Centipede bite can cause death. Centipedes are not insects rather they belong to arthropods. Which makes the relative of insects but not insects themselves.
The word centipede means 100 legs. As some centipedes actually have a hundred or even more legs they are referred to as centipedes. They are distinguished on basis of their long body and their segment.
The segment contains as per contain one pair of the leg. All centipedes are actually predators. They kill insects and bugs. Even other arthropods. They are also able to kill lizards and baby mice and devour them.
The centipedes in your house are usually attracted by the other insects in your house. So if even if we kill other insects they are most likely to be attracted by their dead bodies. Centipedes are naturally attracted to heat and live in dry areas.
Centipede bite can cause death
Centipedes, as I mentioned are attracted to heat. We, humans, have warm blood and so we emit heat from our bodies. So naturally for this reason the centipedes are attracted to us.
Do or can centipede bite?
It is the first question that comes to our mind when we think of this creepy crawlies. The answer is yes, The centipede does bite both humans and animals. This is because they are predators.
They feed on another organism. Well in the case of humans they mostly bite as a method of defense mechanism. Or when they feel threatened by them. The bites which are given by the centipedes are actually quite rare.
Death by Centipede bite
The second question that might arise in mind is Can the centipede bite actually cause death. Back to our question, The centipede bite contains venom in it and the venom in the bite is very poisonous.
Yes, the centipede bites can actually cause death. But there have been only six deaths in the united states of America between the years 1979 and 2001.
Effects of Centipede bite
The bites from the centipede can result in blisters, swelling, and pain. The blisters and swelling can be a cause massive pain.
Rashes of color red may also appear on your whole skin or near the point where you have been bitten.
The bite may also result in fever and fatigue. This can cause stress on your whole body. The bite can cause numbness at the place of your bite.
There is also also a chance that you might have to vomit. Even though death can be caused by a centipede bite. It is not common. It will mostly result in normal things like pain.
What to do if centipedes bite
If centipedes bites You should do the following things:
- Use heated water
The first step to do if you get bitten by a centipede is to heat the bitten places. Yes, you heard me right.
Heating the bite will be very helpful in diluting the venom in your system.
The heating can be done with the help of hot water. Just immerse yourself in hot water and let the venom dilute.
- Use Ice
Swelling is a common thing after a centipede bite. It is a natural result. But it can be very bad.
So we should use ice or ice packs on the bitten place. It will help in decreasing the swelling very much.
- Anti-Allergic
Some people can have a bad allergic reaction to the bite caused by the centipede. which may cause inflammation too.
We should use anti-allergic as soon as possible on the bite to stop the allergic reaction. and applying other medication will also help in reducing pain and swelling.
Methods to be free of centipedes bites
- Sealing cracks and other places that may allow the centipedes is a good way to start.
- Centipedes are attracted to food sources.
- Centipedes are not attracted to clean places. They prefer dirty places. So we should clean our house regularly. This will ensure fewer attacks from centipedes.
- Sodium Chloride aka Common table salt is helpful in fending these crawlies away. It is a common repellent for centipedes.
- The use of mothballs can also prove to be awesome. It works as a common repellent or insecticide in our houses.
Can centipede bite cause death?
Conclusion
Centipede bite can cause death. The centipede is a rather creepy and gross creature. It can invade your house if you don’t keep it away it will invade your home premises.
The bite of the centipede can cause serious matter sometimes. It might even lead to someone’s funeral if not taken proper care of the bite. We have acquired knowledge about all the things listed above.
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