Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
I've not known of a spigot being an entrance, but I do know that drains can be. Ditto for cockroaches.
Drains!! That's what I was trying to say. They get in through one of those openings and it has to be drains. My whole problem with them is: they're big; they get into your bed; they bite you; it hurts like hell for days; an infection can occur; there's really nothing you can do to stop them from getting in.
So scratch Hawaii, which is a real shame because I was so looking forward to going over there--something I've dreamt about for years.
I have a very clean home. I have a very clean yard. I have screens on every door. I have screens on every window. My home is 100% well maintained. Still, I have an occasional centipede hussle across the floor. It is a fact of life in the drier areas of Hawaii.
It's not only the dry areas. I've been living in a dry area of Honolulu for 6+ years now and I haven't seen one centipede. I grew up in Wahiawa Heights and it's one of the wettest residential areas on Oahu, and we saw centipedes all of the time. My dad was bitten twice in his yard when taking his dog out to relieve himself. Centipedes like to hide in piles of lumbar and outdoor sheds. Killing them isn't exactly easy. I have struck a centipede a dozen times with a brick and it was still kicking.
In other parts of the country there are periodic reports of snakes or rats getting in through the toilets.
Reports indeed! I found out that waterfront property in Florida wasn't so attractive after all when we found that canal rats were coming up into our master bedroom toilet! The first time, I screamed so loud that the rat descended and went back through the trap...spouse did not believe me that I'd seen a rat in the toilet. The second time, he got to see it...then he fished it out with a net and moved it to a "new home".
They aren't a problem if you have a new house that's well sealed. Even in the old 1930s house I first lived in on Maui, I didn't see any inside, only outside, and they were already did. When I moved to Kihei I saw ONE in the yard the first night I moved in, then ZERO more.
There are scary bugs everywhere. Sprinkle some diatomaceous earth or borax around your house
People who have serious issues with bugs really belong some place other than Hawaii.
Bugs do come in with the spigots. Just not through the plumbing, They come in through the holes where plumbing comes in through the walls, so bugs are on the outside of the water pipe. At least you don't open the spigot and get a glass of water with a centipede swimming in it.
If you do come to Hawaii, OP, be sure to shake your shoes out carefully before you put them on. Wouldn't want to put your foot into a shoe containing a centipede.
Oh, wait. If you are on water catchment, I suppose you could have centipedes in your drinking water.
Drains!! That's what I was trying to say. They get in through one of those openings and it has to be drains. My whole problem with them is: they're big; they get into your bed; they bite you; it hurts like hell for days; an infection can occur; there's really nothing you can do to stop them from getting in.
So scratch Hawaii, which is a real shame because I was so looking forward to going over there--something I've dreamt about for years.
I'd be interested to know how many people on this forum have actually been bitten by a centipede. I've lived here almost three years and have never been bitten. Ooops, now that I said that I better be careful!
Yes, I check my shoes before I put them on and yes, I check my bed before getting in. I know that we have a gecko who hangs around our bedroom, but I've never seen centipedes in there. Yes, I've seen a couple of them in my house, but I've never stepped on them because I watch where I walk. And when I work out in the garden I wear gloves.
Truthfully, if you've been dreaming about Hawaii for years and you let your fears of centipedes keep you away, then I feel sorry for you. You'll never get to go anyplace warm because there will always be bugs. I bet if you come and stay at a resort you'll never see a lot of the bugs that people talk about.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
You'll never get to go anyplace warm because there will always be bugs. I bet if you come and stay at a resort you'll never see a lot of the bugs that people talk about.
