I'll tell you what cockroaches DON'T like...

[monster]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

it's a centipede. nasty, messy to squoosh, they can jump, and they run fast.

So I was going to contradict you, but apparently here there are three different insects commonly called centipede and that one is a "house centipede". what i know as a centipede is a "garden centipede"

[kerosene]

That freaky thing LJ put up there gives me nightmares. 12 years ago, I lived in a very old apartment whose bathroom had these coming out the vent. I had to go across the hall to get my neighbor to kill them for me they scared me so much. For some reason spiders don't do much for me, though. While some people find the need to shriek and in my stepdaughter's case, bring her feet up stomping on the dashboard while I am driving the vehicle, I am not afraid of the spiders. Just wrecks.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by lumberjim

it's a centipede. nasty, messy to squoosh, they can jump, and they run fast.

House Centipede

The house centipede, Scutigera coleoptrata, is the only species capable of reproducing in homes and is often seen in and around homes where dampness occurs. The house centipede is active at night, moving about in search of cockroaches and other insects. Although centipedes rarely bite, are seldom dangerous and are beneficial because they destroy other insects, most people have an aversion to their presence inside their homes.

[lumberjim]

they're like big bushy old man eyebrows running up the wall, though.....

fuck that noise

[TheMercenary]

Another tid bit on the house centipede;

Scutigera coleoptrata, or house centipedes, can be found in a variety of locations worldwide and thrive in differing environments. However, in colder months, they infest homes for warmth and protection.

House centipedes measure approximately two to four centimeters in length. Their bodies are grayish-yellow in color, with three dorsal stripes in longitude. While other centipedes have clusters of ocelli, the house centipede is the only species with compound eyes.

House centipedes have only four pairs of legs during the first of their six larval stages. At each molt, these arthropods grow more legs. Adult indoor centipedes have 15 pairs of white-banded legs that are much longer than those of other centipedes. The unusually long last pair of legs resembles a second set of antennae. In female specimens, these legs can be more than twice the length of the body.

Although the body of a house centipede is stout and contains 15 body segments, there are only seven tergites, or plates, on the upper body surface. This configuration allows house centipedes to be fast runners as well as efficient hunters. If caught by a predator, a house centipede will reflexively detach its legs, which it is capable of regenerating at a later time.

House centipedes feed on spiders, bedbugs, termites, cockroaches, silverfish and other common household pests. Although their prey is killed through an injection of venom, the bite of a house centipede rarely induces serious effects in humans.

However, a house centipede infestation can prove troubling and individuals with other known insect allergies should take precaution. Your local pest control professional can discuss extermination options with you.

[capnhowdy]

Cockroaches love meteorologists. Not funny haha... funny queer.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nD6ME346RBo

[Shawnee123]

If caught by a predator, a house centipede will reflexively detach its legs, which it is capable of regenerating at a later time.

Awww, Merc...that makes me want to vomit, or detach something. *shudder*

[Aliantha]

lizards detach their tails. That's grosser if you ask me.

[DanaC]

Wonder what that feels like for the lizard. When it sheds its tail. Often wondered that.


Disturbs the hell out of me the whole shedding limbs thing. Soo alien. Dropping the little legs also has creep out factor bigstyle. *suppreses a slight shudder*

[Aliantha]

probably feels a bit shorter...

[Clodfobble]

And off-balance, like when you cut your hair from really long to really short.

[Pooka]

To set the record straight... we have only had 2 roaches make their way into our house since we bought it 3 1/2 years ago... we see them outside during a good rain... and I'm sure that's how it made its way in... I was needless to say... horrified... in Texas if you live near trees or water... you have em... doesn't matter how clean you are.

[Glinda]

Originally Posted by Pooka

To set the record straight... we have only had 2 roaches make their way into our house since we bought it 3 1/2 years ago... we see them outside during a good rain... and I'm sure that's how it made its way in... I was needless to say... horrified...

I haven't seen a roach since I moved here five years ago. Probably gets too cold in the Pacific Northwest for them.

Originally Posted by Pooka

in Texas if you live near trees or water... you have em... doesn't matter how clean you are.

One of the (many) reasons I'll never live in Texas again.

[capnhowdy]

Stay away from Georgia palmettos if you can't stand roaches. They own the domain. And will make you aware of it, too. If one gets up on a wall, use a long weapon to oust him. He will almost surely fly right in your face. Bestids.

[TheMercenary]

Originally Posted by capnhowdy

Stay away from Georgia palmettos if you can't stand roaches. They own the domain. And will make you aware of it, too. If one gets up on a wall, use a long weapon to oust him. He will almost surely fly right in your face. Bestids.

Yea, we keep a whole host of Gekos around, that does a damm good job around our place. And we are 5 miles from the ocean, 150 yards from a major tidal river.