Just now, I turned out my light, took off my clothes except for a tank top, and got into bed. I felt a kind of prickling pain in several spots on the side I was laying down on. Then I ran my hand along my abdomen and felt – something – there. It felt about the size & shape of a foxtail. (a whole one.) I snatched it up & threw it alongside the bed.
Turning on the light, I found a BIG GIANT WELT on my butt, a smaller welt on my thigh and a bite on my upper calf, all on the side in question.
Careful examination of the approximate area where I threw whatever it was reveals nothing. Now I am scared to get back into bed. (my bed is on the floor, & right underneath an open window on the second story. I live in the flats of Oakland, not too far from the Bay.)
What could it have been that bit me? AND WHY ISN’T IT DEAD? GAAAAAAAAH!
House centepedes are easily the most horrible-looking form of house dwelling creature commonly encountered, and they can bite.
Killing them can turn the strongest stomach, because their various thin, hair-like legs and feelers quiver in the most revolting manner after they are dead.
Situations like the OP’s are why I keep a few cans of permethrin premise spray in the cupboard. Turn the lights on, spray the room liberally, close the door. Return in 10 minutes and go back to sleep knowing that you are the only living creature in the room.
When I stayed with friends in Oakland, CA, I found a Wolf Spider scurrying along the floor. It’s possible that’s what you felt, but these spiders were only* about the size of the palm of your hand, not as big as a Fox Tail. So I suspect the “centipede” answer might be correct.
*“ONLY” in comparison to the size of a Fox Tail. That’s still more than big enough to me.
I had never even suspected the existence of house centipedes until this thread. I just did a Google Image search. :eek:
Some of them look kind of fuzzy and cute in the pics, but I certainly wouldn’t want one in my bed.
I suppose they’re a bit like the Olsens in that respect.
Perhaps the most alarming thing about seeing one for the first time is not just their appearance, but the fact that they are FAST. If you startle one, it will zoom across the floor or walls at a remarkable speed, and sometimes they will come running straight at your bare feet, forcing you into a crazy, terrified dance to avoid them.
According to Wikipedia they originated in the Mediterranean region and have spread to much of Europe.
In recent years quite a few European species have migrated to the UK (warmer summers, milder winters, Channel Tunnel…) so I wouldn’t be surprised to start seeing these little critters over here before long.
