crawly outbreak.

Terrified residents in St. George's have reported an invasion of the slimy giants to the Department of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Centipedes, which can give serious stings, have been known to kill in extreme cases.

Agriculture officials have denied there is a deadly bug alert. But they said an investigation has already started into whether there is a significant increase in the centipede population.

Fifty-six-year-old Janice Tucker, of Wellington Slip Road, said her grand-daughter and two great-grandsons, who live with her, were so frightened they were staying in one room.

She added: "We're all absolutely terrified. They're coming from absolutely everywhere and these things are big, I mean really big.

"I woke up yesterday morning and my grand-daughter, who is eight months pregnant, had one of these things on her shoulder.

"I managed to get it off just as it was crawling towards her face. It's horrible.

"My great-grandsons are just three and five and we've got a baby arriving soon. We're petrified and we just don't know what to do.'' Kevin Monkman, Assistant Director of Agriculture and Fisheries, said: "Centipede stings can only kill like bee stings can kill.

"In the vast majority of cases, there is no health implication although the stings themselves can be unpleasant and cause swellings.

"In general they are not dangerous. It's possible that if you are sensitive to the venom there could be a problem but we have not known of any cases like that in Bermuda.'' Centipedes are found only rarely on the Bermudian mainland because they are eaten by toads.

But the Island's toad population is dwindling -- and St. David's, where there are few toads, has a major problem with centipedes.

Now the Department of Agriculture has issued a series of guidelines to anyone who finds the crawlers in their homes.

People are advised to: Keep windows and door-frames tightly sealed so centipedes cannot get in; Collect the insects with tongs and drown them in alcohol; Call a pest control agent to have the building fumigated; Find a chemical treatment like Servin which will kill the bugs; or Call the Department's plant protection laboratory for tips, on 236-4201.

Mr. Monkman added: "It is not often that centipedes are found on the mainland although we did find one under the desk in the Cabinet Office a few years ago.

"Our laboratory staff are already looking at one centipede which was brought in from St. George's.

"There is no cause for alarm but people can always ring us if they are concerned.'' Centipedes are around six or seven inches long and rusty brown or red with spots of green on each end, although some have been known up to 12 inches long.

They usually live outside, sometimes under palm trees, and feed on cockroaches. But they do venture inside. Mr. Monkman added: "All centipedes are carnivores and eat other insects and they inject venom to capture their prey.

"But they are unlikely to attack humans unless they are trapped in some way.''