Most people don’t like centipedes. Eek! But unless they sneak into your house, these tiny creepy-crawlies usually hide outdoors under rocks, staying concealed in dirt.
Some centipede names include Amazonian giant, giant desert and tiger centipede. Their size ranges from one inch to 12-inches long. The littlest are the indoor ones people find in damp areas, such as bathrooms. Centipedes, being predators, rely on other insects for food, so keeping your home clean and free of clutter will reduce their food supply and hiding places.
Centipedes thrive in damp environments, so fix any leaks, ensure proper ventilation and consider using a dehumidifier. If you have other pests like cockroaches or silverfish, address those issues as centipedes will be attracted to their presence.
Should you espy a centipede, think positive. They represent healing, long life and good fortune. But in folklore, they can give rise to many stories. In Navajo lore, there were once giant centipedes roaming the earth. These lived within ancient land monsters. When the long-ago monsters neared a victim, the centipedes jumped out and latched on. So in this Navajo tale, they were bad.
In long ago Asian tales, the centipede was also powerful. Its job is cleaning any poisons or toxins from the body. Moving on to Ireland, centipedes among other crawlers are death warnings. They can be called part of the Banshee cry.
Dashing back to ancient Egypt, the centipede was called the god Sepa. The logic behind that? Centipedes aided in the disappearance of dead bodies. Yes, by eating them. So, to the ancient Egyptians, they came to be thought of as protectors of the dead. Centipedes can be omens of your future. In Korea, a centipede in your home foretells wealth coming. Squashing a centipede foretells wealth leaving.
Here’s a story. There was once a poor old man who wanted to begin climbing the long pathway to eternal heaven. On this journey, he meets an old woman who asks him to stay with her. He does for a while, but then began to miss his family. After several complaints, the old woman agrees he can leave, but tells him to ignore any pleas he hears on the way.
He tries, but ends up listening to pleas from a snake. Oops. The snake orders the old man to kill the centipede, telling him that the centipede is an evil ancestor. The old man is tempted, but mindful of the old woman’s warning, does not harm the centipede. This old woman is really a centipede in disguise. So she is able to continue her pathway to heaven.
