The purpose of Silverfish in the Bathroom Ecology

[jenai]

"Lepisma saccharina (commonly called the fishmoth, urban silverfish or just the silverfish) is a small, wingless insect typically measuring from half to one inch (12–25 mm). Its common name derives from the animal's silvery blue color, combined with the fish-like appearance of its movements, while the scientific name indicates the silverfish's diet of carbohydrates such as sugar or starches. It belongs to the basal insect order Thysanura, and the species is estimated to have existed for over 300 million years, originating in the Palaeozoic Era.[1] Often misidentified as a silverfish is the house centipede, another house-dwelling arthropod that exhibits rapid, fluid movement.
...
The favorite food of silverfish is any matter that contains starch or polysaccharides, such as dextrin in adhesives. These include glue, book bindings, paper, photos, sugar, hair, and dandruff. Silverfish can also cause damage to books, tapestries, and textiles. Silverfish will commonly graze in and around showers, baths, and sinks on the cellulose present in many shampoos, shaving foams and so on. Apart from these cases, the damage caused by silverfish is negligible and they have no direct effect on human health beyond psychological distress to those who are frightened or disgusted by their appearance." - Silverfish - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"The silverfish, Lepisma saccharina , originated in the tropics, but it has been able to extend its range to temperate countries by dwelling in damp and warm locations. Silverfish or their eggs can be unknowingly transported from one area to another in cardboard cartons, books, paper and many other carbohydrate substances. Silverfish are wingless insects that possess a flat and slender, silvery scale covered body. They have long thin antennae and three slender appendages at the rear of the body. Silverfish are long-lived insects that can travel very quickly on flat surfaces. They are scavengers and will feed on crumbs, dead insects, starch, glue, paste, and an assortment of paper products. The reproductive cycle of the females vary depending upon their environmental conditions, and their tiny eggs usually take two to six weeks to hatch." - PMRA | Effective Control of Silverfish

Wikipedia adds that silverfish reproduction has only been recently studied, probably due to the insect being quick to escape capture in crevices. The male "lays" a spermatophore covered in gossamer.

That's right: the male silverfish "lays" a sperm-filled sac covered in a silky substance. The female silverfish notices the pheromones exuding from the sperm pack and does something with it to fertilize itself. My guess is it does the silverfish version of the milting that fish do except it's neater and less messy.

edit: Actually the male does an ecstatic dance and drops his sperm packet on the floor which the female then inserts into her vagina. No doubt her powerful vagina disintegrates the silk and spormatophore with a single drop of water and pixie dust.

Keeping the bathroom clean and free of condensation and moisture helps get rid of silverfish.

If you are cool with torturing innocent insect life, then there's always diatomaceous earth.

"Diatomaceous earth, an active ingredient found in pesticide products, is composed of crushed microscopic marine organisms and is an ecological means of control. This powdery dust is much like an abrasive and it acts by removing the waxy coating that normally prevents the insect from losing water. The insect, after coming into contact with the dust, dies from dehydration. Diatomaceous earth can be applied along baseboards and beneath and behind appliances to control crawling insects. It is non-toxic to humans." - ibid.

The chemicals used in Baygon and other pesticides are moderately harmful and one of them, Chlorpyrifos, is a nueortoxin known to cause ADHD and delayed development of infants, which is usually a complaint of farm workers.

When this chemical breaks down it produces chlorpyrifos oxon which is even more harmful to the environment. So, fumigating the house is definitely not an option.

Reference: Chlorpyrifos - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[jenai]

So, no, you weren't hallucinating after your last bender had you wind up passed out on the bathroom floor, only to jump up after seeing the silverfish eye you to see how long it would take before you left so it could go back and feed on toothpaste (has sugar in it), your deadskin (mostly dandruff) and wallpaper paste.


edit: propoxur (Phenol, 2-(1-methylethoxy)-, methylcarbamate) in Baygon lasts for six months after fumigation. So watch out for silverfish wandering aimlessly looking for food on your clean bathroom floors less often.

[ebbomega]

Every one of Sage's posts is like a nice warm comfy security blanket infested with smallpox.

[jenai]

More pics of silverfish and firebrat here: http://www.uos.harvard.edu/ehs/pes_silverfish.shtml

The firebrat looks like a desert version of the silverfish with pinkish camo colors to blend in the sand. No doubt they are safe in houses throughout the American Southwest, feeding on book paste and sandruff.

edit: more pics of silverfish: http://www.discoverlife.org/mp/20o?s...ra#Photographs

[jenai]

It's amazing how a pest that used to hang out in the tropics slowly migrated north to canada.

my guess is, Yukon, NWT and Nunavut doesn't have a silverfish problem.

[esoter1c]

Originally Posted by jenai

It's amazing how a pest that used to hang out in the tropics slowly migrated north to canada.

my guess is, Yukon, NWT and Nunavut doesn't have a Mexican problem.

Dude, you're on the verge of racism.

[Grapes]

Originally Posted by jenai

Actually the male does an ecstatic dance and drops his sperm packet on the floor

[-evil-duerr-]

jenai is the silverfish who dropped his sperm packet into all of our hearts. <3

[ebbomega]

Originally Posted by -evil-duerr-

jenai is the silverfish who dropped his sperm packet into all of our hearts. <3

Thanks for the mental image.

Excuse me while I burn my brain

[Grapes]

Yeah pardon me while I extract my medula oblongata with a spatula

[gnosis]

^I seem to recall you predicting this.

Sad how it's come to pass....

Frosty
(anti-sage)

[Grapes]

What, that'd I'd have to eviscerate part of my brain with a blunt object?

Oh well, life will be blissful ignorance from here on out

[gnosis]

^No, this:

http://fnk.ca/board/f8/coffee-lounge...arning-211207/

Frosty
(standing by for a new wum-ban)

[Grapes]

Hah yeah that was a previous system. But it's all just a little bit of history repeating

[esoter1c]

Originally Posted by Grapes

But it's all just a little bit of history repeating

[project.one]

Won't somebody please, think of the children!

[-evil-duerr-]

[ebbomega]

Who the hell puts two words together like "Bathroom Ecology"? Seriously?