Firebrat
Encyclopedia
The Firebrat is a small insect (typically 1–1.5 cm) similar to the Silverfish
, both in the order Thysanura
.
Firebrats prefer higher temperatures and require some humidity
, and can be found in bakeries
and near boilers or furnaces. They feed on a wide variety of carbohydrates and starches that are also protein sources such as dog food flour
and book bindings. They are distributed throughout most parts of the world and are normally found outdoors under rocks, leaf litter, and similar, but are also often found indoors where they are considered pests. They are primarily a nuisance inside the home or buildings, as they do not cause major damage, though they can contaminate food, damage paper goods, and stain clothing. Otherwise they are mostly harmless.
At to months of age the female firebrat begins laying eggs
if the temperature is right (90–106 °F or 32–41 °C). It may lay up to 195 eggs in a lifetime. After incubation (12–13 days), the nymphs hatch. The complete life cycle may be passed in 2 to 4 months; thus several generations may result each year.
Silverfish
Lepisma saccharina, frequently called silverfish, fishmoths, carpet sharks or paramites, are small, wingless insects in the order Thysanura...
, both in the order Thysanura
Thysanura
Thysanura is an order of insects, encompassing silverfish and firebrats, known for their three long caudal filaments.The families Machilidae and Meinertellidae of the jumping bristletails were once included with Thysanura....
.
Firebrats prefer higher temperatures and require some humidity
Humidity
Humidity is a term for the amount of water vapor in the air, and can refer to any one of several measurements of humidity. Formally, humid air is not "moist air" but a mixture of water vapor and other constituents of air, and humidity is defined in terms of the water content of this mixture,...
, and can be found in bakeries
Bakery
A bakery is an establishment which produces and sells flour-based food baked in an oven such as bread, cakes, pastries and pies. Some retail bakeries are also cafés, serving coffee and tea to customers who wish to consume the baked goods on the premises.-See also:*Baker*Cake...
and near boilers or furnaces. They feed on a wide variety of carbohydrates and starches that are also protein sources such as dog food flour
Flour
Flour is a powder which is made by grinding cereal grains, other seeds or roots . It is the main ingredient of bread, which is a staple food for many cultures, making the availability of adequate supplies of flour a major economic and political issue at various times throughout history...
and book bindings. They are distributed throughout most parts of the world and are normally found outdoors under rocks, leaf litter, and similar, but are also often found indoors where they are considered pests. They are primarily a nuisance inside the home or buildings, as they do not cause major damage, though they can contaminate food, damage paper goods, and stain clothing. Otherwise they are mostly harmless.
At to months of age the female firebrat begins laying eggs
Egg (biology)
An egg is an organic vessel in which an embryo first begins to develop. In most birds, reptiles, insects, molluscs, fish, and monotremes, an egg is the zygote, resulting from fertilization of the ovum, which is expelled from the body and permitted to develop outside the body until the developing...
if the temperature is right (90–106 °F or 32–41 °C). It may lay up to 195 eggs in a lifetime. After incubation (12–13 days), the nymphs hatch. The complete life cycle may be passed in 2 to 4 months; thus several generations may result each year.