Worried About Centipedes

[weary]

Contrary to what another member of this forum stated, they bite without being provoked.

I know this to be correct from being chased by one without doing anything at all. Get out of their way quick, or get a weapon and attack ferociously until dead. If a Thai is there, they are likely to do just that. A broom handle, brick or whatever you can find that is heavy enough to crush them or sever their head...

[IanForbes]

Just because a cobra raises its hood does not necessarily mean it's aggressive. I might only be curious. I've had many raise their hood at me with no intention of striking. They will often only false strike to warn you to stay back. They are beautiful and intelligent snakes. I'd be more wary of vipers that seem to be more sluggish, but will strike without warning.

But I still don't like centipedes even though I'm not frightened of them.

[phuturatica]

This thread has totally terrified me!

I've only seen the small red centipedes but them pictures of HUGE takarp's are on a totally different level! *shudders* If I ever see one of those in real life I would freak! *is scared*

[weary]

To clarify my post above, I meant the centipedes are wont to attack unprovoked, not the cobras.

A good friend of mine is a snake expert, having worked for three years at a specialized shop for exotic animals and raising poisonous snakes himself.

He claims the reason that cobras are the most frequently seen snakes used by snake charmers and in movies is because they are more predictable and easier to handle than many other venomous snakes.

[Geekfreaklover]

Monitor lizards are a bit hard to miss.... so its fairly easy to avoid them. I've only ever seen 3 live in the 6 years I've been living here - and 2 of those had been caught by a Thai who was taking them elsewhere for whatever reason....

Millipedes are not a problem at all, which is lucky as they are seen frequently. Centipedes however.... extremely nasty if they bite you.

One of my brothers used to live on Koh Phi Phi and had the misfortune of being bitten twice in one week by centipedes that had moved into his nice, warm armpit whilst he was asleep! Un-suprisingly they bit him when he woke up and moved....

I'm happy to say that I've only seen 2 in the 6 years I've lived here - one was on the beach and had obviously been disturbed by a new house being built, the other was on my path. I'm ashamed to admit that I had no hesitation in killing it as I REALLY didn't want it in my house or, biting one of my dogs in the garden.

There are VERY few things I would kill - basically mossies and centipedes.

Interesting to note the most offensive word you can use in Thailand to inlsult another is Hia - The slang name for the monitor lizarad. You very often see them near any inside sewage outlets - so I guess there shoddy reputation may come from the fact that like to live in s$$t. The ones you saw being moved by locals could have been moved as part of a trick. Monitors are considered unlucky and sometimes a Thai will dump one on anothers land as a vendetta / revenge gesture.

Edited October 12, 2011 by Geekfreaklover

[GarryP]

See Monitors regularly on my rides around the burbs. Saw five or more in the space of a couple of hours while pedaling around Bang Krachao across the river from Sampawut a couple of weeks ago. As HeavyD says, they are extremely timid and run off at the first sight of you, usually scarpering to the nearest water.

[HeavyDrinker]

Interesting to note the most offensive word you can use in Thailand to inlsult another is Hia

Because they are cowardly....

They fly at the first sign of bother....

[Tim207]

Interesting to note the most offensive word you can use in Thailand to inlsult another is Hia

Because they are cowardly....

They fly at the first sign of bother....

Asked my ex about this years ago. She told me they are hated because they eat dead bodies. I might be a little prejudiced against monitors if I popped over to grandma's and found a huge lizard chewing on her face. Come to think of it, I think there was a scene like that in the movie Nang Nak.

[Satcommlee]

For Sale: House, Car, 50 inch TV and Wife

Quick-sale desired, seller is terrified to remain in the country!

[tutsiwarrior]

I see the big lizards in the marshland behind our house often...they are timid and run quite fast if humans approach...some years ago a small one (about 1 meter long) tried to get in by the sliding front door and I took a broom to it and it scampered over to the neighbors outdoor kitchen; they banged some pots and sent him down the road...

earlier this year I discovered a big mother centipede under my computer bag in my shop house downstairs living area, looked like the one in the photo above but was about 9-10", clear colored...since I've been home from last month I've found 2 smaller ones, dark brown but bite just as painful, I'm told...gotta smash 'em as they ain't polite enough not to bite...hate to though as they got as much right to be here as me...same with spiders but if I don't smash 'em they'll inevitably end up in my bed crawling across my face when I'm about to fall asleep (happened with big bastards twice already in other parts of the world) and I don't like that...

[HeavyDrinker]

Tstttsesse,

seriously, if things like this bother you, why build a house in the sticks old bean?

Just a question?

[IanForbes]

For Sale: House, Car, 50 inch TV and Wife

Quick-sale desired, seller is terrified to remain in the country!

:lol:

Just rent the wife and house to some unsuspecting tourist.

[Ijustwannateach]

The centipedes are aggressive and hard to kill, true. I'm shocked by how big that one is in TenDreams' picture; I haven't seen any like that here yet (but I'm a city boy). I'm also assuming that the one in the picture is already dead, as they can bite on one end and sting on the other, and if you're holding one end like that the most common ploy would be to curl the other end over for a good hit.... Got bitten by one in another country that was about the size of my middle finger- while sleeping, and that got me out of my bed in a hurry....

The gardener at one of my schools used to play with them when he discovered them (before exterminating them)- I think he thought the leg coordination was cool...

[TommyDee]

Never had any problems with centipedes in Bangkok, or even seen them particularly often. Since their food, breeding areas, etc. are on/in the ground, you're probably not likely to see them in upper floors.

i see one in my shower , small one , by taking something to remove it , it vanished... never see again ,but remember the little creep still , and i live condo building 11 high , so i think came out drain pipe....

you are probably correct, and its due to a lack of plumbing knowledge here.

most sewer pipes and septic systems will contain insects, rats etc but there are NO water traps in most plumbing systems, no U bends on sinks and showers etc, in fac the only thing in most homes that has a water trap is the toilet.

when i built my kitchen the builders watched in awe as i did my own plumbing and put u bends under the sink and on the dish washer pipe.

[tutsiwarrior]

Tstttsesse,

seriously, if things like this bother you, why build a house in the sticks old bean?

Just a question?

'cause...I gotta live where my wife tells me to...

naw, it's OK...we live in a small town about 12k pop. right next to the tesseban premises, so not an 'undeveloped area' by any means, the market is only a 10 minute walk...however, there is a large area of undeveloped land behind our shophouse (x 3) with not only the big lizards but a marvelous bird population with a magnificent view from our 1st floor rear terrace...

gotta expect them critters to invite themselves in on occasion...

[nocturn]

The centipedes are aggressive and hard to kill, true. I'm shocked by how big that one is in TenDreams' picture; I haven't seen any like that here yet (but I'm a city boy). I'm also assuming that the one in the picture is already dead, as they can bite on one end and sting on the other, and if you're holding one end like that the most common ploy would be to curl the other end over for a good hit.... Got bitten by one in another country that was about the size of my middle finger- while sleeping, and that got me out of my bed in a hurry....

The gardener at one of my schools used to play with them when he discovered them (before exterminating them)- I think he thought the leg coordination was cool...

this is simply not true.

they use their tail end for better purchase while they use their fangs to bite.

[Galong]

Apparently --- i stand corrected --new research has recently been done on the lizard family , and nearly all types of lizards carry a venom in oral glands , which is very closely compared to snake venom , but in nearly all cases much milder and much less potent , the only 2 lizards that can hurt you badly are -- Gila monster , and the bearded dragon , as far as i am aware , this is a new one for me , and i think for a lot of people who keep reptiles as pets , this includes the Monitor lizard , ---------------------- know and understand your adversary

Even if some other lizards possess venom glands, only the Mexican Beaded Lizards and the Gila Monster are dangerously venomous. There does seem to be some talk about others possibly being, but it is not confirmed. I see no need to assume that other lizards are as apparently no one has ever suffered a venomous bite from any other lizard. This sounds more like humans' constant desire to make animals seem more dangerous than they are, which leads to senseless animal deaths.

Whether lizards are dangerously venomous or not should be extremely easy to prove. Detecting whether a lizard has potentially dangerous venom or not is not exactly rocket science. In spite of the 2005 findings, only the two who have been considered venomous still are, check out http://animal-world.com/encyclo/reptiles/lizards_venomous/Venomous.php

Edited October 13, 2011 by Galong

[tutsiwarrior]

'gila' means 'crazy' in malay language...crazy, dangerous, venomous lizards...jesus

anyone ever seen the gila monster scene in 'Treasure of the Sierra Madre'?...poor old Fred C Dobbs met his match...

[Mosha]

Wife goes into Ninja mode when she sees one.

[Geekfreaklover]

Interesting to note the most offensive word you can use in Thailand to inlsult another is Hia

Because they are cowardly....

They fly at the first sign of bother....

As I explained - It is because they live in and eat shit. Nothing to do with cowadice,

[tutsiwarrior]

Interesting to note the most offensive word you can use in Thailand to inlsult another is Hia

Because they are cowardly....

They fly at the first sign of bother....

As I explained - It is because they live in and eat shit. Nothing to do with cowadice,

dirty, cowardly POS...what could be a worse insult...

from my barred, protected kitchen window overlooking the rear of the house I can see the lizard emerging from the muck, covered with slime and then yell: 'hey you filthy, cowardly POS!...choose off, ye bastid...'

Edited October 13, 2011 by tutsiwarrior

[HeavyDrinker]

I think you'll find it is....GFL...

But Toots, it isn't going to hurt you nor do you any harm...

You let them be, they'll let you be....

My Gardener says they make for good eating though!

Edited October 13, 2011 by HeavyDrinker

[IanForbes]

dirty, cowardly POS...what could be a worse insult...

from my kitchen window overlooking the rear of the house I can see the lizard emerging from the muck, covered with slime and then yell: 'hey you filthy, cowardly POS!...choose off, ye bastid...'

I think those monitors and I have something in common... Neither of us give a dam_n what anybody calls us and a bit of blood and guts doesn't bother us in the least. Yah gotta crawl right inside a moose to clean it, and hacking the meat into meal size chunks takes all day.

But back on topic. Most creepy crawlies can be kept away by removing their food supply or having low entrances sealed so they can't get into the home. This isn't my photo, but it shows just how big the centipedes get.

If you are worried about them it is easy enough to get a pair of tongs that would pick them up. During high water there are a lot of critters forced onto high ground. They disappear once the flooding subsides.

Edited October 13, 2011 by IanForbes

[HeavyDrinker]

Hello, Hoare you today? I learn Inglish from a booook.

[tutsiwarrior]

dirty, cowardly POS...what could be a worse insult...

from my kitchen window overlooking the rear of the house I can see the lizard emerging from the muck, covered with slime and then yell: 'hey you filthy, cowardly POS!...choose off, ye bastid...'

I think those monitors and I have something in common... Neither of us give a dam_n what anybody calls us and a bit of blood and guts doesn't bother us in the least. Yah gotta crawl right inside a moose to clean it, and hacking the meat into meal size chunks takes all day.

But back on topic. Most creepy crawlies can be kept away by removing their food supply or having low entrances sealed so they can't get into the home. This isn't my photo, but it shows just how big the centipedes get.

If you are worried about them it is easy enough to get a pair of tongs that would pick them up. During high water there are a lot of critters forced onto high ground. They disappear once the flooding subsides.

well, you know...centipedes are not un-intelligent and can appreciate the the adage 'the pen is mightier than the sword...'

some of those guys that I worked with up in the Pacific NW useta take horses when they went hunting to pack out the whole carcass so as not to leave any of it laying around...

later...there's tutsi with some tart in a canoe up some river on the NoCal coast near Eureka...it was suitably isolated and the amorous proceedings began...then there was the smell of decaying flesh and we discovered the carcass of a large animal that some hunter had left...the tart started screaming that I had brought her there to have sex among carcasses and the afternoon was ruined...then we had to paddle downstream against the incoming tide which was a big drag...

[IanForbes]

Good story, Tutsi. Bin dere done dat.

Guys usually haul their game out with quads these days, but I've had to haul a lot out on my back or on a toboggan if there was snow. as far as rotting flesh is concerned, it gets pretty ripe when the salmon start decaying. Just NEVER, NEVER NEVER take your dog for a walk along a Pacific North west river in late fall or early winter. The pooch is bound to roll in the rotting salmon and it takes days to get the stench off. I don't know why they do it, but hunting dogs are the worst for rolling in rotting carcasses. If it's early in a warm fall when salmon are dying you also have to watch out for wasps. Wasps love rotting salmon.

[qualtrough]

This guy greeted me as I was having breakfast on the porch of our rented bungalow in Bangkrachao last week.*

A year or two ago we found two dead young monitor lizards in our yard. Our dogs had killed them. About a foot and a half long. Super razor sharp tiny claws. Just don't try to pet them and you will be fine.

Names for them in Thailand

Hia-curse word, very impolite

Tua ngern tua tong, the silver and gold thing-euphemism

Jarake bok -Land alligator

Woranood - Believe named after a TV soap nang icha by that name, fairly recent?

Tua Takab (not sure of spelling in either language or prononciation, begins with a ต I think, please correct.

*Couldn't insert, try this: Lizard

Edited October 13, 2011 by qualtrough

[IanForbes]

I find it sad when people kill wildlife wantonly with little or no reason. Our local natives in Canada spear salmon just for the sport of it and toss the dead carcass into the bushes to rot.

I'll try to post qualtrough's picture... nope, didn't work.

Edited October 13, 2011 by IanForbes

[HeavyDrinker]

Qual, you are correct.

ตะขาบ

[F1fanatic]

I find it sad when people kill wildlife wantonly with little or no reason. Our local natives in Canada spear salmon just for the sport of it and toss the dead carcass into the bushes to rot.

I'll try to post qualtrough's picture... nope, didn't work.

Know what you mean. I will never understand why some people derive pleasure from killing animals.