'silver fish'

Hi

Can anyone help me with these insects? My husband tells me they are like 'silver fish' which you get in England. They are black and long with lots of legs and very fast. They seem to arrive in my bathrooms overnight when it is quite and I really.really hate them!!

They climb walls,baths,anything and seem to get quite large. I have 2 small children so the thought of these things running around on my kids beds really keeps me awake at night! ( Having a 4 month old also keeps me awake most of the night!) They seem to hang around on the ceiling for days if I let them and I do not know how to get rid of them. I have never had them in any other apartment I have lived in so does anyone know what they are and how I can kill them please???

Silverfish get in through cracks holes and can attack your clothes and books.  I would be surprised if those you have in Spain are silverfish as they normally thrive in temperatures less than 80 degrees F, hence they can be prolific in UK.  The like damp areas so a good dehumidifier is the best way of keeping them down.  To kill them off, you need an insecticidal dust and ZUM is a good brand name for this (same as the one that gets rid of ants).

I would suggest you really have things called firebrats which are similar but like higher temperatures of around 100 degrees F.  Normal sprays are no good for silverfish or firebrats as they only work when they come into contact with the creature.  As firebrats hide in the daytime, you need to put something down which stays, like the ZUM powder.   Look at the contents and, if it says it contains chlorpyrifos (Dursban), diazinon (Spectracide), malathion, permethrin, or propoxur (Baygon) then these will be effective for indoor use. 

The following from "How to get rid of ......" website

Thoroughly spray surfaces that silverfish or firebrats crawl over. Spray around baseboards, door and window casings, closets, and places where pipes go through walls or floors.

Before spraying around upholstered furniture, draperies, carpeting, or wall coverings, test an inconspicuous spot to make sure the chemical will not stain the fabric. If you are doubtful about treating some surfaces, consider calling a professional pest control operator who will assume the risk and liability of the treatment.

Remember, sprays do not always take effect immediately. However, when properly applied, they leave a residue that controls the insects within a few weeks.

Thanks bobaol for the info

I will look up firebrats. The only problem I have is putting any sort of liquid down where my babies can get to it? I have a 2 1/2 year old and a 4 month old so I need something suitable as they both will put things in their mouths before i can stop them alot of the time! Does anyone have any idea how to deal with these things without putting my kids in harms way? My daughter is now potty trained so is in the bathroom alot touching everything!

What causes these things to come? I have not kept my house as clean as i would like for the past few months because I am so tired with both babies,are these 'firebrats' coming because I have let things go to much?

The "ingredients" I put in my post are not harmful to humans (if I could call my grandkids "human" that is) so are OK for use indoors.  These creatures (the silverfish and firebrats, that is, not my grandkids) like humidity.  Silverfish, especially, like the wallpaper paste which they thrive on so that shouldn't really matter so much in Spain.  It has nothing to do with cleanliness, more the damp areas which you get in high humidity so using a dehumidifier (many air conditioner units have this setting) is a good thing.  Plus, make sure you spray or powder the areas which get damp such as behind washing machines, dishwashers etc.  Also check the sealant around sinks and baths as these get very damp and tend to have gaps or holes which they come through.  Reseal these areas to stop them coming in.  Oh, and by the way, these things are harmless to humans.