Yeep!

[persephone_kore]

I knew there was a centipede in here, but I had lost track of it. I tried not to worry about this, having read that -- much like most spiders -- this type of centipede was not terribly dangerous and was beneficial in that it ate various other insects that might wander in.

But really, having an inch-long bug ripple along the wall next to the ceiling is unsettling.

...Watching it walk out over the ceiling, toward the part over my head, occasionally twitching as if it nearly lost its grip, is perhaps worse.

As it's rather decidedly out of reach, I'm just going to try to pretend that this is why we haven't had any trouble with ants this summer. Really.

Edit: It fell off the ceiling. What kind of stupid bug falls off the ceiling?! At least it didn't land on me.

Comments

[mustafear.livejournal.com]

Haha! You are braver than I!

Note to self: Centipedes fall from ceilings.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Actually, I'm trying for resignation in lieu of panic. I killed one a few months ago, but this one has been saying pretty inaccessible. Hopefully it will either eat any bugs I don't want in the apartment, or discover there aren't any and move on to other hunting grounds.

[layrenelement.livejournal.com]

Maybe it's an elderly centipede, *scolds* You shouldn't make fun of the crippled. :p

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

It was quite agile when it wasn't upside-down!

[sreya.livejournal.com]

*shudders* Ugh, I hate centipedes. When we lived in Omaha, my bedroom was in the basement, and during the summer the things would invade the little half-bath connected to the room - sometimes practically covering the whole floor. The last summer, just as we were getting ready to move, they ventured into the actual bedroom.

I think the worst thing about them was the way they'd crunch when stepped on or captured in tissue.

[a-t-rain.livejournal.com]

I hate centipedes, too. Ick ick ick.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

I can't say I'm exactly fond of this one myself. Nor am I impressed with its good judgment.

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

...*shudder* I can cope with one. And I still yelled when it fell off the ceiling. (It was right when I looked up to check that it wasn't over my head yet. Luckily, it was not.)

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

I think some bugs stick to ceilings better than others. :D All the same, I'd rather they NOT fall on me. I get the occasional millipede trundling under the back door, along with earwigs, click beetles, and oh yes, spiders of every variety. The only type I don't evict are the cobby-bodied black hunting spiders - they don't spin webs, but ceaselessly patrol for bugs AND they eat venomous spiders like hobo, brown recluse, and house spiders. They don't (or can't) bite humans and aren't aggressive, so I let them do their thing whenever possible. :)

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

I think some bugs stick to ceilings better than others. :D All the same, I'd rather they NOT fall on me.

Indeed. I would prefer that if they want to test the limits of their coordination or stickiness, they do it somewhere else.

I'm not sure I'm familiar with the type of spider you're talking about, but they do sound like a good kind to have around.

If I could catch the centipede, I'd probably get rid of it. As I haven't been able to, however, I'm comforting myself with the idea that it would eat other... visitors.

Phidippus audax

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

Also called the 'daring jumping spider'. Took me awhile to dredge enough details out of my memory of an NPR program to finally look the critter up. Cool photos here: http://www.cirrusimage.com/spider_bold_jumping.htm and nice descriptions. Note, the real spider herself isn't big - about 1 cm. on average. The biggest I've seen wandering on patrol was close to an inch long, legs included.

Re: Phidippus audax

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

...HAH! I think that top picture showed up on CuteOverload one day, much to the distress of several members.

Re: Phidippus audax

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

Hee-hee, yeah I guess if you're expecting a fluffy kitten or puppy and instead get a many-eyed, green celiceraed spider staring at you larger than life, it might be a tad distressing. :D And she IS cute, in a hairy-spider sort of way... ^__^

I've got black widows living in the yard in places, and once I found a few trying to make a nest in an unused corner of a bookcase. *THAT* did not amuse me. I want them living outside, kthx.

Re: Phidippus audax

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

Yeep. Those are NOT good houseguests.

I will admit that I deliberately introduced several thousand flying venomous critters into my parents' backyard, but while we would prefer the bees to stay outdoors, they're really quite well behaved.

[jesidres.livejournal.com]

*sportfle*

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

*looks at your icon* Yeah, kind of like that. ;)

[deralte.livejournal.com]

This is when you start practising your aim *grin* (Centipedes are seriously deadly here in Japan... they're also about six inches long and come in pairs...)

[persephone-kore.livejournal.com]

...Gah. *does not come to visit*

This one is about one inch long and so far appears to be operating alone.

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

Ugh, where in Japan are you?? Remind me not to visit that spot. :D

[deralte.livejournal.com]

*L* They're pretty much everywhere here. Good luck;)

[murasaki99.livejournal.com]

Gack! A 5-inch centipede makes the local 1-inch millipedes look puny. I don't think our 'pedes are prone to bite, either. What about Honshu up north? Cold weather...

Of course here we've got earwigs, some of whom are bold explorers. Found one clinging to my bath-soap once. :0

[deralte.livejournal.com]

Uh, there might be less up in Hokkaido and northern Honshu. I'm not really sure. There's cockroaches everywhere though. And some of them fly... At least none of the spiders are poisonous here.

Where I grew up in NJ, it was mostly ants, though I remember sitting on an earwig once.