TIP: Moving your pede?

invertepet

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 4, 2002
Messages
608
I came across this technique when taking some of the centipede pictures over the last few days. Helps when you're just not sure HOW to get your evil, leaping pet from point A to point B.

For starters, never open a small pede container anywhere but in a bathtub or a large plastic tub. Centipedes like to burst out of any given container, something I've learned FAST in having several shipped to me in recent weeks. If you keep your pede in a tall jar and know for a fact it can't vault out on you, then it should be OK.

In removing the pede, I find either gently picking it up with tongs (LONG and NOT made of wood, otherwise it will be up them in a flash) or dumping it out into the larger tub. Be sure your tub is big enough (like the huge ones you keep clothes in) that the centipede can't scale it or leap out.

Now the tricky part. How to get it back into the jar or container from the tub? Rather than wrestling with tongs, I find medium to slightly large centipedes respond to having a big clump of moist paper towel dangled or held in front of them. Almost every time, my pedes will climb up into the damp towel. Then, using tongs, just plop the towel into the container (quickly), shake the pede out and you're done.

It works! :)

bill
 

petitegreeneyes

Arachnoprince
Old Timer
Joined
Sep 26, 2002
Messages
1,113
Hi Bill,
Are you saying that almost all big pedes will leap out when you first receive them and go to put them into their home? Can't you just put their dish into a bigger cage and take the lid off then? Just trying to figure out best way for when I get some bigger ones.
Becky
 

invertepet

Arachnolord
Old Timer
Joined
Oct 4, 2002
Messages
608
When depositing a pede, you can certainly shake the cup out (carefully) into a big tank, but when transferring into not-so-big containers or trying to get the centipede INTO a mobile container from a big tub or aquarium, the moist paper towel comes in handy.

USE TONGS!

bill
 
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