A little bit concerned about spring time approaching... - Paw Talk

reeB_relliM · #1 01-27-2005, 11:32 AM

For nearly 10 years now, I've lived in a building that is over 100 years old, and every year since I've lived here, only during the warmer summer months, I've had to deal with pests that are commonly known as, "million-leggers"

, ....lemme tell you people something, ...I'm a 33 year old man, and I really don't fear many things in this world, but when it comes to "million-leggers",

LOOK OUT!!! Because I'm outta there!!! I will run out of the building, full speed through peoples back yards, hurdling fences, ...you name it!!! Believe me, I'm much worse than any woman I've ever met!! It wouldn't be so bad if these things weren't so darned fast, ...by the time you turn your head to fetch a newspaper to squash him with, ...forget about it, that thing is gone, and faster than a speeding bullet! That's where I draw the line, ...I can't live with anything that runs faster than me, no way!!

I mean these things are absolutely hideous looking creatures, and they can be extremely intimidating, ...indeed very creepy!! In this area of the midwestern USA, they are commonly found in older houses, and they love warm, dark, and damp basements. In the past, I've just used a variety of pesticides which seem to work for a little while, but nevertheless as time passes, they eventually do return. The landlord has hired exterminators to spray the entire building, but the Orkin guy even said that these things move around so much that they are extremely hard, and nearly impossible to get control of. I've never have had cockroaches, ...none whatsoever (..I couldn't live with roaches, ..THERE'S JUST NO WAY!!!) No mice either, ...but I think I'd rather have mice than these creepy things.

Although I have become somewhat knowledgeable about these pests over the years, ...I know that they are carnivors, that feed on mostly on spiders and small bugs, and they are in the scorpion family, ...yes, they will/do bite (YIKES!!). "Million-leggers" don't have any interest in humans, BUT if you were to roll over on top of one while you are sleeping or something, ...they will bite you, and although not lethal, they are venomous creatures!!!

NOW, here's my biggest concern, ...obviously, with the recent addition being my 1 yr old polydactyl cat (Spook), I will not be using pesticides any longer. Now, I know that he would love nothing more than for something to come crawling out from under a base-board, so he could pounce on the little sucker, ..I can't help but worry that he could possibly get one in his mouth where he could get bitten and hit w/ venom, ....does anyone know of any cats that have been dosed by the venom of a million-legger??? If so, please advise as to what all had happened. Did it make the cat sick, or even possibly die from it??? I really need to know before spring comes, ...as April or May is usually when they first appear.

Any/all help, advise, suggestions or tips would be very much appreciated.

Thanks!
reeB

Floydian1 · #2 01-28-2005, 07:12 AM

Have you got a link to show what a million-legger is? Is it a millipede or centipede? These can give quite nasty bites, whether your cat would get bitten though is another matter, they are quite the little predators.

pihlaja · #3 01-28-2005, 08:28 AM

All right ... you said they are members of the scorpion family ... Is this what you're talking about? That's a Whip Scorpion.

Well, I just read up on them. They are not venomous but they produce a nasty gas.

Doing more research ...

---------------------------------

While the search inquiry "million leggers" led me somewhat on a wild goose chase, it did give me some insight to look into American centipedes ...

And I came up with this: the house centipede, also known as Scutigera coleoptrata.

If THAT is what you're afraid of (and if it is, I don't blame you), then you have nothing to worry about if it bites Spook. Their mild vemon is harmless to larger mammals such as cats, dogs and humans. The only thing you should worry about is if he becomes scared of them, too.

Here's a website on them made by a person that is a bit terrified of them as well.

Hope that helps!

Mygala · #4 01-28-2005, 08:42 AM

Hi reeb!

No need to panic. What you are describing is usually called a house centipede. Like all centipedes, they are predators, and they do have a poisonous sting. It is no worse than a mild bee sting. Nothing to freak out about.

In fact, I've never heard of anyone being stung by one. You'd have to try to handle it to get stung I would think. They would have practically no effect whatsoever on a cat. I can't imaging a healthy 1 yr old being in ANY danger whatsoever from one of these (or even a hundred).

They hunt around cracks in the floor and wall, I can't imagine them crawling into a bed, that's just not the kind of terrain they like.

In the house you describe, I would be much more concerned about Brown Recluse and Black Widow spiders. These spiders have a medically significant venom. The good news is, house centipedes eat these spiders. So as long as you have them, you should be free of the really bad spiders.

If you really want to get rid of these centipedes (and I'm thinking you do), there is a non-toxic way to treat for them. You could try diatomaceous earth. It works mechanically (not chemically), by scratching their exoskeleton and causing them dessicate. Its rated safe to use around animals by the EPA. As a bonus, it also works on fleas, ants, roaches, any animal with a hard exoskeleton. ..spiders too.

Here are a couple of sources I looked up for someone else:
http://www.hydromall.com/happy_grower16.html
http://www.ghorganics.com/DiatomaceousEarth.html

Hope that helps a bit..

reeB_relliM · #5 01-29-2005, 04:45 PM

Sorry 'bout the delay, ...yes, the million leggers I speak of are like this http://www.math.umd.edu/~schris/kadavy.jpg

Yikes! Nasty looking little things aren't they? Well, I'm very relieved to hear that they won't be any potential problem for Spook, my yearling polydactyl kitty, ...he should have a blast with them. Hopefully he won't react the same way I do when he sees one (lol!)

Thanks gang! This was indeed very helpfull feedback, and as always, is very much appreciated.

Thanks!
reeB

BrendaLynn · #6 02-02-2005, 05:16 PM

Now was posting that gruesome picture really necessary?

Mariah · #7 02-04-2005, 02:55 AM

AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!! its hideous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

***Jade*** · #8 02-04-2005, 03:16 AM

I HATE those things! We used to have them at my house in Ohio ... I once found the 'Grand Pubaa' on the basement wall ... he was multi-colored and bigger than any I'd ever seen and I almost brushed right up against him going up the steps. I STILL shiver at that memory.

Mygala, GREAT info on the DE. I'll have to get some, as we seem to have a silverfish problem here, no matter what I've done to combat it.

Pesticides aren't an option and that's a great alternative. Cheap too!

**kittygurl823** · #9 02-04-2005, 01:18 PM

<---- All I have to say after seeing those things picture!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am terrified of bugs as it is, mostly roaches but WOW those are scary.

reeB_relliM · #10 02-05-2005, 02:58 AM

Ooops! Sorry guys & gals, ...I wasn't thinking clearly when I'd first posted the image, ..I was only clarifying as to what species of creature it was that I had been trying to describe.

Thanks goes to the administrator who'd fixed the originally posted image to now show just the link, ..I guess that was all I really needed to do to begin with, ...sorry to anyone that may have been offended by seeing that pic, ...it only takes one time of actually seeing one of these things in motion, it's enough to scare the daylights out of anyone, ...sheesh, I ain't been the same ever since my first sighting.

Funny thing is that my girlfriend isn't scared of 'em at all, in fact, whenever I see one, I'm screaming for her to help, "Oh my god, hurry quick, ...GET HIM!!!" (lol!), ...yeah, I'm usually the one standing on a chair and screaming, not the 'ol lady.

Yeah, it's prolly a good thing that I don't ever have to face any of you people here, because you'd never hear me openly talking about it like this, ..and if so, it'd likely be a whole different version of how it all went down, "...should've seen it, the 'ol lady was standing up on the table and screaming her head off, and I had to come to the rescue and squish him" (Ha! Ha! Haaaa!)

Thanks all!
reeB