It doesn’t matter if the insect is poisonous or not. If you see one in your house, you might run to your local home improvement store and look for a way to get rid of them. It’s better to call a pest control expert if you have silverfish in your home, even if you think you can get rid of silverfish with any chemical or trap that’s on the market.
What Are Silverfish?
It says that silverfish are from the family Lepismatidae. They are white to brown-gray and bluish-silver. They are teardrop-shaped, about 12 to 19 millimeters in length, and they have three long bristles on the back of their bodies. Silverfish can live in most places, but they like dark, wet places the best. Some places where you’ll find them are basements and crawl spaces. You can also find them in paper and damp clothes that have been wet for a long time.
Silverfish don’t live in drains, Terminix says, even though many people think they do. So because silverfish can’t get up on smooth vertical surfaces like bathtubs and sinks, you’ll find them stuck in them. They are not coming out of your shower or sink drain!
Orkin says that silverfish are a problem because they eat things that are bad for the environment. Starch and sugar are two of the foods they like to eat the most. Besides, you’ll also find them eating cellulose and even dead bugs. They’ll also be found eating glue in books, linen, silk, and even dead bugs. You can also find them in food that hasn’t been opened.
Typical Silverfish Problems
Silverfish look harmless, but if you have a lot of them, they can cause problems. Silverfish don’t carry diseases and aren’t poisonous, but they can cause allergies in people because they shed their skin, Terminix says. In addition to silverfish, carpet beetles and other pests can also be attracted to your home by them.
When silverfish get into your home, they can damage things in your house. It’s possible for them to eat a lot of grains and make holes in your clothes, furniture, and paper. If you have a lot of bugs, they can do a lot of damage to your house.
How to Prevent Silverfish
When it comes to silverfish, prevention is very important. If you have an infestation, Orkin says it can be a long time before you notice it, because they move quickly and are nocturnal. Silverfish love water, and their nymphs grow in humid areas. The best way to keep silverfish out of your home is to keep the humidity level down.
Try to open any vents in your crawl space, use baseboards with caulking, and keep up with your housekeeping because silverfish love to eat a wide range of foods. Keeping your house clean will help keep silverfish from invading and from finding places to eat.
Getting Rid of Silverfish
When there isn’t an infestation, you can put cinnamon in your damp areas because it will keep silverfish away. If you already have bugs in your house, you’ll need to hire a professional to get rid of them. You might want to buy traps or insecticides from a store, but this will only kill the bugs. Unfortunately, most DIY remedies and store-bought traps won’t help you get rid of your pests.
Orkin says that store-bought silverfish traps won’t keep them from coming back into your home. Professionals can get rid of both adult silverfish and their eggs in your home. Keep silverfish out of your home requires a long-term treatment plan. If you hire a local pest control expert, they’ll be able to keep treating your home to get rid of and stop any new silverfish infestations.
