Small centipede bite...Good God was that painful!

[lordgrinz]

Have killed about 5 this week in the house, but one bit me on my toe while I was on the toilet. Never been bit by one before, unbelievably painful, I would say twice as bad as the White Face hornets back home in the USA, and still slightly painful almost 2 hrs later. Don't want my 7 yr old to experience that, any recommendations for safe poisons? I have a dog, so don't want anything too toxic. Thanks!

[AndyAndyAndy]

"still slightly painful almost 2 hrs later"

 

I was bitten by big one. It took me 15 seconds to decide to go to hospital. Between being bitten and getting numbing shot I took maybe 20 minutes, but I remember every minute very vividly. Especially nurse approaching me like she gives me the numbing shot, nah, I have to go to pharmacy, approaching again, nah, I have to take blood pressure, approaching again, nah, I have to fill in paper work. 😄 While I was fainting there. And for the next week I was on pain killers. 3 weeks later, everything back to normal and in the middle of the night I wake up with hand twice the size again. And unresistable itching and twitching and pain. Back to normal. Week 4 the same. And week 5 again the same. It was coming in waves. It went fully away in maybe 5 weeks. So you complaining about 2 hours, bro ... . 

 

On bright side I heard that spiders and scorpions are much less painful here, so we have the worst out of our way.

[NanLaew]

The bite from the big ones can be fatal for pets, children and some adults. I read that anaphylactic shock is the culprit. Better find out where the buggars are coming from.

 

When my wife came across a nest in the roots of a planter by the driveway, it wasn't a case of 'get the poison' honey. It was get the kids and dogs safely inside the house, gloves and wellies on before a full-bore hunt and destroy mission.

[lordgrinz]

I woke up this morning and finally stopped hurting, their sting is pretty potent. Just worried about my 7 yr old daughter getting stung, so probably have someone come this weekend to spray the house.

[mamypoko]

Happened to me. Toweling off after a shower and got stung in the lower back. Pert near met Jesus! The Pain lasted about 30 minutes

Edited February 2 by mamypoko

[pacovl46]

14 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Have killed about 5 this week in the house, but one bit me on my toe while I was on the toilet. Never been bit by one before, unbelievably painful, I would say twice as bad as the White Face hornets back home in the USA, and still slightly painful almost 2 hrs later. Don't want my 7 yr old to experience that, any recommendations for safe poisons? I have a dog, so don't want anything too toxic. Thanks!

Just get mosquito screens and screen doors for your place and they can't get in. Poison is always tricky, especially when you have other pets and a child. 

[ignis]

Found out years ago...  If you have your towel hanging in the bathroom shake well before using,, as for the floor buy a spray bottle  [ 3 bottle's for 20 baht at 20 baht shop]   always have a bottle handy  filled with 'Duck' bathroom cleaner to spray the floor they wiggle about and die, amazing how the little one get between the cracks of the tiles.

 

Not seen a big one for a long time, just no idea where all the little comes keep coming from.  maybe up the shower drain hole ?

[Grumpy one]

14 hours ago, lordgrinz said:

Have killed about 5 this week in the house, but one bit me on my toe while I was on the toilet. Never been bit by one before, unbelievably painful, I would say twice as bad as the White Face hornets back home in the USA, and still slightly painful almost 2 hrs later. Don't want my 7 yr old to experience that, any recommendations for safe poisons? I have a dog, so don't want anything too toxic. Thanks!

Pour bleach down the drains, it will stop the little  suckers in their tracks 

[Sheryl]

@lordgrinz any idea how they are getting in? As I would address that.

 

Can get door draft guards  that go on the bottom of doors at Home Pro  or from Lazada or Shoppee etc, will stop them from getting in that way.

 

I have a (very) small "moat" around my house precisely to keep out scorpions and centipedes. It also slows down (but does not completely stop) ants.

 

I also have drain covers on bathroom floor drains.

[PeterA]

Last month while opening the shed door, it was stuck on something. I pulled and pulled harder. Looking up to see if I could see what was sticking, it opened.

I was then juiced in the face from a big red one as the door squished the centipede.  Guts and all in my face, but no poison. Disgusting as all get out, but cleaned it off and was very thankful the rest of the day!

Now I  ALWAYS look first, well back from the door.

[jimn]

You lot must live in the middle of nowhere. In the 10 years living here, I have never had an issue with anything only mosquitoes. For the record I live in the countryside outside Pattaya.

[lordgrinz]

1 minute ago, jimn said:

You lot must live in the middle of nowhere. In the 10 years living here, I have never had an issue with anything only mosquitoes. For the record I live in the countryside outside Pattaya.

 

I live in Nonthaburi right next to Impact Exhibition Center, I have seen centipedes, scorpions, several Tokays, large monitor lizards, large pythons, cobras, pit vipers, large fruit bats, you name it...its a jungle out there......LOL

[jts-khorat]

On 2/1/2024 at 5:59 PM, NanLaew said:

The bite from the big ones can be fatal for pets, children and some adults. I read that anaphylactic shock is the culprit. Better find out where the buggars are coming from.

 

I would say, from all the poisonous animals Thailand has, they are the most nasty.

 

For example they really love to sit under mattresses, especially if the room is just a little bit damp. Hearing a rustling sound and light tapping on floor tiles under the bed is a good warning, as they move around quite a bit at night.

 

Hiding insides shoes standing outside the door is the next danger issue (scorpions also love those): I always look into mine and tap them to dislodge any unwanted guests. False ceilings, especially above the kitchen is also a common hiding place, as are clothes laying in open cupboards.

 

Catching a big one is not easy, they are extremely fast and still can move into the tightest gaps to get away. The danger is not over, if you have cut off the head: they still have instinctive nerve reactions even several hours after that, eg. they will still close their mandibles and inject poison (quite a horrific sight is also, that the cut off body parts also start to move their legs if you touch the "corpse" with a stick). Only as soon as the chicken will go near them, they are safe to move without handshoes.

 

Not without reason, a Centipede (Takab) Sak Yant tatoo is seen as one of the strongest ones to relay invulnerability, defensive power and demanding respect from others.

[jts-khorat]

9 hours ago, Sheryl said:

I have a (very) small "moat" around my house precisely to keep out scorpions and centipedes. It also slows down (but does not completely stop) ants.

 

Really good against ants is also a small trickle of baby powder, the stronger scented the better. It prevents the ants from leaving a pheromone trail leading others after them. It is a very cheap and easy remedy.

 

I would not think that helps against centipedes though, but together with your moat, that might be the perfect defense against all nasty critters.

Edited February 2 by jts-khorat

[alien365]

12 minutes ago, jts-khorat said:

 

As soon as the chicken will go near them, they are safe to move without handshoes.

 

Do you also call footwear feet gloves? 

 

Back to the topic though the main place I see centipedes is around the sandals/shoes outside. I always give them a quick kick in case one is hiding. I learned quickly not to pick the shoes up as an adult one went for me. I've found them very difficult to kill. I usually use a hoe, but it's still difficult to detach the head. 

[jts-khorat]

1 hour ago, alien365 said:

Do you also call footwear feet gloves? 

 

Back to the topic though the main place I see centipedes is around the sandals/shoes outside. I always give them a quick kick in case one is hiding. I learned quickly not to pick the shoes up as an adult one went for me. I've found them very difficult to kill. I usually use a hoe, but it's still difficult to detach the head. 

 

Sorry, German here, so gloves in German are literally Handschuhe = handshoes. I hope I was still understood. 😉

 

But as you say quite correctly, it can seem near impossible kill them. The Thais normally press them down with their ubiquitous large brooms, so as not to need to touch them while dismembering them. They then also use the broom to remove them from the house in a safe way.

[deadbeat]

Biggest one I saw was about a foot long, I disturbed it from some leaves and luckily it ran up the tree. I dont doubt that had this stung me I would have died. I heard a story that this happened to someone who was sleeping on the ground and got bit, he died shortly afterwards.

As you say, anaphalactic shock.

[Sheryl]

6 hours ago, deadbeat said:

Biggest one I saw was about a foot long, I disturbed it from some leaves and luckily it ran up the tree. I dont doubt that had this stung me I would have died. I heard a story that this happened to someone who was sleeping on the ground and got bit, he died shortly afterwards.

As you say, anaphalactic shock.

Only people with allergy/sensitivity will get anaphalactic reaction to Thai scorpions/centipedes/millipedes, most will not. But it will hurt anyone like %^*&$.

 

In other parts of the world there are ones that are outright lethal to anyone.

 

I find drowned  centipedes in my "moat" often so they are trying to head for the house but the moat stops them.  Luckily they cannot swim. I also have the door draft protectors on all doors.  Since installing all this,  I have not had a scorpion or centipede in the house. But I have to remain vigilant when entering garden shed.

[Pouatchee]

On 2/1/2024 at 11:29 PM, lordgrinz said:

unbelievably painful, I would say twice as bad as the White Face hornets back home in the USA, and still slightly painful almost 2 hrs later.

 

watch the tv show 'kings of pain'.

these guys test every bite out there...

they did the centipede in one show.

 

 

Edited February 3 by Pouatchee

[Luuk Chaai]

I would get  5-6 of these suckers every week ..  they would come into our garden from the pineapple fields next to us

the dogs make quick work of them .  but it got to the point I just have  Rentokil come once a month to spray the perimeter

I had one that was 20cm..  ( OMG!)   hit it with a shovel and it kept comming .  took 6 whacks before it threw in the towel

[Kalasin Jo]

I got bitten in the sole of my foot by one of these centipedes, Went very red, swollen in a matter of minutes and was excruciatingly painful. Like you the worst of it lasted a couple of hours, the next day almost normal. I steer well clear now if I see one. My Thai family were unmoved by my discomfort but did say no need for nurse or doctor. I will feel better soon. No worries then! Have a nice cold beer and stop moaning.