What Do Silverfish Look Like?
Silverfish are shaped like a teardrop. They grow from the moment they hatch from their egg to an adult without any obvious changes in appearance other than size. They are about 12 to 19 mm long and can be white, blue, brown, or – as their name suggests, silver. Silverfish have three long bristles located on the rear end of their body.
Silverfish have flat elongated bodies about 1/3 to 3/4 of an inch in length. They’re unable to fly due to their lack of wings but compensate for this by being able to move incredibly quickly. They’re also nocturnal so you’re unlikely to sight them during the day. Keep reading if you want to know the conditions that attract silverfish.
What Conditions Attract Silverfish?
Silverfish can live in almost any climate, but if given a choice, they will choose a dark and damp location. Inside your home, you would be most likely to find silverfish in your kitchen, bathroom, or basement where the air is moist and more humid. They really like paper and cardboard boxes, so if you have items stored in boxes in the garage or attic, you are also likely to find silverfish in those areas.
Silverfish can survive in almost any environment, but they prefer areas with high humidity. Silverfish nymphs develop faster in areas that are humid. Therefore, one of the best ways to prevent an infestation is to control humidity. In crawl spaces, open vents and in basements, use baseboards with caulking. Silverfish consume a variety of foods, and stringent housekeeping practices may help prevent an infestation by limiting potential feeding sites. What homeowners should know about silverfish.
What Do Silverfish Eat?
When they find their way inside your home, silverfish will eat just about anything with sugar or starch content. This means they can eat your shampoo, the glue holding your books together, your clothing, other insects, cellulose from wood, and even your own food items that haven’t been opened yet.
Are Silverfish Dangerous?
Silverfish do not carry or spread diseases and do not bite people. They are nocturnal so you are most likely to spot them during the nighttime, if at all. You could have an infestation of silverfish for a long time before you even know about it, because they are so secretive and like to remain hidden as much as possible. Silverfish reproduce quickly though, so you could end up with a large infestation of the pests before you realize they’re in your home.
While they are not harmful to humans, they do have destructive feeding habits and can damage clothing, books, and wallpaper.
How Does Innovative Pest Control Eliminate Silverfish?
DIY techniques like cinnamon will repel silverfish from the area that you place the cinnamon, but it won’t kill the insects or the eggs. To eliminate a silverfish infestation, you need to both eliminate the existing insects and the eggs. Most people find do it yourself methods ineffective in completely removing silverfish from their home, and need to call the professional pest control team at Innovative Pest Control for assistance.
Silverfish Prevention Tips
Preventing silverfish is easier than trying to get rid of they’ve infested your home. Because silverfish are attracted to high moisture areas, you should take steps to reduce the moisture and humidity levels in your home. It’s also important to eliminate any entry points into your home.
- Make sure your bathroom is properly vented when using the shower or bathtub.
- Open the window a crack to allow steam to escape so it will not dampen the walls, and run the extractor fan.
- Check the exterior of your home and caulk any openings and replace any screens with holes or rips in them.
- Add door sweeps to all exterior doors to ensure a tight seal.
- Invest in a year-round home pest control program to eliminate silverfish from your East Texas home.
