Centipedes

"... There is no accurate count of the number of tree boas living on St. Thomas because most of their habitat is privately owned. However, Platenberg estimated that about 5,000 live in the area..."

The entire article can be found here: http://www.onepaper.com/stthomasvi/?v=d&i=&s=News:Local&p=1223617508

The snakes we have here on STX are technically considered snakes...they even do the tongue sticking out thing...but they look more like worms than anything else

How big do those things get - I ask because I don't think I have seen any on STJ - just the black things in the picture (is that a centipede or millipede??) and only about 4" to 5" long - I am still confused as to what I see - easy to be confused when you are me 🙂

Pia

Here you go guys and gals....

Centipedes move very fast and their movement is like a snake.

Yearasta,

Now that is what I am talking about!!! That is the centipede my nightmares are made of.

MILIPEDE:
Due to their lack of speed and their inability to bite or sting, millipedes' primary defense mechanism is to curl into a tight coil — protecting their delicate legs inside an armoured body exterior. Many species also emit poisonous liquid secretions or hydrogen cyanide gas through microscopic pores along the sides of their bodies as a secondary defense.Some of these substances are caustic and can burn the exoskeleton of ants and other insect predators, and the skin and eyes of larger predators. Animals such as Capuchin monkeys have been observed intentionally irritating millipedes in order to rub the chemicals on themselves to repel mosquitoes.

As far as humans are concerned, this chemical brew is fairly harmless, usually causing only minor effects on the skin, the main effect being discoloration, but other effects may also include pain, itching, local erythema, edema, blisters, eczema, and occasionally cracked skin. Eye exposures to these secretions causes general eye irritation and potentially more severe effects such as conjunctivitis and keratitis. First aid consists of flushing the area thoroughly with water; further treatment is aimed at relieving the local effects.

CENTIPEDE:
Some species of centipedes can be hazardous to humans because of their bite. Although a bite to an adult human may only be painful, those with allergies that are similar to that of bee stings and small children are at greater risk. Smaller centipedes usually do not puncture human skin, while larger centipedes may cause anaphylactic shocks.

New idea for a movie.......centipedes on a plane.....would be a sequel to snakes on plane.

I heard once that pedes can attack mice. anyone know if this is tru or not??

go to youtube and search centipede mouse.....you will be in awe....although those are the giant centipedes in the videos...still bad

I truly dispise these pests. They're the only thing I've seen that I can squish and still see it come after me with literally half it's guts in tow (at over 200 lbs I'm not a light guy when I stomp on these things.) These things are incrediby durable - much more so than a cockroach which usually stays dead after step on it. I've flushed squished centipede only to return and find it still swimming in the bowl!

Our son bought one of those electrified rackets (looks like a badminton racket) from Cost-U-Less and enjoys frying them thankfully.

I read these comments but I am never sure on a lot of them what Island they are being written from. Are there a lot of centipedes on STT, East end and are there any of these little critters on the resorts? They sound terrifying?

scary, yes.
fact of life in caribbean, yes.
just shake everything you own out before you put it on....they do love shoes just like brown recluses.
shake out towels before bathing.
check shower and behind toilet.
keep everything clean.
if you have a dust ruffle on your bed, hike it up off floor.
shake ur bed and pillows out before you get in it.
do not have a lot of clutter in your gates, inside or out.
wear socks and shoes if you trod thru bush.
just a bit of anti centipede info.....lol
exterminate
exterminate
exterminate
inside and around ya gates....and around cistern, and anything connected to pools.
they love moist and dark places.
check for them when you are gardening too.
if you see one and cannot kill it.......RUN LIKE HELL or jump in a pool.:-o*-)

HAPPY: I live on the east end of St Thomas and have never seen centipedes. I have seen millipedes like in the video on page one. The locals call it a gongolo and it is *not* dangerous. The resorts have exterminating services, but you are in the tropics and should not get upset with the local wildlife. 🙂

These centipedes are all over STX. Go to Youtube and request "St. Croix Centipede". This is footage taken live from STX. Watch at your own risk!!!

Happy:

We've owned on the East End (Point Pleasant Resort) for 5 years and like East Ender we have never seen a centipede.....and we certainly don't "shake" everything out all of the time.

F.I.

If you have scorpions, then you don't have centipedes. If you have centipedes, you don't have scorpions.

This bit of wisdom has held true for me on STX -- anyone else? It's got me thinking that it varies from micro-habitat to micro-habitat. I've been in places with monthly extermination keeps it to a low number, and other places that need no extermination.

Currently I see about 5 centipedes inside per month. Big fat paperbacks or shoe with flat hard soles are my weapons of choice. Flip flops are too soft, just bounces off them. When I was little, I would run; now I grab a weapon and hunt it down.

And shaking is the norm for some of us...You only have to see one run out a shoe ONCE to think that shaking only takes an extra second -- why not?

Last month i was pulling on a pair of clean jeans early in the morning, in a very clean and spare home, and a huge centipede ran out of the leg. Ayeeeeee!

i've run into 2 people in the last week or so that don't kill the things,they just toss them out,karma was the word they used,i myself smash them,what are the benefits of having centipedes,no one can seem to answer that one for me,like mosquitos what purpose do the serve.

THANK YOU TRW!!!!!

I see no uses for them....

Thanks Future Islander.
You have calmed my fears. My husband and I will be your neighbors soon as we to will be moving to Point Pleasant, bought a place there and can't wait. Perhaps we will get to meet one day. By the way, are there also extermination sevices for the mosquitos? Just thought I'd ask. I know that there will be encounters with some critters but that is the island life, can't wait.

Since i have started reading this topic i have centipede nightmares. lol

You can always get chickens 😀

No extermination for mosquitoes, the companies will try and sell you machines that cost $1500 to $2500 that MIGHT help....lol Make sure your screens are tight and in good shape (no holes) and close your doors about an hour to half and hour before dusk and you'll be ok.

And of course remove standing water unless the screen covering it has really minute holes.

have chickens yearsta but they are having nightmares too!!!!:-o

Re: Karma

I recently read that in Hawaii that tradition is to take the trespassing centipede outside (dead or alive) and burn it as a message to all centipedes that their presences is not welcome or tolerated!!!