What's this insect called??

[JR1]

Hello,

I found a couple of these (see attached photo!) running about my kitchen floor and was wondering if anyone knows what they are. They are about 8mm long and a fairly quick runners!



Many thanks

Jonathan

[Kayleigh]

They are silverfish..

[JR1]

Wow that was quick!!
Thanks for that - it's nice to know what these are!!

Many thanks
Jonathan

[htcdude]

Yes a Silverfish. I've not seen one before, they look pretty kool though

Nige

[faz]

when they move its cool as well

[Acutipuerilis]

Originally Posted by htcdude

Yes a Silverfish. I've not seen one before, they look pretty kool though

Nige

Now there's a sign of the times. When I was growing up (not tooo long ago) I'd see them regularly, especially in places like my grandmother's draught old cottage in Wales. Before the '70s, when people started getting central heating on mass, they were everywhere. They need damp conditions, and central heating dries the air out too much for them, so most houses will never see them now. Bit of a shame, really.

[Littlesparrow]

I think they live in damp conditions so you might want to think about if and why your kitchen is damp?

[Billabong Karen]

I saw a lot of them when I visited my son in student digs. A LOT.

[Dillybythesea]

Steady on Billabong Karen - with silverfish lurking in various spots around the house I'm not sure I like what you're implying?! (But we ARE very mean with the central heating!)

[faz]

Lepisma saccharina Found throughout the UK Silverfish are primitive, nocturnal insects. Like living fossils, they have hardly changed since the days when they used to scuttle around between the toes of dinosaurs in the primeval forests. Today, you are more likely to find them hiding beneath your kitchen sink.

Silferfish, as the name suggests, have silver coloured, flattened bodies covered in tiny hairs. They have three tails, small eyes, no wings, and antennae almost as long as the body.
Silverfish can live for up to one year without food.
they are are scavengers feeding on anything from mould to flour, even the glue on cardboard cartons.