Is scolopendra dangerous for humans - what harm can millipedes do?

Good day! Recently, I recalled one moment from my childhood, when I was terribly afraid of home centipedes.

Over time, my sense of fear disappeared, and Scolopendra is still a frequent guest in homes.

Someone takes this calmly, while someone seriously fears for their health, considering millipedes a real threat. Want to know if scolopendra is dangerous for humans? How can you minimize the chances of her appearing in the house? Then start studying the article below.

Scolopendra

This armored centipede is absolutely unpleasant in appearance. During the day, she sits under the stones, and at night creeps to the surface. But even at this time, the scolopendra feels uncomfortable on the surface: it runs fussy and tries to hide.

This centipede usually does not bite, but if it runs through the body, an unpleasant burning mucus remains on the skin. Although there are aggressive representatives, mainly tropical scolopendras.

Skolopendra is a representative of millipedes, similar to a long dark brown color, sometimes with a greenish shade of a worm with a large number of legs. In Australia and South America, huge scolopendras live in purple, red and yellow. The limbs of the scolopendras are bright orange in color. Length - up to 15 cm.

The largest representative of scolopendras lives in Australia - this is a giant scolopendra, which can grow up to 30 cm. She was credited with even attacks on toads, lizards and chicks.

About 600 species of scolopendra are known. Basically, these are tropical species, which are the most toxic: from burns received from tropical scolopendras, an adult healthy person can die. In Russia, scolopendras are found only in the south, but all of them are practically harmless.

A lot of scolopendras live in the Crimea, the Mediterranean and in the Caucasus. Inhabited underground, it is more agile than on the surface: it runs along the minks of other animals or breaks its own passages with the help of numerous legs.

A scolopendra dwells underground, not only because it is more comfortable there, but because its body is devoid of any special coating and it loses moisture very quickly, which does not threaten it underground: it maintains constant humidity. All scolopendras are thermophilic; temperatures below zero degrees can simply destroy them.

In the process of hunting, the centipede relies only on its sense of touch - the main feeling for scolopendras. Their vision is poorly developed, or rather, that they are not developed at all, because they spend most of their time underground. They only distinguish between light and darkness.

The victim of the scolopendra grabs the front legs and sticks poisonous leg jaws into it. Then he begins to chew, sending pieces of food in his throat. Eating scolopendra rather slowly and for a long time.

Scolopendras are, by nature, individualists, living strictly alone. Fights between them are extremely rare, but if this happens, then the battle is not for life, but for death. Opponents cling to each other and freeze in this position until one of them dies.

Scolopendras breed in mid-spring. Parthenogenesis is very common among them, that is, when the female herself is involved in the fertilization of eggs. A few weeks later, tiny worms come out of the laid eggs, which grow very quickly.

For several days, the mother guards them, but then she crawls away, and each newly-born scolopendra begins an independent life. By the way, compared with other insects, these millipedes are real centenarians. At least in captivity they live up to 7 years.

Scolopendras are dangerous for humans, but in different species this danger manifests itself in different ways. For example, the representative of the blind scolopendras - scriptopus - cannot bite through the skin, as it has very weak jaws. But if you crush the scolopendra, its remains are very toxic. A bird that, through carelessness, eats a blind scolopendra, dies after a few hours.

California green scolopendra, if disturbed, releases a substance that irritates the skin very much. In addition, it can severely scratch the skin if it runs through the body. By the way, the ringed scolopendra, which lives on the south coast, also leaves burns in the form of small red spots.

Scolopendra cannot be called very aggressive. Defending itself, a scolopendra can bounce high and deftly move, but a burn or bite can only be obtained when you pick up the insect in your hands or the centipede itself runs into the house or tent. In the latter case, the scolopendra can not be noticed and accidentally crushed.

Scolopendra can run through the body of a person and not cause him any harm - it all depends on her own desire. Scolopendra poison is used sparingly and rarely bites. Much worse with scorching mucus that remains behind the insect.

In humans, their bites cause local swelling and pain, usually lasting 1-2 hours. If the scolopendra is large tropical species, these phenomena can last for several days. In some cases, an increase in temperature is observed, a febrile state begins.

There are no first aid measures in the event of a bite or burn with scolopendra venom. You can wipe the affected area with alcohol and apply a sterile dressing, but even if the pain begins to subside, you still need to go to the nearest hospital, as the symptoms may recur.

Is a centipede scary?

A home scolopendra, or common flycatcher, is often found in private houses and cottages, but you can also find it in a city apartment.

Due to its frightening appearance, high speed of movement and, sometimes, sudden appearance, this insect often inspires horror and fear to residents of houses and apartments.Home scolopendra - an insect is quite peaceful and not dangerous to humans.

Structure and appearance

An adult individual home scolopendra can reach 60 mm in length. Her body is painted yellowish-gray or brown with three reddish-violet or bluish stripes on the back. On the head are faceted eyes and a long, thin mustache, providing the scolopendra with excellent vision and a sense of vibration.

The trunk is divided into 15 segments, each of which has one pair of legs, so the scolopendra is sometimes called the centipede or millipede. The front pair of legs at the head itself was transformed into jaw-claws used by the insect to capture and eat prey.

The hind legs are very long, similar to a mustache, because of this feature it is sometimes difficult to determine where the insect begins and where the end.

Insect lifestyle

Domestic millipedes are predators, they are excellent hunters, eat other domestic insects, such as spiders, cockroaches, bugs and flies, for which they called them flytraps. In nature, these insects actively hunt both day and night, but in the apartment for hunting they prefer the dark.

Despite the fact that scolopendra is poisonous, it is not dangerous for people, its poison is very weak to cause significant harm to humans. They bite only in the case of self-defense, and the human skin is too thick for them to bite through.

Even if the scolopendra manages to bite through human skin, then only a slight burning sensation will be felt at the site of the bite and a swelling will appear, which passes after a few hours.

The homeland of scolopendras is the Middle East, Southern Europe and North Africa, they are found in southern Russia, Kazakhstan and Moldova.

These are thermophilic insects that prefer a humid climate. In nature, millipedes live in fallen foliage under the trees, while in houses they also prefer wet rooms - bathtubs, basements and toilets.

The cold season, even while in the home, scolopendras hide in secluded places and are not particularly active.

Control measures for domestic centipedes

Many conventional methods of controlling domestic insects are not suitable for centipedes, this is due to the peculiarities of their structure and life. Standard adhesive tapes will not hold the scolopendra, it will tear off the sticking paws and run away, and new ones will soon grow in their place.

Various baits also do not act on them, since they feed exclusively on live insects.

But still there are ways to get rid of these insects in the house:

1. general cleaning should be carried out on the site near the house: remove all old leaves, grass, climbing plants from the walls, so the scolopendra will lose its shelters, which will reduce the likelihood of its appearance in the home;
2. a small number of millipedes usually appears in a house or apartment, so you can simply kill or catch everyone, thus saving the house from their presence;
3. flycatchers usually settle where there is a lot of food for them, so getting rid of other insects in the house, you can automatically get rid of scolopendras, in search of food they will go to other places;
4. since millipedes are moisture-loving insects, you need to monitor the humidity in the home by tidying up and drying the cellars and underground, you can create an unsuitable climate for the flycatchers, and they will leave to look for more humid places;
5. Scolopendras do not enter houses through doors, but crawl into all kinds of cracks and cracks, so you need to carefully seal the holes in the floors and baseboards, putty the cracks along the windows and doors, and close the ventilation openings with mosquito nets;
6. poisons are suitable only as a last resort, when other methods of control do not help, and chemical poisonous substances for insects are used to treat rooms.

There is no urgent need to deal with scolopendra at home or on the site, these insects are not dangerous to humans and to some extent even bring benefits, people kill them most often because of personal hostility.

In some places, this insect is an endangered species and is listed in the Red Book.

Can a home trap be a danger to humans?

To some people, flytraps seem like terrible creatures that can do a lot of harm. Others argue that these are the most useful creatures of nature, and protect them. We will figure out whether the flytraps are dangerous, and what to do when they collide with them.

The flycatcher hunts small insects and other arthropods, and does it very deftly. Its diet consists of flies, midges, cockroaches, termites, two-tails, moths, silverfish, spiders and other crawling and flying trifles.

What does a millipede look and where does it live?

The adult insect has an elongated flattened body, consisting of 15 segments. For each segment, there is one pair of legs, the length of which increases from the head to the tail. The last pair of legs is so elongated that it looks more like an antennae (can be confused with the head).

Due to the large number of long thin legs, the scooter looks like a hairy or shaggy millipede.

The flytraps have good eyesight, and the speed of movement is up to 40 cm / sec. Antenna whip-like, very long. Color - yellowish-gray or brownish, three stripes go along the body. A flycatcher lives 3-7 years, growing up to 6 cm. You can distinguish an adult from a young one by the number of legs.

The millipedes that appeared from the egg have only 4 pairs. The legs become larger after each molt, ultimately reaching 15 pairs.

The range of flytraps covers the distance from Southern Europe to North Africa. On the territory of Russia, it lives in the Black Earth region, the Caucasus, the Crimea and the Volga region.

The room temperature for these predators is quite comfortable. In the house, they choose dark places: spaces under the bathroom, cellars, and continue to lead a predatory lifestyle - they catch all the insects they can find.

Are flytraps harmful

Flycatcher is a beneficial creature that exterminates many pests. In the garden, she is a real helper. Therefore, if in the warm season a flycatcher is found in the house, it is better to carefully catch it with a jar or box (not with your hands!) And take it out onto the street.

In the apartment, she does not spoil the furniture and does not touch human food. She is only interested in insects, and she is able to clean the apartment from them in a few weeks no worse than a vacuum cleaner.

The flycatcher does not tolerate any disease, does not attack humans and animals, and generally tries to stay away from all household members. Despite the fact that the insect is poisonous, her temper is peaceful. If possible, she will not enter into conflict - she will simply run away. Of course, she can try to bite, but only as a self-defense.

In southern countries, millipedes are welcome guests in gardens and fields, they are protected here, and their contribution to pest control is appreciated.

What happens if a scolopendra bites?

Most often, the flycatcher does not manage to bite through the skin, unless it is a delicate baby or very thin female skin.If she still manages to pierce the skin and inject poison, the bite feels like a sting of a bee, the symptoms also are redness, burning, itching.

For people, the flytrap venom is not dangerous, it can cause harm only with individual intolerance or an allergic reaction.

Much more dangerous are the scolopendra flycatchers - another type of millipede, with which they unknowingly sometimes confuse them. Although the bite of a scolopendra is not fatal to humans (the exception is tropical species of scolopendra), it is very painful and can cause severe swelling that does not subside for several days.

Scolopendra venom is especially dangerous for young children, it can kill a cat or other small animal.

What to do if a centipede has bitten (flytrap, millipede):

Next, you need to watch for changes in well-being. If there are disturbing symptoms (severe malaise, nausea, clouding of consciousness, vomiting) - you need to see a doctor. As a rule, nothing like this happens.

In the case of scolopendra, everything is much more serious - the result can be severe edema (if a limb is bitten, it swells completely), an increase in temperature and a sharp deterioration in well-being.

But still, in this case, it is better to immediately seek medical help, and if a child or small pet is bitten, it is imperative to seek the help of doctors.

Why are people afraid of flytraps

The fear of centipedes and the hostility of people from them is explained mainly by two facts: an aversion to their appearance and a fear that they might get into the ear.

The last statement is more related to the widespread myth of earwigs, which according to some people are able to get into the ear to a sleeping person, bite the eardrum and penetrate the brain. The flycatcher is confused with earwigs, so they are afraid as much.

It happens that small insects fall into people's ears (most often these are flies, midges or cockroaches). Under no circumstances will the flycatcher climb into the ear canal - for her there is nothing attractive and with its length of legs this is completely inconvenient.

How to get rid of them

There are not many flycatchers in a residential building, because for them this is an unusual habitat, and they will hardly breed in an apartment. Therefore, the flytraps can be easily caught and sent outside.

If you decide to get rid of the flycatchers in the apartment by radical methods, that is, destruction, you need to take into account the peculiarities of their nutrition, body structure and behavior. For example, remove sticky traps that are ineffective in the fight - an insect tears off its adhering paws and runs away. Bait for cockroaches and ants do not have an effect on them either, because flytraps are predators, they feed on live insects.

You can kill a flytrap with any solid object, boiling water or an insecticide (it is more convenient to use sprays). Any insecticides are suitable - flytraps have no resistance to them.

You can make the flytraps leave the apartment themselves. For example, if you get rid of all the insects in the apartment, they will have nothing to eat, and you will have to go in search of a more suitable place.

They love humidity, so you can often encounter them in the bathroom. If you do not allow moisture to accumulate in the bathroom and regularly ventilate it, then the flytraps here will soon become uncomfortable and they will leave.

To block access to the house to flytraps, as well as various insects, you can legislativeize all the cracks in the walls, floor and basement, as well as installing nets on the ventilation outlets.

Is scolopendra dangerous for humans?

Scolopendra is a predatory poisonous animal from the millipede family. She is known for her unusual appearance, which causes conflicting feelings in people. Most of them encounter fear and disgust.

Is scolopendra dangerous for humans? She will not be able to cause significant harm to her health, but her bite will deliver a lot of unpleasant sensations in the form of pain and malaise from the poison.

Features of the life of a poisonous millipede

Scolopendras are bright representatives of the genus of the leg-footed centipedes. Their distinguishing feature is the changed forelimbs that have turned into the jaw. The body consists of segments, the number of which in different species ranges from 21 to 25. Each segment has its own pair of legs, ending in sharp claws.

Jointed antennae serve as organs of touch. A variety of colors attracts attention to these creatures. In their paint there is red, blue, orange, purple, yellow and numerous combinations.

They choose prey equal in size to themselves. But an aggressive manner of attacking any danger can provoke a person’s bite. Skolopendra is a long-livers among invertebrates; in captivity, individuals living up to 7 years are found. Scientists attribute animal aggression to poor eyesight.

Nutrition and Reproduction

Scolopendras are nocturnal predators, they hide from the sun's rays, drying their body. Creatures live in crevices, under stones, in holes. Artful animals quickly move on numerous legs, not only on a horizontal, but also on a vertical surface, climb to the ceiling of a cave or house. Millipedes prey on insects, small rodents, snakes and lizards.

During the breeding season, males lay a special bag with a seed - a spermatophore. Females fertilize, crawling through it. Caring mothers protect the eggs from danger for several weeks by covering them with their own paws.

After the offspring appears, the female crawls away. White soft-bodied babies grow on their own, with each molt becoming more like an adult.

Poisonous apparatus

To better understand the consequences of a scolopendra bite, it is worth considering the device of its poisonous apparatus. The jaw that the millipede catches prey consists of 6 segments. The extreme is a sharp claw, curved inward.

It contains substances that cause severe pain, tissue numbness, swelling and inflammation. Pain is observed from several hours to several days. Scolopendra venom is especially dangerous in spring and autumn.

Collision with scolopendra

Giant centipedes, characterized by aggressive disposition and toxic poison, are found in the tropics and subtropics. Residents of the temperate zone should not be afraid of a collision with a 30-centimeter giant that can easily kill a small snake.In Europe, individuals are found that are twice as small as the representatives of tropical species.

How is scolopendra dangerous for humans? The bite of a poisonous millipede is very painful. In most cases, the dose of injected poison is small, it will not be able to kill or paralyze an adult.

Children are in greater danger, their body has still formed a strong protective immunity. The attack of a large individual on a child can lead to serious consequences.

California scolopendra can cause painful skin changes without even having to bite. In her body there is toxic mucus, which, when in danger, comes out. Contact with it causes a severe allergic reaction.

On the territory of Russia, scolopendras are found only in several regions - the Crimea, the Caucasus, the Rostov Region and the Krasnodar Territory. Millipedes of small size 12-14 cm live here. This is a ringed scolopendra. She leads a nocturnal lifestyle, at dusk goes hunting for insects and small lizards.

The view is not aggressive, but you should be careful when hiking with an overnight stay. A millipede can crawl into a tent or sleeping bag. Also, be careful when collecting branches for a fire.

Accidentally disturbing the scolopendra will get a bite comparable to the sting of 20 bees. The action of the poison is not fatal, but extremely unpleasant and painful. Claws on numerous limbs leave red spots on the skin if the arthropod just runs through the body.

In the House

Ringed scolopendra can settle in the house. She is attracted by the favorable environment - warmth, the presence of damp and dark shelters, food in the form of insects. She does not eat human food, does not spoil furniture. The positive moment of her presence is the breeding of all small invertebrates: cockroaches, spiders, flies.

The appearance of millipedes provokes cats to hunt. Eating such prey is dangerous for pets, ticks parasitize on scolopendra.

How to get rid of millipedes?

He will find few thrill-seekers who will normally perceive the appearance in the house, albeit a small but poisonous scolopendra. Concerns for their health and well-being of children make them seek the opportunity to drive her out of the house. The best solution in this case is the creation of adverse conditions - the complete destruction of insects and the drying of moisture.

What to do with a bite?

If it was not possible to avoid the attack of scolopendra, then first aid should be given to the person, based on the symptoms that have appeared:

Most scolopendra attacks occur in the tropics and deserts. Attacks of local millipedes cause inflammation and tissue necrosis, renal failure, heart failure.

Lymph nodes that are located close to the site of the bite increase. The photo shows the consequences of a scolopendra bite, the damaged hand swelled and significantly increased in size.

The described symptoms last up to two days. It would seem that residents of Russian cities have no reason to fear Asian and tropical centipedes, but danger can lie in wait in their own apartment.

Numerous lovers of exotic animals make beautiful tropical species of centipedes, but make mistakes in the process of leaving, as a result of which they bite the owners or run away. The runaway easily and nimbly climbs the walls and hides in the ventilation system. An unexpected dangerous guest can appear in any apartment.

What to do if a scolopendra has bitten? The poison of tropical species quickly penetrates the bloodstream and spreads throughout the body. To reduce this process, it is recommended to apply a tourniquet above the bite site. Treat the wound with substances that neutralize the poison:

• ethyl alcohol - pour on the wound;
• alkaline solution - prepared at home from baking soda.

If you have a fever, blurred thoughts, numbness in the limbs, or if you have difficulty breathing, call a doctor immediately.

The bite of the Vietnamese scolopendra Scolopendra subspinipes, having a body length of 20 cm, leaves a wound up to 1.5 cm in diameter and 5 mm deep. Within 2 hours, the limb doubles, the effects of the toxin are similar to the poison of a viper.

Blood flows from the wound for a long time, special substances in the composition of the poison prevent its coagulation. The condition is accompanied by an increase in temperature to 39-40 degrees. It is recommended that the victim be given an antihistamine and sent to the hospital.

One of the consequences of a millipede bite is infection. The remains of animal food, rotten on the maxilla, can get into the wound. Thorough treatment with a disinfectant (hydrogen peroxide, alcohol tincture) will help to avoid unpleasant complications. In the absence of special tools, it is enough to wash the wound with water and soap.

What treatment can be applied at home?

After washing the affected area with water or an alcoholic composition, a sterile dressing should be applied. To reduce pain, use a compress of ice, take an analgesic.

Do not panic when meeting with a scolopendra, a small millipede will try to hide from the person as soon as possible. Also, do not act imprudently and pick it up.

It is difficult to predict the reaction of the animal, if it panics, then it will certainly bite. Remember that millipede poison is not fatal, but the bite site will turn red and will hurt for several hours.

How to get rid of home scolopendra?

Look, here is one of these millipedes peeping out from under the baseboard. Really scary? Meet the scolopendra from the family of the leg-footed millipedes. There are about 90 species of scolopendra squad. They can be big enough and look just awful.

Usually, scolopendras live in the open air, in damp rooms, under fallen leaves, stones or under the bark of trees. And only the centipede at home spends its entire life inside the home.

Most of them lead an active nightlife. The home-made centipede is gray-yellow in color with three black stripes along the back and white spots and has very long legs. The body consists of segments, and on each of them two pairs of legs are located.

In total, the scolopendra has 15 pairs of legs, so the centipede does not justify its name. Apparently, that's what she was nicknamed for fear. In length, the scolopendra reaches from 2 to 4 cm.

Home centipedes prefer damp rooms such as basements, wardrobes, bathrooms or toilets. In the warm season, they can be found in the attic. Millipedes usually winter in the open air. In summer, the scolopendra lays up to 35 eggs mainly in moist places, as well as behind skirting boards or under tree bark.

Young centipedes have four pairs of legs. In the process of growth, they molt and gradually add new pairs of legs. Their life expectancy reaches from one year to six years, and they grow all this time.

Why is a home centipede dangerous?

As already mentioned, there are several varieties of millipedes, and some of them are quite dangerous. Dangerous species of scolopendras live in forests or grassy areas.They are usually orange or dark red in color and most often reach large sizes in comparison with a domestic centipede.

With this size and armament, scolopendras easily prey on small rodents, including rats. But don’t worry, these millipedes live in tropical and subtropical climatic conditions. Their bite is not fatal to humans, but rather unpleasant.

Blisters and redness occur at the site of the bite, accompanied by pain and swelling. Symptoms disappear within two days. Centipedes, which you can meet in your home, are completely harmless and do not contain deadly poison for us.

So if between you accidentally a contact of the first kind occurs, you can be completely confident in your safety, despite their aggressive appearance. The home scolopendra is also called the flycatcher, as it eats small insects.

So, home scolopendras are absolutely safe:

Meanwhile, the presence of scolopendras in our house may indicate increased humidity and possible mold. Millipedes also live in a dwelling where there are other small pests. Centipedes are predators.

They survive at home due to the presence of food supply - other insects. And some of them can violate our comfort and harm our health, for example, bedbugs.

How to secure a home?

So, if you decide to fight the intrusion of uninvited guests, then first take the following environmental measures:

1. Ventilate rooms and basements.
2. Repair or replace leaking taps and water taps.
3. Clean the area surrounding the house from the possible habitat of centipedes, including debris, stones, boards, compost heaps, and other possible insect shelters.
4. Ensure tightness and tightness of the gaps around the siding, windows, doors, pipes, wires and other structural voids. This will help you with mounting foam, which will effectively fill all the voids and block access to insects and rodents.
5. Another way to get rid of scolopendras is to destroy their feed base, that is, disperse spiders, bugs, termites, cockroaches, ants and flies. To do this, you can use insecticidal aerosols, such as Raptor, Reid or Combat.

These products are sprayed near crevices, cracks, skirting boards, or potential points of penetration of unwanted elements.

Processing should be carried out around the perimeter with a spray range of one to three meters. As a rule, the effect of insecticides is prolonged and lasts about three months, and is also suitable for any type of surface.

The disadvantage of gels is that for the complete destruction of insects, a longer use of the product will be required: at best, this can take several weeks.

Is home scolopendra dangerous for humans?

Many people like to keep at home as pets of various exotic, unusual and very dangerous animals and insects.We are all different, and if one or another type of spider or snake causes horror, disgust and rejection, then the other this creature will awaken only tenderness and a smile.

Such arthropods, causing a double impression, include the home scolopendra.

Habitat

True, it is far from always that a person turns her on specially, sometimes she settles in an apartment on her own, choosing dark and damp places. Bathrooms and cellars are ideal for this.

Scolopendra home is also called a flytrap, centipede. Although this creature arouses hostility among many, it is not at all dangerous for people, and to some extent even useful. Flycatcher eats cockroaches, goosebumps, flies, bugs and other small insects and arthropods.

In the natural habitat, a centipede can be found in southern Ukraine and Russia. More dangerous real scolopendras live in the same territory, they are large, and giant individuals can even kill a mouse. Their homes are grown only by professionals who know how to protect themselves from this creature.

Insect structure

The skeleton of a flycatcher consists of chitin, a skin of gray or brown color. Scolopendra home has a body divided into 15 segments, and each of them has a pair of legs.

True, this creature has only 14 pairs of legs, because the first pair has changed into peculiar fangs, used as protection and fixation of the victim. There are three stripes on the back, the centipede sees very well with faceted eyes, its antennae are perfectly developed, it runs well compared to other representatives of this species.

Flytrap behavior

Scolopendra in the house behaves in exactly the same way as in natural living conditions. She is looking for relatively warm, moist and dark places. With the advent of cold weather, the centipede burrows into the ground, hides in the crevices of the rocks, at home it can be a baseboard. In spring, the arthropod awakens, although it is active only in the dark. With the advent of drought, the scolopendra home migrates in search of wetter places.

Harm to humans

A flycatcher does not pose any danger to people, it bites only if it is held in hands for a long time. A homemade scolopendra bite is painful. Feels like it can be compared to a wasp sting.

But giant scolopendras can kill toads and mice, which by their genetic structure are more like us. In any case, the wound must be disinfected and greased with brilliant green or iodine.

Most living things do not attack humans first, this also applies to scolopendra. If you do not provoke her, do not frighten and do not limit her freedom, then she will never bite just like that.