My centipede is behaving strangely

[Solar Dart]

For the last couple days I've noticed that one of my vietnamese centipedes is acting strange. It looks as if he is trying to scratch his head with his legs.
I know sometimes they clean their antenea in their mouths, but this is something different. It looks like he's scratching his head, lol.
What does this mean? Is he trying to moult or what?

 

[MrDeranged]

I've never seen behavior like that in any of my pedes. Maybe someone else has.... Keep us informed....

Scott

 

[Wade]

I'd look out for mites. They tend to accumulate on the head and first few segments, as these areas are the hardest for the pede to groom. They give the pede a kind of dusted, dirty appearence.

Wade

 

[Alonso99]

hmm

Sounds like it would be a pain in the gonads and a bite tryng to clean the mites off a pede

 

[Mister Internet]

I think it would be also... I mean, they recommend an alcohol swab to get them of millis, but thats comparing apples and rabid, slobbering oranges... Maybe if you dunked a cotton ball in alcohol and tried to swab the pede from the safe end of some 12" tweezers or something....

 

[Solar Dart]

I did actually think enough to check for mites the last time he did his head-scratching. I didnt see anything, but who knows? I'll check again next time I feed him.
It would REALLY suck if this were caused by mites. I've got my entire collection in the same small area.

 

[Wade]

I don't even mess with trying to clean mites off a centipede. I go right to predatory mites, Hypoaspis miles.

Wade

 

[Solar Dart]

Behavior increases

Ok, it's been about a week and I've noticed that the centipede is usually very "figity". He continues the "head-scratching" and also seems to be biting or licking his sides and legs.
He's completely disinterested in food, and even lets crickets crawl over and under his body without trying to attack.
I've looked for mites but don't see anything...but maybe I just don't know what to look for. What SHOULD I be looking for? And if mites are the problem, what is the solution?

 

[MrDeranged]

If it is mites, the only solution I can think of is predatory (Hypoapsis) mites. There's really no safe way to remove mites manually off of a pede so that might be the only way to go. The predatory mites will eat the pest ones and then die off when their food source goes away.

If it's not mites, your pede may be coming up on a molt.

Scott

 

[Solar Dart]

Well, the centipede ended up dying. When I took the body of the cage, I noticed there were little white "flakes" on the body. Any idea what this could be?

 

[Gillian]

Originally posted by Solar Dart
Well, the centipede ended up dying. When I took the body of the cage, I noticed there were little white "flakes" on the body. Any idea what this could be?

Solar,
I'm sorry about your loss.. While I may not have any 'pedes, I can certainly identify with your loss.

Peace,
Gillian

 

[Alonso99]

My condolences, I cannot imagine what Id do if my pedes passed on.

 

[Code Monkey]

Originally posted by Alonso99
My condolences, I cannot imagine what Id do if my pedes passed on.

Um, buy another one maybe?

 

[Alonso99]

I mean as in how to preserve it