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What are silverfish and can they drown?

Question

One from my kids: we have silverfish - those tiny creatures that hang around in bathrooms. Where do they come from, can they drown and are they really fish?
Sue, Hendon

Answer

** Definitive **
Name: Elizabeth, Sutton
Qualification: Zoologist
Answer: They are primitive wingless insects and they do drown. They can be washed down the plughole and it won’t affect your plumbing. They breed in cracks in your house and are very persistent.

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