I Hate Mukade

I’ve been told that everything is bigger in Texas.  Well, that is a lie!  Take for instance the various animals that inhabit my area of Japan.  Crows here are simply gigantic, I’ve seen spiders larger than my hand, Japanese hornets are notoriously dangerous and huge, and last, but certainly not least, are the mukade.  What are mukade, you ask.  Why, they’re large centipedes with a poison powerful enough to leave huge welts if your lucky and, I’ve heard, kill small animals or people who are allergic to their venom.  I was cursed with a rather unfortunate placement in Japan, for it seems that these things only exist in the lower half of Kyushu.  Enjoy some pictures.

I apologize for not having a picture where it's flush against the ruler, but it was suffering the effects of a powerful poison at the time.  Still, you can see that it's easily 11cm.  This is one of the larger ones that's gotten into my house, but is by no means the largest I've seen.  I've read they can grow up to 20cm.

A size comparison I think most of my friends would appreciate.  When I showed my kids these pictures, they asked if it was my pet.  I have no idea what they were thinking.  Mukade are only a problem during the summer months, especially during the rainy season when the poison around my house tends to wash away.  I've yet to be bitten by one of these things, but I have found several in my room and a few in my bed, which I check every night before turning in. 

I hope you've enjoyed this glimpse into one of the more unpleasant realities of life abroad.  In all honesty, if houses here were better insulated, had double pane windows, etc. mukade would be no less trouble than the average house pest.  As it is, they get in so frequently that they necessitate an all out war against them.  So far, I'm winning and I hope it stays that way.