07-23-2007, 02:42 PM
That mouse-eating video is one of the giant amazonian ones, not one of ours ... I remember that video. Ours do get 7-9 inches though.
I always do what Hotzcatz said and look under items I pick up -- VERY common to disturb a napping 'pede . They will also colonize potted plants in the garden, which can be a problem if you bring the plant in and 'pede comes out for nightly hunting ... done that, found nine incher on kitchen counter.
I have a theory that bufo toads eat them, because I've had one place with few centipedes and lots of toads, and no chickens. Bufos are nocturnal. If you have a pond, bufos will come!
I have watched them climb the side of a stucco house to the second story ... really creeped me out.
My solution has been to spray the perimeter, and I am NOT a poison person. I had a pest control contract where they just used the boric acid and it worked very well. The thing is to make a closed perimeter and to repeat monthly as it breaks down.
As a result, in our Hilo house we never had one in the house in over two years, although they were certainly out in the yard hiding under potted plants.
Clean up leaf mess and trimmings near your house. They like to hide in them.
And don't leave your gloves and hat or shoes outside at night, or even in the garage if you have a problem there. I know more people who've been bitten putting on these items than any other way.
I also never put stuff in my car that may have given one a chance to crawl in, hide, and hitchhike. After hearing from a friend who was driving down the road and realized one was in her pants ... that just freaked me out. She pulled over and stripped her pants off by the side of the road -- modesty overcome by pure fear!
I always do what Hotzcatz said and look under items I pick up -- VERY common to disturb a napping 'pede . They will also colonize potted plants in the garden, which can be a problem if you bring the plant in and 'pede comes out for nightly hunting ... done that, found nine incher on kitchen counter.
I have a theory that bufo toads eat them, because I've had one place with few centipedes and lots of toads, and no chickens. Bufos are nocturnal. If you have a pond, bufos will come!
I have watched them climb the side of a stucco house to the second story ... really creeped me out.
My solution has been to spray the perimeter, and I am NOT a poison person. I had a pest control contract where they just used the boric acid and it worked very well. The thing is to make a closed perimeter and to repeat monthly as it breaks down.
As a result, in our Hilo house we never had one in the house in over two years, although they were certainly out in the yard hiding under potted plants.
Clean up leaf mess and trimmings near your house. They like to hide in them.
And don't leave your gloves and hat or shoes outside at night, or even in the garage if you have a problem there. I know more people who've been bitten putting on these items than any other way.
I also never put stuff in my car that may have given one a chance to crawl in, hide, and hitchhike. After hearing from a friend who was driving down the road and realized one was in her pants ... that just freaked me out. She pulled over and stripped her pants off by the side of the road -- modesty overcome by pure fear!