Hawaiian Centipedes "King of Da Scary Buggahs"

Hawaiian Centipedes are predatory arthropods with three variations: The Giant Centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes. vietnamese centipede), Common Large Centipede (Lithobius), and Upjaw Centipede (Mecistocephalus maxillaris). These centipedes can grow up to a "foot" long or longer for the giant ones. It is a multi-legged animal with a seemingly identical front from back, but one has the venom-fangs that have a pincer-like appearances known as "centipede forcipules" or "toxicognaths". These deliver a horrible bite that people call the action "bit by a centipede" means they have gotten pierced and injected with venom that can make an adult-human unable to walk from the sheer amount of pain. Centipedes have a rounded or flattened head, bearing a pair of antennae that look pretty gross as they can be straight or curved outward.  

Stingahs All Over: Hawaii with its humid temperatures and off and on rains create the perfect environment for this little critter, so when it rains or the rainy season comes it doubles up as "Centipede Season" where there are a flood of centipedes. Moving into Military Housing, one has to be prepared in places like the Navy housing Halsey Terrace (Moanalua) where there is more centipedes in a backyard that one could fill a gallon menehune water jug with them if you go on the a centipede hunt. Ewa Beach is famous for having lots of Centipedes and people who are interested in them go around looking for them there. Hawaii Kai also has no shortage of these venomous bugs as its the perfect area to have countless of offspring. Pearl City has many that are of a giant bright Hawaiian red centipede (Scolopendra subspinipes) that can grow up to a foot long. Your not safe in the heart of Waikiki either as they love the City Life.

"Found one mean centipede that was wrapped around my electrical outlet. He was there on the inside. He was completely fried!"

Hiding Spots: The Centipede will go inside the home to look for a dark and damp place, so it usually goes straight for the Bathroom near the sink or any sink for that matter including the Kitchen. It is important to pour cleaner or something acidic down drains to clean them if you have seen one, since they also can hide in the drains. Because shoes are dark and often times still damp from feet sweat it is normal for them to be in shoes, socks, and under carpets where feet have been for long periods of time. For people who have a bunch of junk in their house this buggah can become quite a problem as every crevice, book, box, and piece of card board are all the perfect place for them to make their home. Outside they can be in any of the potted plants, some hide in the garden-hose, mulch piles, and some will be underneath anything they can hide under like rocks, leaves, and messy areas. Stone walls are their happy place alongside the B-52 Cockroach and is the perfect haven for these guys. Going to the beach like a place like camp erdman? centipedes might be in the hole instead of a crab.

"It's almost like they are telling you to clean inside and outside your house, since they only hide in places when there is somewhere to hide. Better get cleaning! I was so scared I would keep a slipper in every room of my hale (house). When I stay outside I would be looking for them, because they will stay in place under the leaves there unless people start flipping leaves around, so gottah check, yeah?" -Manoa, Kupuna

Trained in Mountain Climbing: These meddlesome crawlies can crawl anywhere with certain ones having the skills to climb-walls, some learn to crawl-blankets, and some learn how to fit in really small areas underneath doors. If your doors aren't very "air tight" you better think again, because the centipedes will love to visit you. They often times go on their travels in pairs, so if you seen one there is likely another one nearby and worse in your home. 

They can watch you like a ninja on the ceiling, between baby crib mattresses, bed blankets, going all over the shower curtains, and they probably know that it gives humans "chicken skin" when they see the sight of them. 

Centipedes look for delicious meals of: Spiders, crickets, cockroaches, bed bugs, fleas, moths, flies, and silverfish. So a human home is perfect for a place to hunt for take-out or dine-in. If you live near a tropical-climate or a forest of any sort these are the places that would attract a centipede. 

"When the mangos are sweet the centipede, he crawl all over your feet!!!"

The smaller the centipede the more concentrated the poison. The little ones are more vulnerable to harm than the big ones, so their poison can hurt like being stung by a bee or stabbed with glass. A bite from a baby can hurt for a matter of days where the first hour it hurts like hell and it continues to hurt for the next day and for some up to three days. If you get them backed into a corner they would arch themselves up like they were going to attack! 

"Nope, nope, nope. Oh hell no! I swear if there's one around! it will freakin get me! Don't miss dem buggahs at all! A`ole! I no miss dat... Buggah scare me big time. I used to see em all the time before it rained. Its like they knew da weather those guys. I used to lie on the floor reading and one big bugash come strolling in strutting its stuff across the floor. Getting all wiggly and all that. Used to run and get the scissors hoping the bugga neva run away, because oddah wise no sleep all night from the creepy crawlies. I hate centipedes, if I see one, I no can sleep good at night. I leave my light on constantly checking for em."

Owls Love eating Hawaiian Centipedes

Cats will kill em for Sport as Centipede Hunting Trophies and bring em to you while you in bed.

Feral Chickens also are Centipede Eaters.... they are used for more than just illegal Cock Fighting. Centipedes are a chickens favorite snack, so they will go nuts when they scratch one out into the open, and continue to peck like no tomorrow. A place that has plenty chickens is likely to have no more centipedes.