Every spring a house centipede shows up in my kitchen. Five years ago I would scream if one surprised me and kill it if I could. Things are different now.
In 2012 they freaked me out so much that I wrote about them. In the process I learned that they’re the beneficial owls of the bug world who chase down and eat small bugs at night.
Last week I learned just how much my attitude has changed.
A huge house centipede scampered across the kitchen floor and hid under my cat’s belly fur! When she stood up it ran again and crawled into a baseboard crack. I did not scream. I did not kill it. My reaction was: Stay out of sight and eat those silverfish!
Read more about house centipedes in this vintage article and you, too, might stop saying “Ewwww.”
(photo from Wikimedia Commons;click on the image to see the original)
I was thinking that they will sting ; or is that millipedes ?
Linda, in my experience house centipedes don’t sting.
Well, this post was timely. I awoke this morning to see a centipede near the ceiling on the wall next to my bed. I have rrrreally disliked them since I first saw one as a kid.. it showed up while I was watching tv at night. The little lamp on the tv made it have the most giant, terrifying shadow! I let it be this morning because it was too high to reach, intending to carry out its demise once I could get to it. Then I read your blog over breakfast. Sigh. I’m going to spare it.. mostly because of your words, but partly because it wasn’t very big! So, you saved one small, leggy life today!
Jennifer, what a good story. I hope your centipede eats lots of bugs for you. If only they would eat stinkbugs!
I really got a kick out of your post and learned something in the process.
I have watched my male cat calmly watch a bug walk right past his nose. I blamed the lack of the thrill of the hunt on him being a male. It appears from your post, female’s
don’t differ a whole lot. We spend big $ on cat toys while our cats have no interest in a real live cat toy. You got to love those little characters thought processes.
My cat, Goofy thinks they’re delish! Spiders too.
Nothing like watching your cat stroll around with a centipede dangling from her mouth, with all those legs kicking. Then she lets it go so she can chase it some more. Fun!
Although I find them creepy, I try not to kill these multi-legged bugs, but sometimes it just can’t be helped. I turned on the shower and waited for the water to heat up. As I went to step in, I saw one going down the drain. Never dawned on me to check or I would have moved it to another location. BTW, my cats love to “play” with them. Sheesh!