As their name suggests, silverfish (Lepisma Saccharinum) are silver or gray insects. Silverfish are typically fast-moving, nocturnal insects with many habits, same as cockroaches. These wingless adults are approximately 1 ½ to an inch in length, and their smooth bodies help them slip into cracks easily. Like cockroaches, silverfish can initiate allergic reactions in some individuals but are primarily nuisance pests that don’t bite nor are likely to spread pathogens that cause illnesses.
Nevertheless, they can infect food, damage paper items, and stain clothing, so you don’t want them hanging around your home. At Accurate Pest Control, we believe that a silverfish infestation is moderately common. Contact a licensed/insured exterminator in San Antonio if you encounter a silverfish infestation. We’ll help you get silverfish and other insect infestations under control efficiently.
Considering what attracts silverfish to your house is essential to help eradicate them and keep them out of your home.
Here are a few things that can attract silverfish:
1. Dampness
Silverfish are very sensitive to moisture and require high humidity levels to stay alive; therefore, they’re attracted to moist, wet conditions. You can mostly find silverfish in bathrooms, kitchens, laundry rooms, garages, and cabinets. They can drift out of high humidity areas for some time but at most times need higher humidity levels to thrive.
2. Dark & Warm Places
Silverfish gather food by running around at night and hiding in small, dark, and warm places away from people. They prefer hiding in dark places with temperatures between 70–90 degrees. You will more likely find them in a damp basement than in a scorching attic, mainly during the summer.
3. Carbohydrates & Protein
Silverfish love to eat carbohydrates like flour, oats, and starches in paper, book bindings, cardboard boxes, glue, and insulation. Apart from this, they also love eating proteins like dried beef and dead bugs.
Silverfish Are A Caution Sign Of Other Damage
Having silverfish in homes is frightening not because of the creature itself but because they often bring many other problems. They cannot make their entry points by themselves; they mostly enter through water-damaged spots that could become an outlet to other insects/rodents.
Here Are A Few Takeaways:
- Store your food/clothes in plastic boxes as silverfish cannot penetrate hard material.
- Silverfish hide and lay eggs in cracks/crevices, so inspect these areas whenever you’re cleaning. Empty the contents outside so the bugs can’t flee inside your home.
- Cautiously look for all entry points and seal them quickly to prevent other pests from coming in.
- It’s always advisable to book a professional home pest control in San Antonio like Accurate Pest Control and save your family/home from these irritating creatures.
From bed bugs, rodents, and mosquitoes to wasps and carpenter ants, our experts can safely eradicate all unwanted guests from your home/workplace quickly. Call us today for pest control at your home/office. We are determined to ensure total client satisfaction.
Call Accurate Pest Control on (726) 268-5733 to learn more about silverfish and what attracts them to homes.