This article is a complete guide to the silverfish. It contains most of the information you need to know about silverfish, including where they live, what they look like, their life cycles, and what you can do to remove silverfish from your home or apartment.
Silverfish Identification
The silver fish is about half an inch long. When fully grown, they are silvery and bluish in color, but can also be light gray to brown or black. They have two large antennae that extend from the head and three short tails. They are teardrop-shaped insects and move in fluid, fish-like movements, which is what gives them their name. They are wingless and nocturnal in nature. They require a humidity level of 75% to 95%.
It is important to note that silverfish are not harmful to humans in any way. They do not bite and cannot spread disease. They can cause damage to your home, apartment, or property if you don’t control the silverfish infestation.
Life conditions
Silverfish are attracted to water and areas that have high humidity. They are most often found in bathrooms behind the toilet, in bathtubs, attics, or basements. Outside, they are often found under piles of leaves or wet rocks.
Extermination of silver fish
There are numerous ways to kill silverfish. You can buy traps and poisons at your local hardware store. There is a non-toxic silverfish trap that attracts the bugs and holds them in a sticky paste until they die. There are also Dekko Silverfish Packs, which is a poison that attracts them and causes them to die. Other possible methods are salt, boric acid, cloves, and diatomaceous earth. You can sprinkle them along the nooks, crannies, cracks, and baseboards of your home and they will kill silverfish quickly. Many people don’t want toxins in their home around their children and animals, so be sure to read the label of any product very carefully.
Prevention methods
The problem with killing silver bugs is that they reproduce very quickly and lay their eggs in many small cracks and crevices. Killing as many as you can can help curb a silverfish infestation, but it probably won’t completely eliminate them from your home.
The best method of eliminating silverfish is to make their environment less attractive to them. They eat a wide variety of things, including book bindings, clothing, wallpaper, glue, dander, carpets, and human food. While it’s not practical to put most of these items in a sealed plastic box, you can put all of your food in containers. This will help reduce your food supply.
Identify areas of your home that have silverfish. It is important to dry these places and make them inhospitable. You can do this by ventilating the air, running your air conditioner, or using a dehumidifier. The areas you’re likely to find them in are laundry rooms, under sinks, bathrooms, attics, and basements.
Breeding Cycles
The breeding cycle of the silverfish is approximately one to two months. After this time, if you don’t see any more silverfish in your house, you should be free and clear of these pesky little bugs.