Can't sleep because of a centipede

[torpid]

Earlier this evening my cats were chasing a centipede around the apartment. I eventually grabbed a bottle of formula 409 and managed to spray the ugly beast 3 times. It dropped to the shelf in the closet below where I sprayed it.

Later this evening, I saw it again. Or was that a different one? This time I got my high powered dust buster and sucked it in and left the thing on for a while. I couldn't see it inside the dust buster bin but I know it went in there.

Now when I lie down to sleep, I keep mentally assuming every slightly disturbed hair on my body is a centipede crawling on my skin. I dare not open my mouth during sleep lest the centipede crawl in and bite my tonguen. In short, I'm a coward.

I don't think this warrants a full revokation of the man card, because I did take action twice and possibly destroyed the thing. Something even my cats were hesitant to do (earn your rent you useless lazy jerks! Next time I skip a meal for your laziness! Yeah I mean you, kitty.).

Anyone ever been bitten by a centipede?

Edit: Fixed second image. Edit 2: late night typos.

 

[mobobuff]

I doubt you'd feel a centipede bite.

Quick! Someone find and show him the video of the centipede eating the mouse!!!!

 

[Shawn]

those things are nasty. thank god we don't have them around here. i first saw one when i was visiting my grandparents in PA. scared the sh|t out of me!

 

[Bootprint]

Just remember with your mouth closed they have a better chance to go up your nose.

 

[torpid]

I'm glad it's not just me: my cats are kind of jumpy too. They keep getting startled by nothing.

The other thing contributing to this worry is that I have radiant heater stalls. Ok by themselves, but the hole where they come up from the floor is not sealed so there is about a half inch of extra hole around all of them. No one has lived here for a few years during heavy remodeling. So I keep picturing throngs of beasties crawling out of the holes after being disturbed by remodeling.

 

[aidanjm]

centipedes are harmless, even beneficial creatures, I would have thought. how difficult would it be to catch it in a jar and release it in the garden?

 

[mobobuff]

Click me!

 

[daveymark]

considering spiders drink moisture from the mouths or lips of sleeping humans, you don't have anything to worry about. Let yourself fall into a peaceful slumber now.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: aidanjm
centipedes are harmless, even beneficial creatures, I would have thought. how difficult would it be to catch it in a jar and release it in the garden?

Difficult because I don't even know where the nearest patch of grass is. Maybe 2 blocks away. It's cold out and there are angry and violent drunks about. I live on one of the main downtown thoroughfares here in madison.

Also I have no jar at the moment. Only moved here a few weeks ago.

 

[Pepsi90919]

How many man card demerits??

that's a solid 3 point infraction.

 

[Shawn]

Originally posted by: mobobuff
Click me!

jesus christ! fvcking nasty!

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: mobobuff
Click me!

jesus christ! fvcking nasty!

What's with the part where it walks around with the mouse immobilized in its mandibles? That was creepy. Fortunately that thing could not fit through the holes in my floor.

 

[Bootprint]

But they look so cute

Just keep telling yourself that the cats are on patrol.

 

[mobobuff]

Originally posted by: torpid

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: mobobuff
Click me!

jesus christ! fvcking nasty!

What's with the part where it walks around with the mouse immobilized in its mandibles? That was creepy. Fortunately that thing could not fit through the holes in my floor.

No, it would just walk up to your door and ring the doorbell.

 

[imported_Tick]

It's WAY more fun when you find the 5 inch centipede in your bed. That was so much fun when it happened to me. Not as bad as the scorpions in the mail box thought. God that hurt.

 

[torpid]

I thought I was being paranoid about the holes in the floor around the heat pipes. But centipede info indicates I should be sealing all holes in floors and walls. So there may be some truth to the theory that the centipedes are re-enacting The Descent in my apartment depths.

 

[rmrfhomeoops]

Originally posted by: torpid

Originally posted by: Shawn

Originally posted by: mobobuff
Click me!

jesus christ! fvcking nasty!

What's with the part where it walks around with the mouse immobilized in its mandibles? That was creepy. Fortunately that thing could not fit through the holes in my floor.

Yeah, the one shown in this video is too big to fit through the holes you described. But I'm sure smaller ones will have no problem slide through it.
You know centipeds like to hide in dark & warm places right?

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: aidanjm
centipedes are harmless, even beneficial creatures, I would have thought. how difficult would it be to catch it in a jar and release it in the garden?

Depends on the kind of Centipede ... stick your finger in the tank where my 10 inch Vietnamese lives & let him chow down on your finger, then you'll be singing a different tune (& may be on the way to the ER) .... not only is he anything but harmless, he's fast as lightning & extremely aggressive!

Having said that, the majority of 'pede's are far less dangerous & while all pack a venemous bite, most domestic types won't do any more damage then a bad bee sting with the exception of a couple of the desert-dwelling types found in Arizona & Texas.


Vietnamese Centipede


Giant Desert Centipede

 

[imported_Tick]

Originally posted by: Captante

Originally posted by: aidanjm
centipedes are harmless, even beneficial creatures, I would have thought. how difficult would it be to catch it in a jar and release it in the garden?

Depends on the kind of Centipede ... stick your finger in the tank where my 10 inch Vietnamese lives & let him chow down on your finger, then you'll be singing a different tune (& may be on the way to the ER) .... not only is he anything but harmless, he's fast as lightning & extremely aggressive!

Having said that, the majority of 'pede's are far less dangerous & while all pack a venemous bite, most domestic types won't do any more damage then a bad bee sting with the exception of a couple of the desert-dwelling types found in Arizona & Texas.


Vietnamese Centipede


Giant Desert Centipede

I DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW THAT!

 

[cherrytwist]

Your card is revoked.

Now go to sleep.

 

[torpid]

Originally posted by: rmrfhomeoops
Yeah, the one shown in this video is too big to fit through the holes you described. But I'm sure smaller ones will have no problem slide through it.
You know centipeds like to hide in dark & warm places right?

Hold on while I go down the street to the adult store to find a butt plug.

 

[Captante]

Originally posted by: Tick

Originally posted by: Captante

Originally posted by: aidanjm
centipedes are harmless, even beneficial creatures, I would have thought. how difficult would it be to catch it in a jar and release it in the garden?

Depends on the kind of Centipede ... stick your finger in the tank where my 10 inch Vietnamese lives & let him chow down on your finger, then you'll be singing a different tune (& may be on the way to the ER) .... not only is he anything but harmless, he's fast as lightning & extremely aggressive!

Having said that, the majority of 'pede's are far less dangerous & while all pack a venemous bite, most domestic types won't do any more damage then a bad bee sting with the exception of a couple of the desert-dwelling types found in Arizona & Texas.


Vietnamese Centipede


Giant Desert Centipede

I DIDN'T WANT TO KNOW THAT!

 

[Captante]

By the way, the 'pede being chased by the OP's cats is a common house Centipede which can bite but would much rather run away... while I don't suggest shoving your finger into its mouth to see if it hurts, it comes under the heading of harmless types & the OP's man-card is without question at risk.

 

[torpid]

I'm not really afraid of being stung. I just don't want it crawling over my sleeping body or finding itself into my sock / underwear drawer. By drawer I mean laundry basket that I'm too lazy to organize into drawers.

 

[pennylane]

I'd be completely freaked out if I saw it, too. But I have no man-card because I'm such a wuss.