Silverfish...ew

daisy123

Ok, so they are definitely not pets, but they are animals I suppose, but feel free to move if this is not for this board...

Anyway, just went down to get myself a glass of water, turned on the light and saw, at first one little gross silverfish. Then once I saw one, then another, then another, there was about 20-30 of them all around the kitchen floor!!!! How do I get rid of them??? The dog sleeps in the kitchen, so can't use any chemicals...

I can feel my skin crawling now....bleh...

Sir Wanksalot

Bleach and a scrubbing brush for starters.
No offence but your kitchen must be filthy.

Rancid

daisy123 wrote: »

Ok, so they are definitely not pets, but they are animals I suppose, but feel free to move if this is not for this board...

Anyway, just went down to get myself a glass of water, turned on the light and saw, at first one little gross silverfish. Then once I saw one, then another, then another, there was about 20-30 of them all around the kitchen floor!!!! How do I get rid of them??? The dog sleeps in the kitchen, so can't use any chemicals...

I can feel my skin crawling now....bleh...

Silverfish are pretty harmless, they come out of hiding when it's dark and you just happened to disturb them.

They need damp or humid conditions to live with some warmth, so you're likely to find them in bathrooms, kitchens, etc.

I have some in my downstairs loo, they love the dust from the toilet rolls and, I think, the paste underneath the wallpaper.
They've been there for nearly 30 years, I can't think of even ONE reason to try to get rid of them!
Harmless... and interesting little guys, tbh.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silverfish

daisy123

Guess, the kitchen doesn't have to be so "filthy" after all to have them:rolleyes: just the humidity and little crevices to hide under!!

Thanks Rancid, I guess if they only come out at night and I won't see them during the day, I can live with them... they probably like our kitchen because when the oven is on it does get quite warm, so maybe in the summer when we cook less, they'll pack their little silver bags and leave!!

Rancid

daisy123 wrote: »

Guess, the kitchen doesn't have to be so "filthy" after all to have them:rolleyes: just the humidity and little crevices to hide under!!

Thanks Rancid, I guess if they only come out at night and I won't see them during the day, I can live with them... they probably like our kitchen because when the oven is on it does get quite warm, so maybe in the summer when we cook less, they'll pack their little silver bags and leave!!

Exactly!
They hate the light, so you're safe.

Just no more 3am glasses of water for you!:rolleyes:

pow wow

I live in a basement flat and have them too, agreed they are absolutely nothing to do with hygiene/cleanliness, more damp and places to hide. A dehumidifier might help, but then if it's a kitchen it's probably always going to be a wee bit damp isn't it?

pirelli

Can you eat them, Could survive on them. Maybe get some kind of pet in the pet shop that could eat them,hamstrer springs to mind(just put a chain and collar on him) they look like they could be eaten plenty of girth on the long body.

Silverfish

Rancid

pirelli wrote: »

Can you eat them, Could survive on them. Maybe get some kind of pet in the pet shop that could eat them,hamstrer springs to mind(just put a chain and collar on him) they look like they could be eaten plenty of girth on the long body.

Cellar spiders are quite fond of them. You know those spiders with incredibly long legs and little rectangular bodies? Pholcus Phalangioides.
I've seen them catch more than a couple of silverfish over the years.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pholcus_phalangioides

pirelli

Kind of like being between a rock and hardplace. Egg sacs in your cornflakes yewh.

Rancid

pirelli wrote: »

Kind of like being between a rock and hardplace. Egg sacs in your cornflakes yewh.

If you get the egg sac, you also get the female spider in your cornflakes!
She never lets go of the egg sac, carries it around with her constantly.

daisy123

Rancid wrote: »

If you get the egg sac, you also get the female spider in your cornflakes!
She never lets go of the egg sac, carries it around with her constantly.

Ah, yeah sure, I'm lacking a bit of protein in my diet!!!!

AckwelFoley

I like silverfish

pirelli

Rancid wrote: »

If you get the egg sac, you also get the female spider in your cornflakes!
She never lets go of the egg sac, carries it around with her constantly.

What does she do with it when she is hunting the silverfish.

Rancid

pirelli wrote: »

What does she do with it when she is hunting the silverfish.

Good question, I honestly don't know.
I found this bit of info though:

"The fertilized eggs are not spun in a cocoon but are held in a small net of silk. Because the spider is always on the move, it carries the silk net containing the eggs in between her jaws. Only 20 -30 eggs are fertilized. The eggs are hung in a web before the spiderlings could emerge from their eggs. The mother eats the spiderlings that have difficulty in getting out of their egg. Shortly after emerging from the egg, the young spider changes his skin. They are transparent and have short legs. Even after several changes of their skin, the spiderlings stay with their mother and she carries them in between her jaws. At the end when all the egg yolk is consumed and the small spiders have practiced catching tactics with their sisters and bothers, they eventually leave their mother and start for themselves."

http://www.xs4all.nl/~ednieuw/Spiders/Pholcidae/Pholcidae.htm

daisy123

Silverfish wrote: »

Sorry!!!