Pest Guide for Silverfish
Silverfish are small (about 12mm-19mm long), wingless insects with six legs that got their name from their often bluish-silver color. They’re able to live in most environments, but they thrive in dark, damp areas. That’s why you’ll often find them in your attic, basement, bathroom, or kitchen. If you do find several silverfish, don’t hesitate to call one of our pest control service areas to set up an inspection.
These insects feed on a variety of foods, including sugars, starches, cereals, flour, wallpaper, books, paper, mold, and more. This makes it easy to find them in various areas of your home or office, but hard to get rid of them. Once they find a source of food, they tend to stay near it, so if you find one silverfish, you’ll likely find more in the same area.
Silverfish are also nocturnal, so you’ll likely discover them out and about during evening hours. Unfortunately, they’re common all year long, so there’s never a season you’re less likely to see them.
Signs of an Infestation
One of the easiest indicators of a silverfish infestation is the presence of skin. Throughout their lives, silverfish molt their skin and leave behind their skin casings, so if you find skin, you’ll likely find silverfish. Another indicator is irregular-shaped holes in wallpaper where silverfish have fed and small yellow stains on fabric.
If you find any of these signs of silverfish in your home or office, don’t hesitate to call our pest control experts. We’ll arrange an inspection appointment and if we find an infestation, we’ll get rid of it quickly so that you can go back to living your life silverfish-free.
Prevention
There are several ways you can prevent a silverfish infestation:
Since silverfish love living in areas with high humidity, one of the main things you can do to prevent an infestation is to lower the humidity in your home. This goes especially for the bathroom – make sure you vent your bathroom well during showers and baths in order to keep the humidity low. You can also infest in a dehumidifier to keep your entire home drier.
Since moisture is a culprit, also make sure that your plumbing fixtures aren’t leaking or causing condensation. In addition, vacuum small cracks and crevices often, since the small size of silverfish make it easy for them to hide in tucked-away areas.
