Gastrointestinal inflammation
1. Causes of disease
The causes of gastrointestinal inflammation in centipedes can include the following:
(1) Rotten feed: This is the most common cause of gastrointestinal inflammation in centipedes, especially during hot seasons. Centipede feed is usually composed of small animals high in protein and rich in water and juice. Before feeding, they are generally killed, but if they are stored for too long after being killed, they are prone to rotting. After centipedes ingest this feed, it can cause acute gastrointestinal inflammation.
(2) Toxicity of feed animals: Generally, the regular feed animals for centipedes do not produce toxic substances that are harmful to centipedes. However, some feed animals may carry toxins due to the presence of toxic substances in their growth environment. These toxins may invade the surface of the feed animals without being sensitive to or entering their bodies. This makes it difficult for the feeders to notice. After feeding, it can cause acute or chronic gastrointestinal inflammation in centipedes.
(3) Improper feeding amount: Occasionally, feeding too little may cause some centipedes to become excessively hungry. The next day, when the feeding amount increases dramatically, these hungry centipedes may overeat. If the temperature suddenly drops at this time, these centipedes that have eaten too much will inevitably suffer from indigestion. The food will stay in their gastrointestinal tract for too long, ferment, and cause inflammation.
2. Symptoms and characteristics
The simultaneous occurrence of multiple diseases affected by pathogenic factors is a characteristic of this disease. Affected centipedes initially experience indigestion, abdominal distention, weakness, followed by diarrhea and loss of appetite. As the inflammation produces toxic substances that invade the body tissues, the centipedes experience systemic poisoning. The head becomes congested and purplish-red, the body becomes weak and limp, movement becomes slow, and the venom hook becomes fully extended. Finally, they become weak and unable to crawl, and may die under debris or in other concealed places. They rarely die in the rearing soil. On autopsy, the intestines of the deceased centipedes show warm and hyperemic serosa, ulceration, and a pale yellow liquid in the abdominal cavity. The feces in the intestines are watery and foul-smelling.
3. Prevention and treatment
(1) Strictly control the quality of feed. It is best to feed fresh live feed animals to centipedes. They should be killed immediately before feeding. Any remaining live feed should be stored, but the killed feed animals should be discarded. If any feed is found to be rotten, it must not be fed.
(2) For self-breeding feed animals, attention should be paid to the rearing environment, feed, and water. Avoid using substances that may cause centipedes to become ill, such as heavy metal drugs and certain disinfectants. Also, ensure that the rearing soil, feed, water, and even the air are not contaminated by pathogens. If an infected feed animal is found, analyze and investigate the causes or types of pathogenic bacteria and determine whether the batch of feed animals can still be used.
(3) For wild-caught feed animals, try to catch them in areas without pesticide, chemical fertilizer, or other harmful substances. When catching, also check whether there are dead animals of the same species in the area to determine if the captured feed animals are infected.
(4) Clean the tank. Remove all centipedes from the infected tank and place them in several small containers. Based on specific symptoms, separate them into healthy groups, suspicious groups, and diseased groups for isolation breeding. Remove all the rearing soil in the tank and replace it with new soil. All items in the tank, such as feeding trays, water trays or sinks, and tiles, should be fully disinfected and exposed to sunlight before reuse.
(5) In seasons of extreme temperature rise or sudden drop, close doors and windows. If necessary, open heating facilities appropriately to maintain a relatively stable temperature. However, be careful not to cause smoke or gas pollution inside the rearing house during heating.
(6) Medication. The following prescriptions are recommended for diseased or suspicious centipedes:
① Sulfa-methimazole 0.5g, multienzyme tablet 0.6g, crush 200-300g of feed into a paste, mix the three ingredients thoroughly, and feed once daily for 3 consecutive days.
② Coptis chinensis powder 2g, multienzyme tablet 1 piece, whole milk powder 5g, dissolve them in 100ml of warm boiling water, mix well, let the centipedes suck on a sponge absorbed with the mixture, once daily for 3 consecutive days. Note that the sponge should be replaced daily. This treatment method is mainly for small centipedes.
③ Chloramphenicol 0.25g, complex vitamin 0.5g, crush 300g of feed, mix the powdered medicine with the feed, and feed once daily for 3 consecutive days.
④ Fuke'an 0.5g, crush it into powder, crush 500g of feed, mix them evenly and feed once daily for 2 consecutive days.
Centipede pharyngeal ulcer disease
This disease is a recently discovered acute and explosive infectious disease in centipedes, first reported by experts such as Liang Jiaquan from Guangxi Agricultural University.
1. Causes of disease
This disease is caused by an infection of centipedes by a bacterium called "pseudomonas aeruginosa". It mainly occurs during hot seasons.
2. Symptoms
The main manifestations are the inability to open and close the mouth, the secretion of mucus in the mouth, inability to eat or swallow, mental depression, and eventually exhaustion and death.
3. Prevention and treatment
At present, the technology for the prevention and treatment of this disease is still under research. However, strengthening the management of centipede rearing, maintaining good environmental hygiene, and not feeding contaminated feed animals are effective measures for preventing this disease.
Acariasis
1. Causes of disease
Acariasis is caused by mites, a type of arachnid with a body length of less than 1 millimeter. When they parasitize on the surface of centipedes, it causes centipede acariasis. In high temperature weather during summer, if the humidity in the rearing room or tank is too high, it is easy for mites to settle and breed there. At this time, if centipedes are molting or if there are young centipedes present, they are susceptible to mite infestation. After mites infest, on one hand, they suck on the centipede's body fluids, consuming a large amount of nutrients and causing the centipedes to become thin, weak, and eventually die. On the other hand, the mites also produce toxins that irritate the centipedes, preventing them from carrying out normal activities such as feeding and drinking. Additionally, the mites can bite through the centipede's skin, making them susceptible to secondary infections by pathogens. Therefore, if not handled in a timely manner, acariasis frequently leads to other diseases.
2. Symptoms
Centipedes infested with mites become extremely restless, often crawling aimlessly and rapidly on their habitat or the rearing soil. Sometimes, they try to lick their backs. Even when not crawling forward, some appendages may exhibit "digging" or "scraping" movements. This phenomenon first occurs in centipedes that have just molted or newly hatched in the current year. As the disease progresses, other centipedes also become affected. Affected centipedes become thin, weak, and eventually die. Sometimes, they develop infections by other pathogenic bacteria, leading to death. By carefully observing the rearing soil, mite-like organisms can be found. Examining the body surface of infected centipedes will also reveal the presence of mite-like organisms, which are the mites causing acariasis.
3. Prevention and treatment
Currently, there are no effective drugs for preventing and treating this disease since drugs that can kill mites tend to be harmful to centipedes. Therefore, control measures can only be implemented through management practices:
(1) Ensure good ventilation and lighting in the rearing house, and implement measures to prevent heat and cool down to maintain a good rearing environment.
(2) Store items and miscellaneous objects in the rearing room properly. Work clothes should be regularly washed, soaked, and exposed to sunlight to kill any mites or mite eggs they may carry.
(3) If mite infestation occurs, remove all centipedes from the tank, remove the original rearing soil, and thoroughly spray acaricides such as Dichlorvos or Chlorfenapyr in the entire tank and rearing house. Close the rearing house for a period of time before reusing it.
(4) After removing the diseased centipedes, put molting centipedes, young centipedes, and suspicious centipedes in separate small basins. Intermittently expose them to sunlight. Each exposure should last around 30 minutes, with intervals of 30 minutes. After sun exposure, quickly transfer the centipedes to another basin. Disinfect the original basin before reuse and use ultraviolet light to irradiate it. This method seems to have certain effects.
(5) Place a partially dried pork bone into the rearing soil or activity area during the day, and remove it every 2-3 hours. This method has a good effect on attracting and killing the mites. However, this method should not be used for preventive purposes in non-affected centipedes, as it may backfire.
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