pede eats brownies

[Emily Clark]

I don't know if any of you would even remember me. I posted several questions about house centipedes last summer when I was doing a culture project for my zoology class. Everyone who responded to my questions was VERY helpful! Thanks so much.

Well, now I don't keep the little creepy critters in rubermaids anymore (and they still creep me out) (I should mention I am not usually creeped out by critters), but they are still around the house. And, now that it is warming up, they are coming out more. Yesterday, I went into the kitchen in the middle of the night and when I switched on the light, there was the biggest house centipede I've ever seen on the stove EATING A CHOCOLATE BROWNIE CRUMB!

Why would it be doing this?? Aren't they strict carnivores?

 

[invertepet]

Cute story!

Well, there are a number of possibilities. One being that the centipede was attracted to animal product in the brownies (butter, lard, eggs, etc). Another possibility is that the brownies were moist and the pede was going for the moisture.

BTW, where do you live? How big was the centipede?

bill

 

[Mister Internet]

another possibility could be that it ws eating ants that might have been around the brownie crumb?

 

[Emily Clark]

I guess it would likely be explained by one of those two theories. Although I haven't seen any ants... we do have some of those tiny gnats that live in the soil of houseplants, so maybe if one of those landed there, and the pede was in the right place at the right time...

I live in Denver, CO. It is very dry here, but we live in an old house with a basement, so I suspect that's where they have been having their babies for many, many years.

This one had to be about 2 inches long (body) plus all its freakish legs add to its percieved size. I've read they only get up to 2 inches in body length, so this one had to be as big as they come. Next time, I'll try to find the digital camera.

Emily

 

[invertepet]

Do we get brownies sent to us for proffering our theories? I'm hungry!

bill

 

[Drake Dracoli]

You'd better not have killed the centipede. You should thank it for cleaning up after you. I don't know why humans always get so upset when an insect is eating crumbs/leftovers on the floor. (I know this probably didn't upset you, but I'm talking about other people.) Centipedes need to eat too!

 

[Emily Clark]

I can't kill anything that big - no matter how much I don't want to share my kitchen with it. Just the thought of the squish factor makes my stomach lurch. Besides, this pede was a bit intimidating... usually the smaller ones will run like crazy when you switch on the light or get near them, but this one didn't give a damn.

I have to say, I lived in a roach infested apartment several years ago, and I do not share your sentiment about letting critters live. I have to confess (and to this group, this is hard to say...) I would like to kill all the house centipedes in my house once and for all, but , 1) Iim sure any attempt to eradicate their population would be futile, and 2) I know they are not dirty or dangerous and they DO eat other critters... so I don't bother. But MAN! they creep me out.

-Emily

 

[Drake Dracoli]

I would like to kill all the house centipedes in my house once and for all

Bwahahahahaha!!!! Insects are among the most resiliant lifeforms in the entire universe! You can never destroy the centipedes, even if you despised them. What makes you think they would let you do that?

 

[Arachnopuppy]

Imagine yourself living in the land of the giants. You're hungry and you notice that your habitat's been destroyed and replaced with gigantic structures that these giants live in. You smell food and so you follow your nose. Then, you notice pieces of food right ahead of you, which makes you wonder. You have noticed many times before that these giants only eat their food off of huge rectangular structures with 4 legs. But there is no time for that. You are hungry. You approach the food and you begin to eat them. Suddenly, you notice very loud footsteps coming toward you. You look up and you see one of the giants standing there looking at you with_______ in its hands. What would you prefer to see in its hands more and what would you like to happen next more?

Option 1: The giant has a huge solid object in its hands and it falls on you. Next thing you know, you are in buggy heaven.

Option 2: The giant has a huge transparent and hollow object in its hands and it comes down on you, swallowing you whole. All you can see now are blurry images. You feel like you are ascending and seem to be moving. Next thing you know, the huge hollow object opens up and you are free, apparently outside of the enormous structure that you went in for the food.

Sure, it takes a couple seconds more out of your life to catch the bug and bring it outside than simply squish the bug to death. Perhaps you will never get any reward for saving a bug's life. Perhaps you will never see that bug again to hear it say "thank you" after you released it. Hm... I can't end this. Anyone want to help me?

 

[Wade]

In the case of the house centipedes, we certainly haven't displaced them from their natural habitat. We CREATED their habitat...these centipedes are intoduced and not native to North America and live wherever humans live. Global hitchhikers, just like the cockroaches they prey on. In much of NA outdoors is going to be too cold for these pedes and they're just going to look for an indoor enviroment again.

Eliminating the prey insects and drying out damp areas is probably the best way to convince the pedes to move elsewhere. I would never spray, but I have found that the cockroach bait stations to be very effective. The Combat brand "superbait" works the best IMO. Get the one in the metalic gold box that costs more than the other ones, but it's worth it.

Wade

 

[Emily Clark]

I knew I shouldn't have admitted my centipede death wish to this group...

Very creative story, BTW, about life from their perspective.

OKAY... I have to clarify that I really do like insects and inverts... I was even considering getting my degree in entomology (until I realized my only job opportunities would probably be in pest control). And I am the one who jumps up and yells, "Just let the spider go outside - don't kill it!"

BUT.. I still reserve the right to not like some critters, and to not want to live with them. Squishing these guys is not a solution to that problem, they are too numerous and intimidating. Plus I'm fully aware that invertibrates rule the world.
-Emily

 

[Drake Dracoli]

Just not liking them is fine. I can assure you that the centipedes probably don't like you much either. Just try not to become like all the other people, and hold twenty cans of raid in your pantry.

 

[Mister Internet]

Well Drake... you're probably not going to expect to hear this from me, but she has a point... along the lines of what Wade said, House Centipedes are really not able to survive in the wild year-round... they depend on our houses and buildings for shelter and warmth. If we do take them outside, they will come back in ours or someone else's house. It is really a toss-up in my mind... if the species is non-native, it basically is a pest. Granted, they are cool, but they are just bugs... there's not a lot of need to get all bleeding-heart. I feel the same with house spiders... if I let them go outside, they will die from predation or the elements, and I'm certainly not going to just let them overrun my house.... so I kill them.

I'm not naive enough to think that simply letting a house spider go outside is supposed to give me warm fuzzies and a sense of accomplishment... the fact is, I'm killing it anyway by letting it go outside, so why not just dispatch it and be done with it?

 

[Botar]

Originally posted by Emily Clark
I was even considering getting my degree in entomology (until I realized my only job opportunities would probably be in pest control).

-Emily

Many times entomologists are called upon during homocide investigations. They determine the stage of development of the insect to try and pin down a time of death.

Personally, I find collecting maggots off a corpse a little less pleasing than squishing a bug. One of the many reasons I didn't take the "detective" route in my career. I prefer my law enforcement in the "hands on" field.

Along the lines of the house centipede, are they the ones that have the "feathery" appearance someone posted about a while back?

Botar

 

[Emily Clark]

The forensic entomology aspect to crime investigation is VERY cool. But you are right, you have to have the stomach for it, and I do not. I'm going into Environmental Law and Policy.

Yes, the house centipede was mentioned and pictured in a recent post titled "what on gods green earth is this?"

-Emily

 

[Drake Dracoli]

Nah; I don't have a 'bleeding heart' when it comes to bugs. I just don't like it when people are excessivly cruel to them, like when ten year old kids think it's fun to go outside kicking over anthills and squashing everything they see.

 

[Wade]

Originally posted by Mister Internet

I'm not naive enough to think that simply letting a house spider go outside is supposed to give me warm fuzzies and a sense of accomplishment... the fact is, I'm killing it anyway by letting it go outside, so why not just dispatch it and be done with it?

I'm no bleeding heart, but house spiders rule. They are my first and best line of defense against pest insects. They pick off all escaped crickets and cockroaches, as well as meal moths, phorid flies, fungus gnats, you name it. Without them, my house would be overrun with nasties.

I pretty much let them have free reign in corners, under and behind furniture etc. If one builds it's web in an inconvienient or unsightly place, I just relocate it behind the washing machine or under the fridge.

Wade

 

[Drake Dracoli]

That's how I feel about centipedes, Wade.

 

[Lycanthrope]

I feel the same with house spiders... if I let them go outside, they will die from predation or the elements, and I'm certainly not going to just let them overrun my house.... so I kill them.

bah, i just let em live. i actually have one in my t room i feed pinheads to on feeding nights.