Useless knowledge

[frualeydis]

Earwigs are killed if exposed to 60 degrees C for longer times. We have just finished drying the walls of our pavilion in our rather small drying cabinets (approx. 180 cm tall, 80 cm deep and 150 cm wide). It rained when we took down the pavilion so we needed to dry it. Earwigs are extremely common on Gotland so there's always LOTS of them under every piece of fabric you have. Of course we brushed the tent but at least 20-30 made it home with us.
There are also always lots of pill bugs that roll into little balls whenever you try to get them out of your bed.

Comments

[pooklaroux.livejournal.com]

actually not as useless as you might have thought...earwigs are fairly common here in rural Pennsylvania and New York state. What are "drying cabinets"? Lord knows we might need them next year.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

It's in the laundry room (all swedish blocks of flats are required to have laundry rooms). Basically it's cupboards with hanging rods and air is blown throught them. They're used to dry clothes and other laundry that needs hanging instead of dry tumbling. You can choose heat, from 30 to 90 degrees C.

Eva

[pooklaroux.livejournal.com]

Oh I wish we had such things here in the States! That sounds really useful!

[marymont.livejournal.com]

They do now, but they're frightfully expensive: http://www.maytag.com/mths/products/apl_family.jsp?family=Neptune+Drying+Center&domain=Dryers&cs=2&BV_UseBVCookie=No&BV_SessionID=@@@@1566518636.1155868462@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccfaddigejfeggcfjnceifdffldgfg.0

[tattycat.livejournal.com]

There are also always lots of pill bugs that roll into little balls whenever you try to get them out of your bed.

*smiles* When I was a child, we called these little critters "roly-polies." I haven't thought about that in years.

[marymont.livejournal.com]

My mama taught me to call them "sow bugs", but I've heard (and used) both of the other terms, too.

[frualeydis.livejournal.com]

I had to look forever for an englsih word. My dictionary is at work and apparently the swedish word "gråsugga" (grey sow) has a lot fo other meanigns that I wasn't aware of.

Eva

[clothsprogs.livejournal.com]

There is (or was, back in the late 80's) an English childrens' TV show called Creepy Crawlies and one of the characters is a Woodlouse, who prefers to be referred to as "Pillbug" by the other insects

"'Pillbug', if you don't mind, Mr Harrison." Is the catch-phrase I remember from the last time I saw the show.

Teddy