Cinders and Centipede Grass

[toucano]

It was a red centipede that stung me. I see very few of the blue.

As far as centipedes inside the house? Yes. I've seen 2 in the past year or so. Thus I hesitate to walk around barefooted.

Is it worth being paranoid about centipedes? I don't think so. You just learn to be aware that they are on the Big Island and take small precautions.



Edited by - toucano on 09/15/2006 13:07:49

[leilaniguy]

I'm curious toucano, is your house on slab? I've lived in a post/pier house for seven years and only seen one centipede inside. my carport is another story, I find blue ones there every few months. I've heard from two people who got stung putting shoes on. I always bang my shoes out, just in case.



Edited by - leilaniguy on 09/15/2006 13:49:10

[Kapohocat]

Slice green papaya and put on the centipede bite. The enzymes in papaya help. Old Hawaiian remedy...

-Cat

[toucano]

I live in a post and pier. One of the advantages over slab on grade: centipedes need to work a bit harder to get in. I do think that putting that stick matting they sell here around the posts might help impede them a bit.

[Noel M2]

quote:

---

http://plantanswers.tamu.edu/turf/public...shore.html

The grass I dream of planting is called seashore paspalum. It is very fine low growing almost like golfing greens quality. Sometimes it is available on island. Take a look at the last paragraph on this site and it compares to centipede grass for the tropics. Good growing.

mella l

---

Mella L - We got stolons from Dean. He often has an ad in the paper and does deliver to Hilo (he grows the grass in Waikoloa). He sells sod as well as stolons. We planted some at our vacation rental and are happy with it.

You can also purchase flats at Home Depot. Cut the flat into small pieces and you have plugs that you can easily plant.

Once the plant is established, it takes off quite nicely.



Noel

[mella l]

Thanks Noel, here is a telephone number for Dean for those who might need it

LUM Sod & Stolons. Delivery available. Call Dean at Turf Hawaii. 896-5645

What type of work is involved in maintaining this grass do you know? Need much fertilizers or frequent mowing? Mella

mella l

[Les C]

We apparently have centipede grass in our yard. It does look like a centipede in structure. It grows quite readily. I wouldn't mind having less of it.

I believe the "blue" centipedes are actually the immature ones; they have blue legs. Kinda like the Western Skinks that we had in CA; the immatures had an almost luminescent blue tail.

The papaya treatment works because of the papain enzyme. You can also use meat tenderizer (Adolph's) which has papain. Make a paste and apply to the stung area. This works on Portuguese Man o' War stings, too. Should work on bee stings. It breaks down the proteins in the venom. Keep a little Adolph's in an old pill bottle in your first aid kit.

Boy, talk about a tangential message...

Les

[Rob L]

Are centipedes indiginious or alien to Hawai'i?

Aloha,
Rob L

[jdirgo]

Just because of our position in the ocean, I would suspect that they are alien. It would be hard for a centipede to ride a log all the way from somewhere else to get here.

Its just a guess though.

John Dirgo, RA, ABR, e-PRO
Island Trust Properties, LLC
808-987-9243 cell

[Les C]

According to "Hawai'i's Invasive Species", the Giant Centipede, Scolopendra subspinipes, is an introduced species. It's origin is not clear, but it was noted to be in the Islands before 1847 and possibly via Polynesian voyagers. It has been detected as far north along the Hawaiian chain as Midway Atoll, but surprisingly, is not noted to be found on Kaua'i and Moloka'i. It is even on Kaho'olawe.

Les