1 00:00:04,960 --> 00:00:08,080 Speaker 1: Hey, there, everybody, and welcome to the short Stuff. I'm Josh, 2 00:00:08,119 --> 00:00:11,440 Speaker 1: and there's shocking it's Jerry's here. She's just kind of 3 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:14,760 Speaker 1: lingering quietly in the background. And this is short stuff. 4 00:00:15,040 --> 00:00:19,160 Speaker 1: I mean there's hiss went away, and that means Jerry's gone. 5 00:00:19,920 --> 00:00:22,880 Speaker 1: That's right. When she was on, it was hissy and 6 00:00:22,920 --> 00:00:25,599 Speaker 1: now it's not hissy. She speaks like a cobra commander. 7 00:00:26,920 --> 00:00:29,440 Speaker 1: I don't know what that means. Do from g I Joe. 8 00:00:29,720 --> 00:00:32,920 Speaker 1: If you watch the cover, watch had kind of before 9 00:00:32,960 --> 00:00:38,440 Speaker 1: his talk, you know, have you ever seen a silverfish? 10 00:00:38,680 --> 00:00:41,839 Speaker 1: That's my line? Oh sorry, Chuck, I thought we were 11 00:00:41,840 --> 00:00:47,080 Speaker 1: mixing it up. Chuck, have you ever seen a silverfish? 12 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,279 Speaker 1: I don't know what his silver fish is? Yes, you do? 13 00:00:49,360 --> 00:00:51,879 Speaker 1: You lie? Is it from g I Joe? That's right, 14 00:00:52,360 --> 00:00:55,720 Speaker 1: he was cobra Commander's right here man, silverfish. It's actually 15 00:00:55,800 --> 00:00:58,520 Speaker 1: kind of no. I have seen I have seen silverfish, 16 00:00:58,600 --> 00:01:01,400 Speaker 1: and they I think a lot of people get freaked 17 00:01:01,440 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: out by silverfish and I don't, And I don't know 18 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:06,760 Speaker 1: if I should. Well, I know I shouldn't, but I 19 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:08,679 Speaker 1: don't know why people do. I guess I think just 20 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:11,800 Speaker 1: because they're weird looking, they're very prehistoric looking, which makes 21 00:01:11,800 --> 00:01:15,560 Speaker 1: sense because apparently they've been around since the Devonian period 22 00:01:15,600 --> 00:01:18,959 Speaker 1: for four million years, and they haven't really changed much 23 00:01:19,640 --> 00:01:23,680 Speaker 1: since then. So I think that it probably is triggers 24 00:01:23,720 --> 00:01:29,840 Speaker 1: some innate, primal part of our evolved brain, that is 25 00:01:29,959 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 1: that that came from whatever those ancient silver fish used 26 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,800 Speaker 1: to eat, you know what I'm saying. Sure, I do 27 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:42,240 Speaker 1: know that they've remained pretty unchanged, largely because they haven't 28 00:01:42,280 --> 00:01:44,720 Speaker 1: really had to. I mean, I guess they were perfect 29 00:01:44,720 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: little beings. Um, And they're very hardy. I think they 30 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: can live six months with just water or just food. 31 00:01:52,880 --> 00:01:54,480 Speaker 1: I think as long as they have one of those two, 32 00:01:54,920 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 1: they're doing fine. Yeah, yeah, which is pretty interesting. But 33 00:01:58,760 --> 00:02:00,880 Speaker 1: I mean that's a long time to go without either one. 34 00:02:00,960 --> 00:02:03,200 Speaker 1: But it's a long time for an insect. A list 35 00:02:03,240 --> 00:02:05,440 Speaker 1: it is. Um. Yeah, and I didn't see how long 36 00:02:05,520 --> 00:02:08,720 Speaker 1: they live for in general, but they do seem fairly hardy. 37 00:02:08,760 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: But to kind of circle back to what you were 38 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,600 Speaker 1: saying initially, if you know whether or not people should 39 00:02:13,600 --> 00:02:16,960 Speaker 1: be scared of them, you shouldn't. They're actually not at 40 00:02:17,000 --> 00:02:20,000 Speaker 1: all harmful to people, and the worst they can do 41 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:23,600 Speaker 1: is maybe, um degrade some of your old books, eat 42 00:02:23,760 --> 00:02:28,360 Speaker 1: some of your favorite startch callers. Nothing really terribly untoward. 43 00:02:28,639 --> 00:02:32,919 Speaker 1: And they also, um don't really tend to break out 44 00:02:32,919 --> 00:02:37,799 Speaker 1: in infestations. And if they do, you've had silverfish a 45 00:02:37,840 --> 00:02:40,200 Speaker 1: long long time. If you've noticed that, you have a 46 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:45,280 Speaker 1: silver fish infestation, because they reproduce very very slowly. Yeah, 47 00:02:45,280 --> 00:02:46,880 Speaker 1: I mean, I don't think I've ever seen more than 48 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:51,040 Speaker 1: one same here in a place. They're like lone wolves. 49 00:02:51,200 --> 00:02:54,360 Speaker 1: You know, I guess an infestation might creep me out 50 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:57,400 Speaker 1: a little bit. But um, you did mention books, and 51 00:02:57,400 --> 00:03:01,240 Speaker 1: that that's because back in the day books, well there 52 00:03:01,280 --> 00:03:04,320 Speaker 1: are still books, like we just wrote one and are 53 00:03:04,320 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: selling a book, but it is not put together with 54 00:03:09,080 --> 00:03:14,120 Speaker 1: glues that use animal byproducts. We made darn sure of that, right. 55 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:16,959 Speaker 1: Actually we didn't have to because that's just the old 56 00:03:16,960 --> 00:03:19,880 Speaker 1: way of putting books together. And the silver fish eat 57 00:03:19,919 --> 00:03:22,959 Speaker 1: these things, not because oh I love to eat books 58 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,560 Speaker 1: or even like the paper. It's it's really kind of 59 00:03:25,600 --> 00:03:29,119 Speaker 1: the starchy, sugary glues and animal proteins used to put 60 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,239 Speaker 1: this stuff together, right exactly, So there s o l 61 00:03:32,840 --> 00:03:35,560 Speaker 1: with new books. But you know the problem is if 62 00:03:35,600 --> 00:03:38,400 Speaker 1: you have an antique book collection, it's probably worth some 63 00:03:38,480 --> 00:03:41,480 Speaker 1: money in the silverfish love that stuff. But for those 64 00:03:41,480 --> 00:03:44,400 Speaker 1: of us who don't collect antique books like we said, 65 00:03:44,760 --> 00:03:47,960 Speaker 1: you know, um, they love starch that you would say, 66 00:03:48,040 --> 00:03:51,800 Speaker 1: spray on like a caller, and they can inadvertently ruin 67 00:03:51,840 --> 00:03:53,920 Speaker 1: your clothes, Like they don't set out to ruin your clothes, 68 00:03:53,960 --> 00:03:56,840 Speaker 1: but them just kind of sucking on and chewing up 69 00:03:56,880 --> 00:04:01,960 Speaker 1: that starch can can harm the fibers as it stands. Um, 70 00:04:02,000 --> 00:04:05,000 Speaker 1: we should just leave bowls of mashed potatoes in the attic. Yeah, 71 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 1: as an offering party, in offering to the silverfish gods, 72 00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:13,160 Speaker 1: should we take a break? Be sure? All right, well 73 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:15,880 Speaker 1: let's take a break and we'll describe these things, because 74 00:04:16,320 --> 00:04:20,920 Speaker 1: we're going to start describing things and we'll be right back. 75 00:04:44,560 --> 00:04:47,920 Speaker 1: So chuck. Yeah, that was ah that that dude wrote 76 00:04:47,960 --> 00:04:50,440 Speaker 1: in to say, hey, um, not all of us can 77 00:04:51,120 --> 00:04:52,839 Speaker 1: go on the internet and look at pictures of what 78 00:04:52,880 --> 00:04:55,000 Speaker 1: you're talking about, so please do describe it. That's why 79 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,480 Speaker 1: you were referencing. Sure, do you want to talk about 80 00:04:58,480 --> 00:05:04,600 Speaker 1: what a silverfish looks like? You're they're skinny, Uh, they're pointy. 81 00:05:04,720 --> 00:05:08,480 Speaker 1: Uh in the abdomen region, they got a little round head. 82 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: Some people say they look like little carrots that that 83 00:05:12,160 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 1: mate it with the fish because they have these little 84 00:05:14,400 --> 00:05:19,039 Speaker 1: silvery tiny gray scales and they kind of shimmer and 85 00:05:19,040 --> 00:05:21,360 Speaker 1: they kind of wiggle like a fish swimming, and I 86 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:23,279 Speaker 1: think that's where they got their name. Plus also if 87 00:05:23,360 --> 00:05:26,279 Speaker 1: you look at their tails, they have those like three 88 00:05:26,400 --> 00:05:30,560 Speaker 1: little kind of pointy appendage. I guess is that what 89 00:05:30,640 --> 00:05:32,839 Speaker 1: they are. They're not. They look they look stingy, but 90 00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:34,560 Speaker 1: they're not. But I don't know if they could sting 91 00:05:34,640 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: other things that aren't humans, I don't know. But yeah, 92 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,000 Speaker 1: they definitely don't sting or bite or anything like that. 93 00:05:39,040 --> 00:05:41,839 Speaker 1: And they don't want to be anywhere near you. So again, 94 00:05:41,920 --> 00:05:44,000 Speaker 1: you don't need to to be worried about them. But 95 00:05:44,040 --> 00:05:46,599 Speaker 1: if you, if you kind of use your imagination and 96 00:05:46,680 --> 00:05:50,400 Speaker 1: just kind of connect those three stingers and fill it 97 00:05:50,400 --> 00:05:52,120 Speaker 1: in a little bit, it looks a lot like a 98 00:05:52,160 --> 00:05:55,600 Speaker 1: fish's tail. Yeah, you know, all the more reason to 99 00:05:55,640 --> 00:05:59,000 Speaker 1: call them silverfish, and all the more reason to fry 100 00:05:59,080 --> 00:06:03,839 Speaker 1: them up with somehow puppies and tartar sauce and have 101 00:06:04,160 --> 00:06:07,599 Speaker 1: mushy peas. Maybe if you're from England, yeah, I guess 102 00:06:07,760 --> 00:06:11,479 Speaker 1: I have a little party. So um, you're going to 103 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:14,680 Speaker 1: find silver fish in places like we said that have 104 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:19,280 Speaker 1: a high starch content, but also very humid places and 105 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,960 Speaker 1: at a certain temperature. They apparently prefer high humidity like 106 00:06:23,000 --> 00:06:29,919 Speaker 1: between um and then temperatures of around seventy eight degrees 107 00:06:29,960 --> 00:06:32,760 Speaker 1: fairre at heights, so they kind of like it a 108 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:35,960 Speaker 1: little tropical, you know what I mean? Yeah, like in 109 00:06:36,000 --> 00:06:38,200 Speaker 1: the summertime in your basement or crawl space, you might 110 00:06:38,200 --> 00:06:41,560 Speaker 1: see them. Um, I think the things that freaked me 111 00:06:41,560 --> 00:06:44,200 Speaker 1: out of those I don't know what they are. They're 112 00:06:44,200 --> 00:06:46,600 Speaker 1: not crickets, but they are cricket, like in the ones 113 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: that jump in very unpredictable directions. Spiders, No, there, crickets 114 00:06:51,760 --> 00:06:54,120 Speaker 1: sort of that they but they leap up in the 115 00:06:54,160 --> 00:06:55,720 Speaker 1: air and you never know which way they're gonna go, 116 00:06:55,800 --> 00:06:59,240 Speaker 1: Like usually cricket will just leap forward like in a grasshopper, 117 00:06:59,320 --> 00:07:01,680 Speaker 1: like they're trying to go somewhere. These things are just 118 00:07:01,720 --> 00:07:07,080 Speaker 1: a little unhinged, right, So, um yeah, I read a 119 00:07:07,080 --> 00:07:09,320 Speaker 1: really good description of how silver fish move. They move 120 00:07:09,440 --> 00:07:13,000 Speaker 1: really really fast and then stop and just kind of 121 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: hang out for a little bit, and then they move 122 00:07:14,360 --> 00:07:18,320 Speaker 1: again really really fast, and it's almost like this, um weird, 123 00:07:18,480 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: kind of disjointed movement from one place to the other. 124 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,320 Speaker 1: But again, usually when they're moving and they see you, 125 00:07:24,360 --> 00:07:26,320 Speaker 1: they're trying to get away from you. They're not coming 126 00:07:26,360 --> 00:07:30,040 Speaker 1: at you. Yeah, and you know, their reproduction cycle is 127 00:07:30,080 --> 00:07:34,120 Speaker 1: pretty long, so you're probably not gonna see infestations. Um. 128 00:07:34,160 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: I think if you do have them, they say, you're 129 00:07:36,040 --> 00:07:39,360 Speaker 1: probably you probably have too much junk lane around or 130 00:07:39,400 --> 00:07:42,760 Speaker 1: maybe you've got a bunch of storage and cardboard boxes, 131 00:07:42,800 --> 00:07:45,240 Speaker 1: which is not a good for many reasons, not a 132 00:07:45,240 --> 00:07:48,520 Speaker 1: good way to store things. And uh, they definitely suggest 133 00:07:48,600 --> 00:07:52,160 Speaker 1: that you store things in plastic bins. Um now that 134 00:07:52,200 --> 00:07:55,040 Speaker 1: we have these sort of modern things available to us 135 00:07:55,440 --> 00:07:58,120 Speaker 1: with lids, and it's a lot harder for I mean, 136 00:07:58,160 --> 00:08:00,200 Speaker 1: it's just a better way to store things, period. And 137 00:08:00,200 --> 00:08:03,920 Speaker 1: one reason I also saw why it is hard to uh, 138 00:08:04,320 --> 00:08:06,200 Speaker 1: why it is hard to end up with a silverfish 139 00:08:06,240 --> 00:08:09,120 Speaker 1: infestation is because, like you were saying, it's a long 140 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:15,200 Speaker 1: reproductive um time. But also silverfish um. Female silverfish only 141 00:08:15,280 --> 00:08:17,800 Speaker 1: lay about a hundred eggs over the course of their lifetime, 142 00:08:18,040 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 1: which seems really low, um as far as insect eggs go, 143 00:08:22,160 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 1: don't you think it seems like it? And I guess 144 00:08:25,080 --> 00:08:27,040 Speaker 1: they only lay about three or six at a time, 145 00:08:27,560 --> 00:08:29,440 Speaker 1: and it takes about three to six weeks for them 146 00:08:29,480 --> 00:08:32,679 Speaker 1: to hatch. So if you see a silverfish, you probably 147 00:08:32,720 --> 00:08:34,480 Speaker 1: don't have much to worry about. But if you do 148 00:08:34,559 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 1: want to get rid of them, chuck, what do you do? 149 00:08:36,600 --> 00:08:39,400 Speaker 1: I mean, surely you have to like tape up your 150 00:08:39,440 --> 00:08:41,720 Speaker 1: house and like go get a fogger and like get 151 00:08:41,720 --> 00:08:44,679 Speaker 1: all the furniture out, and then it's a real problem, right, 152 00:08:45,840 --> 00:08:47,680 Speaker 1: I mean, you know me, I tend to just leave 153 00:08:47,760 --> 00:08:50,640 Speaker 1: them alone. But they do say that you can just 154 00:08:50,760 --> 00:08:54,439 Speaker 1: vacuum them up and get ready or clutter reduce the 155 00:08:54,559 --> 00:08:58,320 Speaker 1: humidity if you can. Um But I say, don't really 156 00:08:58,320 --> 00:09:00,839 Speaker 1: sweat it so much because there's probably not many of them. 157 00:09:00,840 --> 00:09:03,240 Speaker 1: And if you do have a real infestation, you can 158 00:09:03,360 --> 00:09:05,840 Speaker 1: call a professional, right, But I mean, but I don't 159 00:09:05,840 --> 00:09:09,040 Speaker 1: recommend it. If you don't have a like an antique 160 00:09:09,160 --> 00:09:13,120 Speaker 1: um book collection at steak, then yeah, maybe just coexists, 161 00:09:13,200 --> 00:09:16,599 Speaker 1: right yeah. And if you're storing your antique collection in 162 00:09:16,640 --> 00:09:19,760 Speaker 1: a cardboard box in your Carls stage, then you don't 163 00:09:19,800 --> 00:09:23,320 Speaker 1: care about it exactly. You got anything else about silverfish? 164 00:09:24,120 --> 00:09:27,480 Speaker 1: Nothing else? Leave him alone, everybody? Uh? And since I 165 00:09:27,480 --> 00:09:29,280 Speaker 1: said leave him alone, I guess that means that this 166 00:09:29,320 --> 00:09:34,640 Speaker 1: short stuff is apt. Stuff you should know is a 167 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:37,920 Speaker 1: production of iHeart Radios. How stuff works for more podcasts 168 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,080 Speaker 1: for my heart Radio becausit the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, 169 00:09:41,160 --> 00:09:42,880 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.