here today

 

a hundred legs

why does a bug need a hundred legs? According to the two thousand sites I've visited so far this morning, it's so they can run quickly across the ceiling and hide in a dark corner until I'm asleep and then crawl into the bed and bite me with venomous fangs.

The house centipede, unlike most other centipedes that normally live outdoors, can live indoors especially in damp, moist basements, cellars, bathrooms, crawlspaces or unexcavated areas under the house. They are sometimes seen running rapidly across the floor with great speed, stopping suddenly to remain motionless and then resuming fast movements, occasionally directly toward the homeowner in an attempt to conceal themselves in their clothing. They have a "fearful" appearance but cause no damage to the structure, household possessions or foods. Some can bite when handled carelessly, resulting in a slight swelling or pain no worse than a mild bee sting.

We found a centipede in the closet this morning. A centipede looks like a cockroach but scarier, if you can imagine. It moves very fast and it is long and slippery looking and has venomous fangs. Venomous Fangs. (The first pair of legs is modified into poisonous jaws located below the mouth.)

So, this morning. 5am. I trapped the centipede on the wall of the closet under a very large jar. First I tried a medium jar but IT WASN'T BIG ENOUGH TO CONTAIN THE ANTENNAE (and the fangs). I climbed up on the ladder and trapped it under the jar and then realized I was stuck. And that the thing was really big. So I did what any sane person would do. Yelled hysterically for Ben, who was sleeping ten feet away.

Brave Ben. Wonderful Ben.

Carried the creature across the street to the park. In his boxers. Still asleep, I think. Set it out on the fence and then watched it crawl away. I love Ben.

I have since learned a few terrifying facts:

1. This is a house centipede. Made to live in a house. It will probably turn around, cross the street, keeping it's enormous antennae out to save it from getting smushed by a car, and come right back inside. Probably straight to the bed this time.

2. They travel in pairs. They have mates. There is at least one more centipede in my house somewhere. Probably in the bed.

3. They live for six years. Six Years. In other words, if I don't hunt down the mate, I won't sleep until 2010.

4. They hunt at night.

Here are subject lines from a few of the emails I've sent to Ben so far today:

it's a venomous creature!!! and it lays eggs!! we should check the basement.

they sting! they have venomous jaws!!

Reading this post, you may think that I am a pansy-ass. I am not. To prove it, here is a list of things I have either killed or seen killed or disposed of after some other animal has killed:

1. Cockroaches (I lived in New York)

2. Ants, spiders, general bugs

3. Mice (killed by cat and brought inside)

4. Bird (again, killed by cat and brought inside)

5. Rat (found dead in the schoolyard where I was teaching)

6. Squirrel (dog killed it in the park)

7. Fox (Ben ran over it in his car. By accident)

8. Rattlesnake (found dead in desert outside L.A.)*

* my sister once killed a rattlesnake with a shovel. my sister weighs about a hundred pounds but don't get on her bad side.

Posted by: 120pages at 10:07 | link | comments (2) |