Okay, what's the bottom line, folks? (Hilo, Kailua: rental, new house, scorpions)

[Mahrie]

G'morning!

I've read many threads over the past few weeks and haven't come to any real conclusions. I understand (see, I do understand) that there are centipedes, millipedes, roaches, cane (and other) spiders, rats, scorpions, earwigs, and so on, but what I'd like to know is peculiar to the Hamakua Coast. I've heard all the stories, but how many of you from that region have actually had a centipede in (or on) your bed?

A centipede on your person?

Or a rat in your house?

What about infestations of roaches, earwigs, and/or fire ants in your house?

I live in an area teeming with bugs and have learned to live and let live - almost - if they come inside they're gonners, end of story.

So, what's the truth about the paradisaical Hamakua Coast - cliff front?

TIA,

Mahrie.

[nullgeo]

"Centipedes" in the bed? Uh nope ... centipedes in the wet towel pile on the bathroom floor ... dark, damp, cool, gotcha!

[Nalu]

I lived in HPP before and had a "few" in our house. Up in Mt. View where we are now, not a one so far. The worst place I ever saw was when we had a short term rental in Leilani Estates. We would find a couple every day. One night I laid down only to feel a sharp sting on cheek. After fumbling in the dark for a light, I discovered a centipede in my pillow case. Not sure if it was this house that had them so bad or the area. it was a concrete slab house.

[KonaBlake]

I lived on the Hamakua Coast on the cliff above Honoli'i just a few miles north of Hilo and never really had any issues. We'd see millipedes but I never saw a centipede until we moved to Kailua-Kona and never in bed. I did see a rat in the yard once but it was dead. Some spiders but they are only frightening to see and perfectly harmless otherwise. This is the tropics and we do share the lovely island with many other creatures but it is nothing to be alarmed about seriously. I have even begun to make friends with the various Gold Dust Geckos I share my home with .

[aqua0]

I'm in Maui and I've had baby centipedes on my bed and I worked with someone who woke up with a centipede on his pillow, right next to his face. A wake up call for sure.

Pesticide control helps. I've lived in houses with one and those without. Makes a daily difference!

[hotzcatz]

Dunno about the scorpions and fire ants but the rest of them are pretty common around here along the coast. We've had centipedes in the house as well as in the car along the coast here. Chickens love to eat centipedes, though. They keep the 'pede population in check.

We usually have chickens to eat the bugs, dogs to keep the mongoose away from the chickens as well as catch and kill the occasional mongoose. The cat catches the mice, rats and some of the cockroaches as well as geckos and small birds which isn't good, but cats are gonna catch anything small that moves. We also put out ant baits, cockroach baits and rat bait. There are still ants in the house as well as the occasional centipede.

Not anywhere near as many mosquitoes at the new house, though, although the new house is at 1,000 foot elevation and the old one was at 350. More important than these little bugs and critters are coqui frogs. You seriously don't want to have any of them around if you can help it.

[Mar0]

Originally Posted by nullgeo

"Centipedes" in the bed? Uh nope ... centipedes in the wet towel pile on the bathroom floor ... dark, damp, cool, gotcha!

i got bit by a centipede in my bed when i was sleeping! in fact, a lot of ppl are...the dark, damp and cool environment exists in my house thanks to the horrible humidity!