
I just finished having one almost jump on my hand at work and came to figure out what this creature was. Your blog entry showed up as the first link when I googled "centipede like bugs".
I agree with all your sentiments. I can handle all sorts of other creepy crawlies but this one gets my heart beating each time. Fortunately I've only seen three or four in my life.
I'm glad I didn't kill it, I just ushered it into a better hiding place.
Those things creep me out too. My cats get them and the bug stings their nose and my poor cat sneeze forever. Nasty creeper bug. I think the fact that they move so fast is the worst. They also blend in with hard wood floors so even worse I can picture myself stepping on one barefoot. Blahhhh!!
Oh and on top of my above comment, I'm a home health nurse and I had one run threw my patients room. Ucky. Hence me ending up here :)
And they move differently than other bugs, too. They can walk backwards, and move with too much coordination for my peace of mind. One actually turned to look at me as I stumbled upon it, which was particularly horrifying.
I'm not giving up on the alien theory about them just yet...
I agree with pretty much every comment here! They're alien, creepy, and gross in my opinion. I was just filling our coffee pot and one crawled around in the sink! I almost dropped the coffee pot! What a way to start the morning!
I'm not afraid of bugs, but this guy sure creeps me the heck out. Spiders I usually can handle, but this one I can hardly catch and afraid of touching it. Fast little suckers. It is like they are from a whole new world or came from a dark hole. I never seen them before until I moved into our new apt. I had one the other day come up the bathtub drain as I was giving my son a bath. I almost didn't know how to go about and get it. I tried killing it with soapy water, but it didn't work. It just played dead for about 5 min. then started moving again.
Some spiders and the Scutigera coleoptrata are a useful bugs.
They hunt for home insects, like cockroach, bed bugs, and many invisible tiny bugs.
I can wholeheartedly say.. I HATE BUGS!!!
But yes, especially these creepy crawlys. Though, I still hate spiders, even more!
As a matter of fact, I just killed one of these ugly little @*&@$& a minute ago.
I never see them until it starts to rain hard. And suddenly, at least 1 magically appears mid-way crawling up one of my walls.
I think you're right. They are from another world or dimension. How else could they appear like magic when it rains?
I got these things all over my goddamn house...See a handful every year. They gross me out too.
My sister has these in her basement - they are awful little beasties. We call them prehistoric bugs, cause we find the (i guess molted) skin like some kind of fossil. Hers get pretty big too, and its the only bug that will make me scream and call for hubby to deal with lol.
What a creepy creature!
This species appears to be poisonous.
OMG!! I just saw one on the wall by the ceiling and about had a heart attack! I usually have no problem catching spiders, etc with a glass jar and sliding the jar until they fall in and whipping the lid on really fast. This thing was bigger than the jar width and they are lightning fast!! I missed it but caught it half way so it started to squish it with the rim of the jar. I yelled for my son to get me another jar and finally caught it. It was HUGE!! I'm still shaking like a leaf as I write this! I have the jar in front of me, to see what it was, and it's still wiggling... squished in half!! I think it's too scorpion like for me!! I hate to think there's more here, help me God :/
One of these things just landed on my poor little girl's head!!! -She'll be sleeping with me tonight. I'll have one eye open and a can of bug spray in hand...no sleep for me.
I just found one in my sink and it was a little creepy, I thought it looked like a daddy long leg and earwig had a one night stand. Mine has about 28 legs all together so about how old is that?
> Mine has about 28 legs all together so about how old is that?
The house centipede has 15 pairs of legs. But 2 the most rear legs look like antennae. When at rest, it is not easy to tell its front from its back.
Wiki
the bug legs
Do they bite?
House centipede runs away, like a cockroach does. They not bite.
Bed-bugs bite.
However, if you hold the centipede in hand, it may try to sting you. Not sure you feel that bite because the skin on hand is quite thick.
If thin skin -
The sting resembles bee's one.
As I was walking around in my apt. one of these things saw me before I saw it because it took off running up my bedskirt and I thought it was a huge spider so I'm trying to find it b/c there's no way I was going to sleep with a huge spider, but I couldn't find it and about 10mins later I see this creature running across the floor again and then it stopped and I crushed it and its legs kept moving. So I go to sleep with goosebumps and chills and the next morning I pick up my shoe to put it on and all of a sudden another one of those creatures went running across the floor...ICK now I'm super paranoid and keep looking around to make sure I don't see any more. Now I regret looking them up b/c now I learned they sting/bite and they lay about 100 eggs, and they're not as uncommon as I thought which means there's a possiblity I may see these things again ugh.
I have never seen any thing like this in my life and I am old. I just don't know if these bugs bite.
If any one knows that for sure please let me know. The one I found in my tub is about one inch and have no idea how it could have got there. I keep the drain closed and never use the tub. I shower.....
Thank you for posting that horrifying picture, yet, giving me chills again - lol! I first came across one by the sink in my home about 3 months ago. I was washing dishes and the thing was sitting right next to the faucet. I just about peed my pants! I hurried up and smashed it with a piece of paper, but the chills on my body lasted what seemed like forever. I was horrified. I had NO clue what the heck this thing was. Then, about 2 nights ago, I was walking up my staircase in the hall and looked over and spotted another one on the wall! I hurried up and grabbed my flip flop and smashed it. Its legs were still wiggling around even though it was in a total of 4 pieces. I've never been so grossed out or freaked out in all of my 32 years alive. The chills just don't want to go away and then, I see this picture! Yikes!
I have found TWO of these NASTY CREEPY DISGUSTING things in my house, I have a 4 month old baby girl and an 8 year old son...I'm scared for my kids....should I be, they're VERY creepy, but should I be worried about my kids being in the house with these things crawling around?
really? you have to admit that's a cute face
it looks kind of like a lion
and btw..silverfish are completely different things
I seen a centipede this am when i Woke to use bathroom. I quickly got off the toilet went to get a shoe 2 sec, got back it was GoNe now I'm scared! I'm hoping to find and murder it soon I'm afraid.....hate them creepy crawlers!
So, I'm sitting down on my living room floor playing Assassin's Creed on my PS3, and I see something come into the living room from the kitchen out of the corner of my eye... a CENTIPEDE runs across the floor in front of me, I scream like a little girl and smash it with the strategy guide to the game I'm playing.
I'm a male and these creepy little freak shows turn me into a screaming little female. I'm so creeped out by these things that I was afraid to lift the book up. I did lift the book and it was dead with a few pairs of legs missing. I'm not the type to get freaked out by bugs, but I'm with everyone when they say these things come from another planet or galaxy.
Sincerely,
The Guy Who Used To Own 2 Scorpions But Is Afraid Of A Centipede
Hi,
This cracked me up sideways!! We have suddenly realized we are cohabitating with these aliens. Our house is old, the basement is musty, and very moist. We are all super freaked out and living in fear. I told my family that if one of these things crawl on me or I find one in my bedroom I am going to stroke out!!
So glad we arent alone in our fears.
I just had one of these crawl across my arm IN MY BED. Your post did not help AS I WAS UNABLE TO FIND IT AND KILL IT after I scrambled away in terror. It's off molting and laying eggs and getting new legs now, isn't it?! Omg.....
I just caught one in my science classroom and threw it outside. All the students are still freaked out. I'm not scared of em at all but my fellow students are. The school is crawling with them.
greenwesler@gmail.com
One of the bravest things I have ever done was just a moment ago when I lifted my guitar case up after I saw this creepy crawler scurry under it. There it was, looking up at me with those eyes and all of those legs. I trapped it under the container then had to slip a piece of paper underneath to keep it trapped without risking it getting out by lifting it up and trying to put a lid on it. Unfortunately, I let it be for a moment while I got out my iPhone to take a picture to show my girlfriend, who had mentioned the house centipede to me not more than a few weeks ago. In the moment it took for me to look down and then back up again, there it was not inside but BESIDE the container in complete freedom, with its hairy legs scurrying across the table. I screamed with unbridled passion before managing to trap it once again and release it outside, to terrorize nature. I was never so happy to see something scurrying away as I was at that moment. "You can't hurt me now!" I thought, but truth be told, I think I have been forever changed.
I was washing my face and while waiting for water to get warm enough to give a good rinse I continued rubbing soap on my face/eyes... Finally waters warm and I rinse once and repeat and then I open my eyes to the most haunting creepy centipede on the sink just inches away from my face!!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhh!!! I have the creepy chills recalling the encounter!!!! I screamed and my husband came into bathroom and killed it after chasing it all over our bathroom counter... He was just as creeped out by it!!! Exterminator appointment is going to be scheduled next!! It seems once you see one it's a matter of time before another appears and another after that!!! Ewwwwww!!
June 1, 2012
Heard my supervisor scream, not once but twice maybe three times. I went into her office and there was this creepy thing with long scraggely legs running accross her keyboard. She said this thing dropped onto her keyboard while she was typing...Ewwwwww so disgusting.
Helendale Calif
I am the supervisor from above post, Helendale, and that was the freakiest thing I've ever seen. I'm sitting there typing on my keyboard and this thing falls from the ceiling, past my face and hits the keyboard... "thud", it scared me half to death. So another employee comes in and with this creature runningaround my keyboard whacks it killing it, but chopping off some of its legs, which flew into my keyboard (cleaned that up immediately). So now I hear that if you have 1 of those you probably have hundreds.... NOT Happy.
Helendale, Calif.
I am the supervisor from above post, Helendale, and that was the freakiest thing I've ever seen. I'm sitting there typing on my keyboard and this thing falls from the ceiling, past my face and hits the keyboard... "thud", it scared me half to death. So another employee comes in and with this creature runningaround my keyboard whacks it killing it, but chopping off some of its legs, which flew into my keyboard (cleaned that up immediately). So now I hear that if you have 1 of those you probably have hundreds.... NOT Happy.
Helendale, Calif
Ok now i'm lookin around, feeling like things are crawlin on my toes watchin for the rest of the family to come lookin for their Daddy. I don't ever want to see one of those nasty lil creatures again.....hope i can sleep tonight. Helendale Calif
Okay Supervisor in Helendale....don't ya think you might be exaggerating your story about this poor little creature....come on, what's with the "THUD"
When are they services??
Employee in Helendale
Hmmmmm to "Employee in Helendale" I think you are the one who planted that nasty disgusting lil creature trying to intimidate someone into giving you a raise....huh huh is that what really happened??????
Employee R
Helendale Calif
No employee "X" I am not exaggerating it definitely a "thud" maybe even a "boom" either way it was absolutely creepy... No service will be granted he's been swept away!
Helendale Calif.
Supervisor "S"
Employee R in Helendale, CA....alright, you are just not right....here we are mourning this poor little house centipede and you blame me...me who would never harm a little creature!! Get off that high horse and light a GC candle for the poor little guy.
Employee M in Helendale, CA
i just came across your post and both the comments and post are true and horrifying!!! but thanks for making me lol for a few skeevy minutes!
i googled these freaks that run around my work place and found this post - i cannot agree more :/
OMG i was sitting on the couch in the family room when i caught something huge scurrying across the wall out of the corner of my eye. When i saw what it was, i had a panic attack and nervous breakdown at the same time! lol I had to call my mom into the room to kill it. Unfortunately it got away. I am now staring at the wall waiting for it to reappear. Sigh.
Omg my heart stopped when I looked above my bed an saw what looked like a red and black lil creature I froze an yelled for my hubby I immediatly pointed it out to him he couldnt help but to say what the hell is that then grabbed his shoe an smashed it but the funny thing is it to froze in fear as my husband smashed it im so freaked out I cant stop looking around I have a whole new fear of insects !
I don't see the fuss. I never knew what they were exactly and I dubbed them the Liberace centipede since they seem way overdressed as insects. I catch mine and put them outside jjust like any other bug.
OgThey are not outdoor bugs. They live their entire life inside the house and have a lifespan of 5 years! If you catch one and put it outside it will just die or come back in so that's definitely not the answer. These things have been creeping me out in a major way. I moved into this house 7 months ago and I have not slept in my basement bedroom in over a month!
Traumatized on Long Island
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutigera_coleoptrata
(1) It is an outdoor bug!
(2) I also put them outside. We should be more humanistic.
(3) This bug like a spider hunts for home insects. So it is useful for us.
Ha ha ha ha
Ok, you're very clear about what frightens you... Could you be less dramatic and more descriptive?
JUST saw one a few mins ago but couldnt kill it because I was doing my nails. I shrieked, something about it scares me but I cant place it. The next time it came around I surely did kill it! But now I'm freaked out and disgusted... ughh *shudders*
It is NOT an outdoor bug at all.. It is Scutigera coleoptrata, or as I like to call it, Scourgeous Cleopatris, and it lives its entire life in YOUR house! Not saying that you will never find one outside but they will be very happy living their whole life indoors. They do eat just about all other bugs and even each other. That is the only reason I am not exterminating them BUT, if one is going to show itself, SQUASH!!
As far as i know they don't bite, BUT if they walk on your skin you better wash where they've walked ASAP :D i believe it's a chemical substance in their legs that gives iches and redness on the skin where they walk!
My arch enemy...hate it! a couple of weeks ago i got into the elevator and one of them fell on me and started walking on my neck and back and arms...one of the worst moments in my entire life! i seriously wished i could be dead instead! haven't gotten into an elevator since :P
Are the poisonous?
How how did you get rid of these pests??????????????
i fell asleep on the couch as usual at 3am watching tv with j. he went to bed. i awoke at 4:45 am and went in the bathroom. I had a sleeveless tee shirt hanging in back of on a hook in back wall right in back of sink.
OMG...........................http://superscientastic.blogspot.com/2010/04/horrifying-creatures-from-my-youth.html
i put it on the counter as I am still engulfed with hot flashes and wanted to wear it to bed.
I saw something in the sink out of the corner of my eye. I was certain it was the washcloth in a green small fancy dish I got at Tues. Morn store (useless info)...as the washcloth looked just like this disgusting bug...same colors....grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr ugh I was terrified when I realized it was a centipede *but Shel it was huge, thick furry and looked like something from Africa.......I think I poured water first, then some soap from the pump and I think put a paper towel on it and ran water...so scared I froze..
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as it was soaked I put the wet paper towel on it and then another and gingerly opened it....it was a centipede....but OMG NEVER EVER HAVE i SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS...
MY QUESTION? WHAT DO THEY EAT, HOW CAN I SAFELY KILL THEM OR PREVENT THEM FROM LAYING MORE EGGS. I USE GLUE BOARDS FROM VICTOR PEST CONTROL AND NON POISION MINT BASED SPRAY AS I HAVE A COCKATIEL WHO IS 24 AND HAPPY AND HEALTHY !!!!!!! THANKS,
We call these 'creepy,scary bugs' or prehistoric monsters in our home..HATE , HATE them!Your picture creaped me right out! Thanks for sharing :/
I have found this type of centipede in my bathroom towel before. Once, one fell on my head while I was in the shower! I don't usually mind bugs, but these creep me out every time!
I just thought I'd say that some of these comments are actually quite funny to read. And how many people have their facts wrong. For example:
1. They are NOT silverfish. Silverfish are a type of insect
2. They are NOT insects. They are arthropods
3. They only sting if you threaten them. They don't just go running around stinging things. They'd rather run away
I just found one of these in my shower and actually played with it for a few minutes. They pose no danger to us, and get rid of ACTUAL pests, such as cockroaches and bed bugs. After I played with it, I left it in my bathroom. I can only hope I see it again.
lived in our house for 25 years. They seem to start showing up in March. When it starts raining. They do love dark places & moisture. I can deal with spiders, but centipedes are horrifing! Have had them in the bathrooms...sink..tub. kitchen sink..crawling up walls..across living room floor. ..just like everyone else! They freak me out...they run so fast! Like a cockroach! As soon as I see one I grab the nearest shoe and squish the heck out of it!!!
Hi all!
The original site, owning the House Centipede photo, has moved to
photo-ek.ru
Old site doesn't work.
I busted my hand trying to kill a 2incher this morning! In my house they're ranked higher than bats on our "scariest things to see first thing in the morning" list. My husband and I call them "ghost bugs"; they are usually active in dim lights and they're like tiny shadows running towards you, 100 mph. I knew one was in the drain once, so I poured some bleach in and the thing instantly leaped(through the air)out of the drain where I greeted him with the buisness side of my shoe. I highly recommend that method of torture for these creeps.
Got them crawling left and right! Hard to catch to even smush one. saw one just in my kitchen not to long ago, scurried towards some cabinets, waited around for it to come out so i could hit it with a fly swater and when it did come out, went to go hit it and the damn thing hide again! Petrified to fall asleep every time i see one again! They're the ugliest and creepiest insect ever!!!
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