Thursday, April 23, 2009

forget the ants... WHAT IS THIS THING?

Peter called me from work and asked if I'd looked in the tub yet this morning. My first thought was that perhaps the ant colony that (in my imagination) has made its nest in the ceiling above our bathroom has become so enormous that it's crashed through the ceiling.

(shudder)

I shudder a lot when I think of bugs. Especially colonies or nest.

(shudder)

Or swarms.

(shudder)

He mockingly lovingly assured me that that wasn't the case, but there was something in the tub under an overturned wipes container. I took Simon with me to make him lift it up. Unfortunately, our tub is deep and he couldn't reach. What use is a boy-child who can't deal with bugs for me?? I need one with longer arms.

Here's what we found waiting for us,

And underneath? THIS MONSTROSITY.
What in God's green earth is it?! In all of His infinite wisdom, WHY WOULD HE MAKE SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!?

It's about 1 1/4" long and has sooooo many legs (creepy crawly legs). I can't even look at the picture long enough to count them! And I'm pretty sure those are fangs in the front. Probably poisonous.

(shudder)

Can anyone identify it for me? Is it the type of thing that lives with thousands more of its kind in a nest? Is there the possibility of said nest being inside my house?? Does it swarm???

Can you tell I'm starting to freak out???

P.S. If I just leave it there, will it turn into something non-creepy, non-crawly, and non-poisonous? Like a butterfly or a kitten or a baby unicorn??

13 comments:

  1. This is a house centipede. They love wet areas (hence the bathtub) and live for approximately 3 to 7 years. They molt and they sting. Here is a website where you can up on them:

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scutigera_coleoptrata

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  2. hahaha!!! I am right there with you on the whole bug thing. I was really nervous to scroll down to the picture of what was under the container, just in case it was a spider (biggest of ALL shudders for me). Nice of Peter to leave it for you...

    Sara

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  3. Nightmares! I am going to have nightmares!

    My boy children all scream louder than me when there is a bug. Useless!

    (shudder)

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  4. Ah, yes the centipede.
    We used to find them ALL THE TIME in our basement growing up. *shudder*

    My brother and I would turn cups/bowl/whatever we could find quickly, upside down over them and leave them for the other to find...nice of your hubby to do the same!
    :)

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  5. I've never seen that before... the closest thing i've seen is 1/4" long in my dirt outside... and it didn't have legs near that long. I kinda like living in Manitoba sometimes...
    May I join you in your *shudder*?

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  6. oh good grief... icky icky... and I totally remember those (and the ants) from my Hamilton days... I am praying earnestly that they don't live in my home here.

    oh how I hate bugs.

    I mean I really really really hate bugs.

    shudder.

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  7. I feel your pain Amy. I have to admit, it is a little funny that Peter covered it up, just so you could see it. I bet he could hardly wait to call you with that little piece of news! I would be annoyed if Steve did it to me, so I guess I should reserve my laughter:)

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  8. Peter is a punk...although his brother would think this is very funny. So what did you do with the centipede? Did Simon at least think it was cool?

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  9. Centipede! I hate those more then spiders. OMG I hate them. The worst part is they move SO FAST. Oh God I have goose bumps now!

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  10. Ew ew ew!!! That is the grossest looking centipede EVER!! *shudder* Ew!

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  11. I had to show this to my oldest...he LOVES bugs and anything remotely creepy...I swear he'll be an entomologist(that's what the bug experts are called, right?)EWWWWWW!! My oldest dd and I started shrieking, I still get the heebie jeebies!!lol looking at it!!

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  12. Man I hate those things. I hope they all stay on your side of the river.
    Why would god make something like that indeed. I'm increasingly of the opinion that if he exists, he's got a pretty twisted sense of humour. Maybe he just likes to watch us squirm.

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