Silverfish

[IwishIwasmoreorganised]

I have just seen one in the corner of our living room.

I hoovered it up.

What are they? Why are they in my house and should I be making efforts to get rid of them?

I think they come because of damp, but that's all I know about them.

I think they eat carpets.

They are harmless. Eat glue, like from your carpet and in books etc.

They are completely harmless and not connected with poor hygiene or anything,they like damper area so are more likely in older houses.I think they are rather beautiful! Don't hoover up the poor little blighters,they will pootle off to their damp hidey holes anyway.

I have them in my loo- have a stash of magazines there- could it be it? Or pee from when ds misses and pees on the wall?

Phew. They occasionally come out at night in our bathroom and I have thought about posting on here asking how bad they are, but was worried about getting slated for being a very bad slattern...

If you squash one it is full of dust, like a moth.

they ate the outside 3" of my MILs carpets... not sure they're quite so harmless

ooh, I love silverfish. When I was a kid, we had them in the living room. Very pretty. I used to spend quite a bit of time watching them.

Well we have parque (?spelling) floors and a big rug so I'll be keeping an eye on that.

Thank you all for your replies - I too was worried that I would be told that they are only in the dustiest, least often hoovered corners and am relieved to hear that he's moved in for other reasons!

Here is what Wiki has to say about the mating habits of silverfish. I have them too by the way and was curious enough to google!

"The reproduction of silverfish is preceded by a ritual involving three phases, which may last over half an hour. In the first phase, the male and female stand face to face, their trembling antennae touching, then repeatedly back off and return to this position. In the second phase the male runs away and the female chases him. In the third phase the male and female stand side by side and head-to-tail, with the male vibrating his tail against the female."

Who knew!?!

oops - I hoovered him up! No more trembling antennae for him!

The mating sounds hilarous. I might try tembling my antennae towards DH later

We have one in the downstairs toilet. I find it fascinating, would never hoover it up, unlike spiders.

I don't have carpet just tiles.