Snakes, Scorpions, and Centipedes

[josefinee9]

I'm looking at going from a condo to a house (10 mins outside the city) and my biggest fear is having too many unwanted guests...

 

How often do these get in your house/villa?

 

Thanks

[Mister T]

In Isaan, only about once a week. We do get hungry when they don't turn up regularly though.

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

We have a large house in open land. Our business is in the middle of open fields and forest, covering roughly a square kilometre, so I'm dealing with snakes all the time.

Centipedes, occasionally see them but not often.

Scorpions, only seen one in 20 years, outside the front door.

Snakes though, loads of them around the house, but never seen one inside. Closest to being inside was a Pit Viper that climbed a nearby tree onto a balcony. We have them all, various Vipers, Banded Kraits, Blue Kraits/Malayan Kraits, Cobras. Plenty of low danger ones too. Familiarise yourself with some basic snake ID skills. Personally I deal with them myself rather than call someone. Just two days ago I spotted the biggest Banded Krait I ever saw, must have been 3 metres.

Edited December 7, 2020 by NilSS

[Nero Dog]

Living near a National Park. 

See snakes most days. Mainly rat snakes and green snakes. 

Never, ever leave your door open, python moved in!

Wife to the rescue. 

Scorpions, couple of times a week. 

Centipedes, heaps. No problems. 

Oh, monitor lizards about 2m. Nasty bits of work! 

Wish I lived in a condo.

[Daffy D]

In the hot weather we tend to keep both front and back doors open to allow as much breeze through the house as possible.

 

The front door is fairly well covered with dogs and people watching to catch any unwanted wildlife from entering the house. 

 

The back/kitchen door is mostly unattended so to stop crawly, slithery things coming in I fitted a Farmhouse type door.

 

That's basically a door cut in half so the bottom half can be closed yet the top half stays open to still let the breeze through. Something like this:-

Just an Idea 

More Ideas

Edited December 8, 2020 by Daffy D

[Tchooptip]

Last year when putting on my shirt I felt something in a sleeve I quickly removed my arm it was a little scorpion, it didn't sting me, it fell on the floor  when I shook my shirt, I did not kill it,  taking it with a plastic bag I put it outside, rightly or wrongly, on principle, apart from mosquitoes I do not kill anything, not even the ants, sometimes they disturb me but as I find this breed absolutely admirable I forbid myself to kill them. ????

[Ireland32]

I lived in Isaan I would never build or buy a house too much noise in Moobaan and snakes  , 4 meter walls mandatory bugs centipedes never seen in a Condo 

[Brunolem]

Snakes not so much, since they are hunted almost to extinction in my area.

 

Scorpions and centipedes on the other hand love to intrude into the bathroom, especially when I shower (seriously).

 

Such intrusions lead to fights to the death, literally, which I have all won until now...otherwise I would not be writing this...

 

Scorpions are not really a major threat, because they are slow, but centipedes are super fast sonofb...es...

[Parsve]

I live in the province Phitchit. During six years, snakes inside house, three times (but a lot more often outside). Scorpions, two times outside.

[EvetsKram]

23 hours ago, Mister T said:

In Isaan, only about once a week. We do get hungry when they don't turn up regularly though.

I'm in Isaan also.  2 weeks ago got a nasty centipede in the bathroom,  that's the only thing inside. Never seen a snake on the property but a few scorpions out back occasionally

[Saraburi121]

Don’t live near Hua Hin but notice but notice an uptick of critters when the weather changes from dry to wet and vice versa. I seal every crack but still get some scorpions in the house occasionally.  We live in the middle of the mountains near Muak Lek, Saraburi. No snake or centipedes yet in the house. Had close encounters with 4 cobras this year outside. Some brave dogs killed a cobra that was close to 4 meters next to the house.  Good to have dogs around.  Interesting topic. 

[PaoloR]

Get a farm dog; ours kill snakes, alert us to scorpions, tarantulas, centipedes etc. and fight off monitor lizards.

Unfortunately they also kill any cat brave enough to venture onto our property.

[Saraburi121]

A good dog is worth it to notify/keep away unwanted critters and people away. Ours don’t bite, just bark.  We were away on travel and the dogs bayed a cobra on the porch which we caught on our security cam.

[Kurtf]

I've been living in my house here for 7 years. The only unwanted guests I have had in those 7 years are ginkjo and ants. Nothing else and I haven't done anything special to ward other unwanted guests away. Only saw two cobra snakes while building the house and none since. I live 40 km north of Chiang Mai.

Edited December 8, 2020 by Kurtf
Left some details out

[Saraburi121]

It’s interesting to hear “critter” reports from around.  To the OP seems dependent on where you live. It is the tropics so just be aware and go about your daily life. 

[talahtnut]

31 minutes ago, Saraburi121 said:

It’s interesting to hear “critter” reports from around.  To the OP seems dependent on where you live. It is the tropics so just be aware and go about your daily life. 

In Pattaya my missus found a bargirl in the bed, they are very dangerous, lucky to survive that.

[recom273]

After living down here for 10 years, in the same house, we have windows without glass, leave the door open all the time. Not very often to tell the truth - one scorpion a year or so back.

 

Had a cobra eating frogs in out covered garden once, seen a monster python, crossing the road to scrubland near out house, out in the sticks.

 

If you see a centipede, chop it’s head off - I saw one once in my carport, I let him slither away - I went about my clearing up, next thing, it’s hanging off my ankle.

Jeez, I had the worst night in history, couldn’t sit, stand, lie down, walk, cry, sleep - just a horrid experience.

 

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

Snakes don't phase me at all. Centipedes however, I scream like a girl, they scare the cr@pola out of me. Can you imagine if if goes up your trouser and bites one of your balls. Jeez.

 

 

 

 

Edited December 8, 2020 by NilSS

[arick]

I live in Chiayaphum. They only time I have ever had centipedes, scorpions or lizards in my house is when the cat brings them in. Over the years I might get a small little snake in the pool and frogs. The King cobra does his neighbourhood rounds but I havent  seen any snakes this year accept on the highway or run over in the town.

When living in a condo in Onut I had a bucket of cockroaches come up the drain and run around the kitchen. 

[Aforek]

I live up country in a mooban ( very quiet ) and here, there are cobras and centipedes 

rare in house, but has happended already ; centipedes are very fast, yes, but I am faster than they are, very easy to kill ( with shoe, no naked foot or hand , of course ) 

[Andycoops]

I have had the occasional snake but never seen a scorpion or centipede in the house but of course that doesn't mean they haven't come in.

I usually only see the latter in the garden when removing fallen leaves or moving items around the garage.

[HAPPYNUFF]

I agree with   others here...      Get a couple of  half breed dogs.  We  have two of them,,, and two little barkers   the wife  likes.

The big dogs   are not only good for security from  people   but will   take  to snakes and other crawlies.    Dont let other people feed them, they will get too  complacent otherwise.

[teacherclaire]

OP, they taste great when BBQed. 

[jollyhangmon]

... cat does well too, not so much appreciated if she brings them up the terrace as a present though.

 

(You could always spike their chow with some 5th grade yaba - in old military tradition, sort of - keeps them on the edge and makes for best perimeter watch ever, right up there with the Claymores ...)

 

 

 

[Stevemercer]

We live on the outskirts of a town in Isaan. Snake, scorpion or centipede in the house once every few months, mainly centipedes.

 

Bitten twice by centipedes so far. Once at night when I stumbled to the toilet and once when I turned on the air conditioner and it pat a centipede right on top of me.

 

Both bites extremely painful and intense for 12 hours.

[Saraburi121]

Had a black ant invasion last night. Woke up feeling something crawling on me, ah just an ant then another and another. Went to take a leak and the bathroom wall and floor and walls were black with ants.  There must have been thousands of them piled up in the bathroom.  Somehow they got in the grey water drain (supposed sealed) and made a two pronged attack on the deck above the bedroom roof deck (single house)  down into a small hole the caulking.  Spent the better part of the night with a can of bug spray and the windows open.   This morning found the biggest bug I have ever seen on the wall, shot with a bit of but spray but kept on going. Not sure where it went.  Mid afternoon I met a ninja spider.  Swat once, dodged, swat twice and up the wall. Up the wall to the ceiling than jumped down on me. Wife who never kills anything finally found it and put it in the spider grave yard.   Wife did let me know she can kill the ninja spider.   

 

 

[Meat Pie 47]

On 12/7/2020 at 8:57 PM, josefinee9 said:

I'm looking at going from a condo to a house (10 mins outside the city) and my biggest fear is having too many unwanted guests...

 

How often do these get in your house/villa?

 

Thanks

You will be save with this one

https://www.news.com.au/technology/science/animals/a-headless-snake-has-tried-to-defend-itself-after-being-prodded-by-a-tennis-racquet/news-story/a96dc3593d2f60dd23cf769cf43630af

[Led Lolly Yellow Lolly]

28 minutes ago, Saraburi121 said:

Had a black ant invasion last night. Woke up feeling something crawling on me, ah just an ant then another and another. Went to take a leak and the bathroom wall and floor and walls were black with ants.  There must have been thousands of them piled up in the bathroom.  Somehow they got in the grey water drain (supposed sealed) and made a two pronged attack on the deck above the bedroom roof deck (single house)  down into a small hole the caulking.  Spent the better part of the night with a can of bug spray and the windows open.   This morning found the biggest bug I have ever seen on the wall, shot with a bit of but spray but kept on going. Not sure where it went.  Mid afternoon I met a ninja spider.  Swat once, dodged, swat twice and up the wall. Up the wall to the ceiling than jumped down on me. Wife who never kills anything finally found it and put it in the spider grave yard.   Wife did let me know she can kill the ninja spider.   

 

 

 

I forgot about the ants. Our kitchen regularly gets raided by vast colonies on the move during the rains. Leave the kitchen spotless, go back a few hours later and the floor, walls, and every item in the kitchen completely carpeted with ants. Remarkable creatures in that regard.

Edited December 11, 2020 by NilSS

[Saraburi121]

35 minutes ago, NilSS said:

 

I forgot about the ants. Our kitchen regularly gets raided by vast colonies on the move during the rains. Leave the kitchen spotless, go back a few hours later and the floor, walls, and every item in the kitchen completely carpeted with ants. Remarkable creatures in that regard.

"Carpeted" is a good term lol! It only takes minutes.  To the OP probably your worst you will see.  Just be aware. 

[ramrod711]

On 12/9/2020 at 8:59 AM, jollyhangmon said:

... cat does well too, not so much appreciated if she brings them up the terrace as a present though.

 

(You could always spike their chow with some 5th grade yaba - in old military tradition, sort of - keeps them on the edge and makes for best perimeter watch ever, right up there with the Claymores ...)

 

 

 

Our cats are excellent with snakes, not sure how they would do with centipedes, never seen any corpses around, a few quite large live ones though.