Urgent : how to catch a centipede ?

centipede

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
13
Hi,

I have a centipede in my house and was wondering if someone has a suggestion how to catch it (if possible alive)

No, this is not a joke... I live in Thailand , a beautifull country with some huge centipedes. One of these creatures decided to move in into my house.

As you can imagine, I'm not very happy with my 20 cm (!!!!) long visitor. Right now, it is locked into my "stock room" a perfect place for a centipede to hide. It is very difficult to take everything out, especially since everyone is scared to death

So the question is how to catch it. Maybe there is a way to put up a fall or something like that ?

Kind regards,
Marc
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
centipede said:
Hi,

I have a centipede in my house and was wondering if someone has a suggestion how to catch it (if possible alive)

No, this is not a joke... I live in Thailand , a beautifull country with some huge centipedes. One of these creatures decided to move in into my house.

As you can imagine, I'm not very happy with my 20 cm (!!!!) long visitor. Right now, it is locked into my "stock room" a perfect place for a centipede to hide. It is very difficult to take everything out, especially since everyone is scared to death

So the question is how to catch it. Maybe there is a way to put up a fall or something like that ?

Kind regards,
Marc

centipedes can not climb smooth surfaces

maybe if you put some large bowls with water in them, then heat the room the centipede will be driven towards the water.

centipedes are sensitive to water loss, MUCH more so than scorpions or tarantulas

edit:

good luck, your country has BEAUTIFUL animals!
 

centipede

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
13
thirsty centipede

Thanks for the tip ! Do you have any idea how long it will take before the centipede becomes thirsty ? Heating the room is no option as we don't need heaters in Thailand {D
 

324r350

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 20, 2005
Messages
187
centipede said:
Thanks for the tip ! Do you have any idea how long it will take before the centipede becomes thirsty ? Heating the room is no option as we don't need heaters in Thailand {D
It cant be too hard to capture it. Just try dropping a bucket over it and getting a piece of cardboard under the bucket. If you have a large, glass container, the centipede will not be ablt to escape. A man with no centipede experience captured a 9" centipede in the UK no problem at all.
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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Messages
8,325
centipede said:
Thanks for the tip ! Do you have any idea how long it will take before the centipede becomes thirsty ? Heating the room is no option as we don't need heaters in Thailand {D
hmm, if Thailand is relatively tropical, which i think it is, it might take a while.

i really couldn't give a good estimate.

a larger centipede might be able to last weeks without water, in a tropical environment... but if there are other bugs for the centipede to eat it will take a LONG time. Or it is possible for the centipede to get all the water it needs from the prey it is eating

you might be able to find an inexpensive room heater. it is a small device for heating only a single room.
 

centipede

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
13
Thanks for the replies.

Unfortunately, I see some problems....

Putting a box over the centipede seems logic, but the problem is that we don't see her... She (he ?) is now in a store room, with a lot of places to hide.

Then, we have a problem with water. Last week, we had the heaviest rainfall in many years (31 cm in one day !!! see also http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=samui&btnG=Search+News ) We even had some water in the house - everything is cleaned up of course, but it's still very humid, (there are some carton boxes there which are not completely dried up)

Also, the heater is simply not for sale : average temperature here is 30 degrees Celcius, so selling heaters is asking for bancrupty.

I made some research on the net, and concluded that my new pet is probably a Giant Vietnamese Centipede. Anyone knows how dangerous this one is ? I have a kid of 4 living here, so I don't feel very comfortable. It's not the first time we have a centipede in the house, but I have never seen one like this.

Best regards,
Marc
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
Joined
Jan 5, 2005
Messages
8,325
centipede said:
Thanks for the replies.

Unfortunately, I see some problems....

Putting a box over the centipede seems logic, but the problem is that we don't see her... She (he ?) is now in a store room, with a lot of places to hide.

Then, we have a problem with water. Last week, we had the heaviest rainfall in many years (31 cm in one day !!! see also http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=samui&btnG=Search+News ) We even had some water in the house - everything is cleaned up of course, but it's still very humid, (there are some carton boxes there which are not completely dried up)

Also, the heater is simply not for sale : average temperature here is 30 degrees Celcius, so selling heaters is asking for bancrupty.

I made some research on the net, and concluded that my new pet is probably a Giant Vietnamese Centipede. Anyone knows how dangerous this one is ? I have a kid of 4 living here, so I don't feel very comfortable. It's not the first time we have a centipede in the house, but I have never seen one like this.

Best regards,
Marc
centipedes are not generally considered lethal/deadly

there is only one recorded instance of death, a Scolopendra subspinipes bit a little Filipino girl on the head.

Giant Vietnamese centipede = Scolopendra subspinipes

subspinipes have some of the most painful bites of all the centipedes

i hold all kinds of centipedes, but never held my ~17cm Giant Vietnamese, for fear of it's hellbite.

sorry for the bad news :(

centipede said:
Also, the heater is simply not for sale : average temperature here is 30 degrees Celcius, so selling heaters is asking for bancrupty.
this reminds me of the saying "selling snow to eskimos"
 

danread

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
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Messages
1,717
Hi Marc,

try putting a roll of damp cardboard/carpet on the floor. This should provide a nice hiding place for the pede, which it will hopefully stay in. Maybe baiting the hide with a bit of meat or a dead insect (you should have plenty of large insects available in Thailand, right?). You can then check the hide for the pede periodically, and if you want to try and save it, catch it with a bucket, or if you really are worried about it, smash it with a shoe!

Cheers,
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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Messages
8,325
you could try leaving some dead bugs or a piece of meat in a cigar box with a small hole cut in it. hopefully the centipede will get hungry and wander in and stay for a while.

oh!

i have heard snake people leave strips of tape, sticky side up around where they think their snake is. this would probably end up ripping some of the legs off the centipede if you eventually caught it.... and taking it off of the tape would be VERY exciting and sort of dangerous...

actually, maybe that's not a very good idea
 

centipede

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
13
Oops, me again...

Probably this is not a good question on a site for centipede lovers, but I take the risk :)

Does someone know how long it takes the centepide will die if I keep locking her up ?

I know, this is really not the best solution, but maybe there is no other choise. My centipede is really an impressive animal (it's a pity I could not take a pic, you should love it ), but on the other hand, it's really a bit too dangerous to stay in my house (in fact it's the only animal in Thailand which scares me as it has no fear to attack. Snakes, even cobra's are not a big problem for me, but this one ...brrrrrrr...)

Best regards,
Marc
 

324r350

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 20, 2005
Messages
187
centipede said:
Oops, me again...

Probably this is not a good question on a site for centipede lovers, but I take the risk :)

Does someone know how long it takes the centepide will die if I keep locking her up ?

I know, this is really not the best solution, but maybe there is no other choise. My centipede is really an impressive animal (it's a pity I could not take a pic, you should love it ), but on the other hand, it's really a bit too dangerous to stay in my house (in fact it's the only animal in Thailand which scares me as it has no fear to attack. Snakes, even cobra's are not a big problem for me, but this one ...brrrrrrr...)

Best regards,
Marc
it depends if the centipede is killed by lack of food or moisture
A centipede can live an extraordinary long time without food (several weeks, perhaps even a month)
if it is super dry, it could be dead in days

watch out for the vietnamese
almost all of the bite reports of ones of that size end in hospitalization
its certainly high on the list of centipedes not to get bitten by

the chances of you locking it up are very minimal
they can escape many situations with ease (im sure youd like that though)
 

centipede

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
13
I think I like this idea about the damp carpet ! Bugs are not a problem, I just wonder if the centipede likes them fried (fried insects are here a delicacy for people from the Northeast ) But do you think the centipede will eat dead meat ? After all it's a predator...

Cacoseraph, if the trick with the tape works, if will send it to you ;-) Im just curious to find out what will happen if the customs open the package ;-)

Best regards,
Marc
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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Messages
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324r350 said:
it depends if the centipede is killed by lack of food or moisture
A centipede can live an extraordinary long time without food (several weeks, perhaps even a month)
if it is super dry, it could be dead in days

watch out for the vietnamese
almost all of the bite reports of ones of that size end in hospitalization
its certainly high on the list of centipedes not to get bitten by

the chances of you locking it up are very minimal
they can escape many situations with ease (im sure youd like that though)
i'd just like to point out, for Marc's ease of mind (sort of), that the people typically go the hospital because it hurts badly, not because they are dying :)
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
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centipede said:
I think I like this idea about the damp carpet ! Bugs are not a problem, I just wonder if the centipede likes them fried (fried insects are here a delicacy for people from the Northeast ) But do you think the centipede will eat dead meat ? After all it's a predator...

Cacoseraph, if the trick with the tape works, if will send it to you ;-) Im just curious to find out what will happen if the customs open the package ;-)

Best regards,
Marc
if customs opens a live bug intercountry/intercontinental package we could both go to prison :)

some countries treat bug smugglers like they do elephant poachers... :eek:
 

centipede

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
13
cacoseraph said:
if customs opens a live bug intercountry/intercontinental package we could both go to prison :)

some countries treat bug smugglers like they do elephant poachers... :eek:

You go, not me ;P I live in Thailand you know, we simply buy the law :D


Cheers,
Marc
 

cacoseraph

ArachnoGod
Old Timer
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centipede said:
You go, not me ;P I live in Thailand you know, we simply buy the law :D


Cheers,
Marc
hmm, i just read US prisons are allowing more and more internet access... might be worth it ;P
 

bistrobob85

Arachnoprince
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Do they also allow girlfriends, club sandwiches and 'pedes?!?! If they do, then i'm in for a nice crime soon enough :)!!!!
 

8 leg wonder

Arachnoangel
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danread said:
Hi Marc,

try putting a roll of damp cardboard/carpet on the floor. This should provide a nice hiding place for the pede, which it will hopefully stay in. Maybe baiting the hide with a bit of meat or a dead insect (you should have plenty of large insects available in Thailand, right?). You can then check the hide for the pede periodically, and if you want to try and save it, catch it with a bucket, or if you really are worried about it, smash it with a shoe!

Cheers,

Dans method seesms to have the most potential for success, you should give it a try and post your results
 

centipede

Arachnopeon
Joined
Dec 1, 2005
Messages
13
bistrobob85 said:
Do they also allow girlfriends, club sandwiches and 'pedes?!?! If they do, then i'm in for a nice crime soon enough :)!!!!
You should think about a Thai prison : all kind of bugs are included in the price {D

The trap is set up. I hope to post soon a nice picture of my lovely new friend.
 

324r350

Arachnoknight
Old Timer
Joined
Aug 20, 2005
Messages
187
cacoseraph said:
hmm, i just read US prisons are allowing more and more internet access... might be worth it ;P
if you knew a bit more about the nature of the internet access, you might not be so interested
My father is the director of the Montgomery County department of corrections.
The url filter has a list of allowed websites, not restricted ones.
Any message board or communications software is completely restricted (for obvious reasons)
the small content allowed is educational in nature, and limited to certain time periods of the day
i tried using one of the computer when i got to tour one of the new jails before it got put it use, and the lack of the ability to change the display refresh (60) was really bugging me and killing my eyes
suffice to say, any er, recreational media is out of the question
 
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