Centipede Bite

[H2oDunc]

I went to clean out the leaves from the rain capture gutter this morning. I grabbed my ladder and my shoes. Outside the house the missus was just getting back from feeding the monks. Normally I make sure I give my shoes a good bang on the wall before putting my foot into them. I have had everything drop out of them from big spiders to toads. This morning the missus distracted me and I didn't give them a bang. As I put the last one on I felt the most searing pain. I quickly pulled off the shoe to see a large centipede scurrying away. The pain is very intense and very swollen.

Just a heads up to always check your shoes before sticking your feet into them. The missus is now making some Issan medicine to apply

[FarangBuddha]

Very important advice for anyone living in Thailand. Anything can settle into the dark recesses of one's shoes...mine are all slip-on "boat" type shoes and I always step on them before slipping them on so that anything in there will either scurry out or be crushed.

[Cloggie]

Few weeks ago I tried to put on my shoes which I left outside.

Can't get them on, can't get my feet inside - found a frog in the nose of my shoe it :-)

Edited September 15, 2010 by Cloggie

[longball53098]

And scorpions! I saw one headed to our shoe rack the other night. Big and very black.

[TheLaughingMan]

Thankgod I live in a nice clean condo and dont have to worry about the jungle creatures coming to get me!

[GarryP]

Thankgod I live in a nice clean condo and dont have to worry about the jungle creatures coming to get me!

Yeah, you only have to worry about those that hang around in the lift and the lobby.

[Lost in LOS]

Thankgod I live in a nice clean condo and dont have to worry about the jungle creatures coming to get me!

Yeah, you only have to worry about those that hang around in the lift and the lobby.

At my old house I draped my jeans over a couch when I went to bed, put them on in the morning and there was a 6" centipede in my crotch scrambling around, freaked me out and I reached in a grabbed it and threw it away. Luckily it didn't bite but it must have claws since my crotch area itched like mad for a couple of days. Luckily my new house doesnt have any but frogs sleep in my shoes that are left outside my door, gotta check each time

[JUDAS]

Remember a mate of mine getting a nasty bite in the groin area. He was a dive instructor, which I believe you are too OP. Pulled his wetsuit on without giving it a good shake first and screamed.....

[nocturn]

I was bit on the ankle a few years back by what was a 20 cm plus centipede.

Swelling was so bad the hospital feared they would have to make cuts to stop my foot and leg below the knee from splitting.

I could not wear a proper shoe for about 3 weeks. The puncture marks were huge and almost an inch apart.

Nasty things centipedes.

[TheLaughingMan]

Remember a mate of mine getting a nasty bite in the groin area. He was a dive instructor, which I believe you are too OP. Pulled his wetsuit on without giving it a good shake first and screamed.....

Holy Christ my worst nightmare....

[FarangBuddha]

A reminder that even if you leave your shoes indoors (like me) or live in a condo, that's no protection from spiders and centipides. Caution is still necessary.

[CarlBkk]

I was bit on the ankle a few years back by what was a 20 cm plus centipede.

Swelling was so bad the hospital feared they would have to make cuts to stop my foot and leg below the knee from splitting.

I could not wear a proper shoe for about 3 weeks. The puncture marks were huge and almost an inch apart.

Nasty things centipedes.

And they're tough like rubber. I saw one which had been poisoned and it was flailing on a concrete path. It would smack down on the path, a sound which could be heard from several yards away...whilst foaming at the mouth. I kid you not. Not a particularly nice scene though, centipede or not.

[H2oDunc]

I used to laugh at people who told me they were dangerous etc but even after 4 odd hours the pain is still intense and is very swollen as well. I will just have to drink more chang today to kill the pain.

[sillyman99]

I will just have to drink more chang today to kill the pain.

Every cloud has a silver lining.

[Boater]

was it a red centipde?, i have read on a few forums there bites can kill, and it is advised to go to your local hostpital or doctor for treatment....

[Thaddeus]

was it a red centipde?, i have read on a few forums there bites can kill, and it is advised to go to your local hostpital or doctor for treatment....

The bite itself isn't fatal, but the pain is so intense that dying from shock or a heart attack is possible, a very old Thai man here had a cardiac arrest after being bitten by one.

A hospital visit is advised. if you suffer an allergic reaction, that can be very dangerous.

[mdechgan]

Can you describe the bite more in detail? How painfull is the bite compared to like another pest? How long did it take for the pain to set in? Immediately or a few minutes after?

What did you do right after? Give the area a good wash and some ointment or tiger balm?

Some ice or antibiotics or paracetamol?

I tried to kill one before. Took like 30 mins. I vaccumed it only to have it climb right out of the vacuum cleaner. I poisoned it with various pesticides. ARS, shellnox, etc. nothing, no effect. The best way is to just smack it.

I am actually more scared of centipedes than snakes. I used to live in a condo of the 5th floor and had no idea how it got into the bedroom. Luckily I was watching t.v. and wasn't sleeping so I saw it crawling on the floor in front of my bed. If I had fallen asleep who know what I would have woken up to.

[eefoo]

Sounds like a takaab (aka takaap, tha-khap) to me. Nasty creatures and definitely best avoided. Seek medical help if the swelling doesn't go down quickly. Personally I always carry anti-histamine tablets in case of any bite. If I got bit by one of these chaps I would take two tablets and go immediately to a doctor for a further injection.

Hope you recover soon

takaabs are supposedly the most common threat. and soi dogs.

what are takaabs?

This is the centipede, takaab.

Worse than the scorpion's bite, but not deadly.

I killed one twice this size not long ago.

[IanForbes]

And cobras... Lots of creepy crawlies in Thailand. That is what makes the place so fascinating. Good luck in your recovery, OP.

[nocturn]

I was bit on the ankle a few years back by what was a 20 cm plus centipede.

Swelling was so bad the hospital feared they would have to make cuts to stop my foot and leg below the knee from splitting.

I could not wear a proper shoe for about 3 weeks. The puncture marks were huge and almost an inch apart.

Nasty things centipedes.

And they're tough like rubber. I saw one which had been poisoned and it was flailing on a concrete path. It would smack down on the path, a sound which could be heard from several yards away...whilst foaming at the mouth. I kid you not. Not a particularly nice scene though, centipede or not.

the one that bit me was cut into about 5 pieces, all of which continued to writhe for the next few hours.

As an aside, very little can be done against the venom, but the doctor was very concerned with possible infection of the wound which can apparently be quite nasty. An aggressive antibiotic course followed the antihistamine injections and piankillers.

I suspect i am somewhat allergic as my reaction was so severe.

In my case the pain was intense and instantaneous a cross between a burn and a severe electric shock. it had me screaming obscenities as loud as i could, nothing like any bee, jellyfish or even animal bite i have ever felt.

Edited September 15, 2010 by nocturn

[techno]

Thankgod I live in a nice clean condo and dont have to worry about the jungle creatures coming to get me!

Yeah, you only have to worry about those that hang around in the lift and the lobby.

At my old house I draped my jeans over a couch when I went to bed, put them on in the morning and there was a 6" centipede in my crotch scrambling around, freaked me out and I reached in a grabbed it and threw it away. Luckily it didn't bite but it must have claws since my crotch area itched like mad for a couple of days. Luckily my new house doesnt have any but frogs sleep in my shoes that are left outside my door, gotta check each time

Probably the centipede did not have much to bite on?

[Lost in LOS]

Thankgod I live in a nice clean condo and dont have to worry about the jungle creatures coming to get me!

Yeah, you only have to worry about those that hang around in the lift and the lobby.

At my old house I draped my jeans over a couch when I went to bed, put them on in the morning and there was a 6" centipede in my crotch scrambling around, freaked me out and I reached in a grabbed it and threw it away. Luckily it didn't bite but it must have claws since my crotch area itched like mad for a couple of days. Luckily my new house doesnt have any but frogs sleep in my shoes that are left outside my door, gotta check each time

Probably the centipede did not have much to bite on?

you promised to keep our secret

[anothertorres]

this one was in my house not too long ago: Scolopendra.

[H2oDunc]

this one was in my house not too long ago: Scolopendra.

That is the kiddy. The pain is still very intense but the swelling seems to have stopped. It bit the middle toe but the pain and the swelling is concentrated on the right hand side of the right foot. The missus shredded some type of bark mixed with water into a paste, says it's very good for snake bites etc. The internet says it is not dangerous just painful, which it is. If it is still painful tomorrow I will go to the doc's

[WinnieTheKhwai]

Thankgod I live in a nice clean condo and dont have to worry about the jungle creatures coming to get me!

Right, I guess your worries are limited to fires, earthquakes, and someone sending you base jumping without a chute.

[tutsiwarrior]

I only wear my boat shoes to impress the folks at the local immigration office otherwise barefoot or flip flops...always inspect the shoes before wearing...de spideys dey like to hide in there too...

[Chonburiram]

I was bit on the ankle a few years back by what was a 20 cm plus centipede.

Swelling was so bad the hospital feared they would have to make cuts to stop my foot and leg below the knee from splitting.

I could not wear a proper shoe for about 3 weeks. The puncture marks were huge and almost an inch apart.

Nasty things centipedes.

And they're tough like rubber. I saw one which had been poisoned and it was flailing on a concrete path. It would smack down on the path, a sound which could be heard from several yards away...whilst foaming at the mouth. I kid you not. Not a particularly nice scene though, centipede or not.

the one that bit me was cut into about 5 pieces, all of which continued to writhe for the next few hours.

As an aside, very little can be done against the venom, but the doctor was very concerned with possible infection of the wound which can apparently be quite nasty. An aggressive antibiotic course followed the antihistamine injections and piankillers.

I suspect i am somewhat allergic as my reaction was so severe.

In my case the pain was intense and instantaneous a cross between a burn and a severe electric shock. it had me screaming obscenities as loud as i could, nothing like any bee, jellyfish or even animal bite i have ever felt.

That's what I experienced for about 15 min, when an only 5 cm baby ta kaap walked over my toes, WITHOUT biting!

[PingManDan]

Very important advice for anyone living in Thailand. Anything can settle into the dark recesses of one's shoes...mine are all slip-on "boat" type shoes and I always step on them before slipping them on so that anything in there will either scurry out or be crushed.

I never wear shoes, except for golf, so slaps, sandals, go aheads, or whatever you call the usual sandal in Thailand, are ideal.

But thanks for the headsup

Edited September 16, 2010 by PingManDan

[travelmann]

Hope the foot gets better Dunc...........Mr Aqualina shhhhhhhhhhhhhh or my secret will be out

[barrybankruad]

I was bit on the ankle a few years back by what was a 20 cm plus centipede.

Swelling was so bad the hospital feared they would have to make cuts to stop my foot and leg below the knee from splitting.

I could not wear a proper shoe for about 3 weeks. The puncture marks were huge and almost an inch apart.

Nasty things centipedes.

If you are referring to the reddish brown centipedes that can grow up to 6" long, they in Thai called 'tacarp' Very nasty indeed. Was bitten one by a small one, within 5 minutes had a blinding headache and double vision. This lasted for about half an hour before subsiding. My daughter was recently bitten by a very large one, and ended up for a couple of days in the children's hospital. Thais are very wary of them and will always try to kill one if they see it. Suggest all TV readers do the same.