Due to the insatiable appetite of paper fish. - The city archive stores records in a freezer.
Four weeks ago, a package arrived from a private individual that was promptly stored in the city archives, according to city spokesperson André Siemes. When the head of the archives, Dr. Stefan Sudmann, went to take a look inside, he uncovered a surprising find: tiny fish made out of paper! These little fish, called "Ctenolepisma longicaudatum" in experts' circles, look like silverfish and steer clear of light.
As these creatures feed on paper constantly, they've become the nemesis of scientists specializing in the study of old documents, certificates, maps, and plans. Just look at this creepy 13-millimeter creature with its silver-gray scales!
When Sudmann realized what he was dealing with, he quickly snapped a photo and shot it over to the museum office in Münster, NRW, where they vowed to help with the situation.
Preserving documents
The experts immediately zeroed in on the problem and informed the people of Dülmen (population 47,468) where the town's archives are located to buy a chest. The advice was clear: freeze the documents for a full 24 hours. The paperfish adore temperatures of 20-24 degrees Celsius, but ice is lethal to them. Archive employee Stefan Thodt-Werner added, "That's how we ensure that infested documents, plans, photos, books, and paintings are safe from the pests.”
Surprisingly, this isn't the only location employing this deep-freeze method. Siemens denies allegations of storing frozen pizzas in the archives, but the piles of frozen files are undeniably extensive.
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Source: symclub.org
