What Is This Bug?
October 15, 2006 10:14 AM   Subscribe

what is this bug?

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it is in my kitchen, freakin out my gf
posted by forallmankind to Science & Nature (20 answers total)
 
Best answer: That's a house centipede, which we (knock on wood) don't seem to suffer from up here in the PNW.
posted by maxwelton at 10:17 AM on October 15, 2006 [1 favorite]


It's one of those house milipedes. I don't know the scientific name but my boyfriend killed one twice as big as yours in our hallway last night. They come out a lot when it rains or when it gets cold outside, and live mostly in the basement. So says the exterminator.
posted by np312 at 10:17 AM on October 15, 2006


er, centipede.
posted by np312 at 10:17 AM on October 15, 2006


We have a lot of these in our house, for whatever reason. That picture doesn't convey the true horror of these little buggers. They are the fastest little monsters, scurrying all over the walls when it is dark. We've taken some pictures of the biggest ones we've seen, just to scare people back home where these don't seem to live.

This is the winner so far.

posted by i_am_a_Jedi at 10:46 AM on October 15, 2006


Response by poster: i_am_a_Jedi: that's certainly fatter than any I've seen.

However, I do have plenty spiders too, and am somewhat comforted by the article maxwelton links to which says these little buggers eat those other little buggers which persist in filling my apartment with cobwebs. So: the lesser of two evils, perhaps.
posted by forallmankind at 10:53 AM on October 15, 2006


The Internet really scares me off from leaving England, you know. Everywhere else seems to have massive, scary disgusting insects running around the place. Especially Australia and America.
posted by reklaw at 11:00 AM on October 15, 2006


don't seem to suffer from up here in the PNW

My mom & sister had one at their house in Portland. Just one, though, and never found any more, which I guess is a good sign. I've never seen them in Seattle.
posted by librarina at 11:06 AM on October 15, 2006


Argh. These motherfuckers are in my apartment everytime the weather changes. I thought they were silverfish. They get really big. Yeek.
posted by ao4047 at 11:14 AM on October 15, 2006


You've already got your answer, but if you'd like to avoid centipedes/millipedes/${x}pedes, never ever move to Pennsylvania. I've found 15-or-so (all in my bathroom) so far in the last two months. The area near the Susquehanna River is essentially crawling with horrifying insect breeds, many are much worse than even these.

(cicadas aren't really that disgusting, they're just louder than an airplane taking off)
posted by synaesthetichaze at 11:22 AM on October 15, 2006


Would just like to point out that House Centipedes are predators--meaning they eat a lot of the other creepy crawlies in your apartment/basement/house. So, if you can get over their looks, they're a good thing to have around...
posted by gavia at 11:26 AM on October 15, 2006


Until they get hungry and eat your face.
posted by Justinian at 11:35 AM on October 15, 2006


Response by poster: Justinian: shut up!
posted by forallmankind at 12:12 PM on October 15, 2006


For future reference: What's That Bug? is always a great site to check for all your insect identification needs.
posted by IvyMike at 12:51 PM on October 15, 2006


When I moved to Lancaster, PA, I saw my first centipede. After that first one, I saw many, many (many, many, many, many) more. They are the most disgusting bug on earth, imho.

Also, they are impossible to kill. Not only are they fast, they can sustain heavy, heavy squishing and somehow pop themselves back up and keep running.

I used one of those lint rollers, aimed it at them and caught them in the sticky paper. Worked like a charm.
posted by necessitas at 1:35 PM on October 15, 2006


I've never seen them in Seattle.

I've seen 2 or 3 in my apartments over the years. They're always on the windowsill, so I guess they don't get very far after getting in. Or else they're trying to get out for some reason.
posted by sevenless at 1:41 PM on October 15, 2006


sevenless: I did not need to hear this. I was all happy knowing that, as a Seattleite, I would never see one of these. And now you've ruined my day!
posted by litlnemo at 3:33 PM on October 15, 2006


Mein gott! Das ist scary!
posted by oxford blue at 5:00 PM on October 15, 2006


Here in Pittsburgh we've got them showing up in the kitchen sink, on the walls, along the baseboards, all year round. Just smashed one last night on the bedroom baseboard. I know that a shriek from my wife means either a centipede or a spider, and I'd better find a solid shoe and warm up my swinging arm.
posted by booth at 7:07 PM on October 15, 2006


We have these in our basement, too (DC area). They creep me out, but according to the What's That Bug folks, they don't usually bite/sting/eat your face the way regular centipedes do, if that's any consolation.
posted by somanyamys at 7:14 AM on October 16, 2006


We used to find one a day in our apartment in Philadelphia.

Now it's more like one a month or so (in a Philly suburb). Words cannot adequately express how creepy it is when their legs continue to quiver and shake and walk around for thirty seconds after you've squashed them. Even legs that have become disconnected from the body.
posted by dmd at 9:48 AM on October 16, 2006


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