The Long-tailed Silverfish (Ctenolepisma longicaudatum) is a newer acquaintance in our homes. They are very similar to the Silverfish but are bigger and hairier as they grow into adults. They also have longer tail threads.
The Long-tailed Silverfish thrives in modern dwellings and lives very well in dry conditions. Unlike a similar and very much like a Long-tailed Silverfish, Silverfish needs moisture around it to feel good and reproduce.
When you have Long-tailed Silverfish in your home, you can see them climbing on all surfaces and even on the ceiling. The Long-tailed Silverfish is a very good climber and is able to climb a smooth vertical surface up and down which is something a Silverfish can’t.
The Long-tailed Silverfish is also said to thrive in the dark like the Silverfish, but in reality it also thrives quite well in daylight. That is what I can tell you from my own experience. The Long-tailed Silverfish thrives well in daylight and does not so scare away from movement around it. The size may be disturbingly large and hairy. They do not harm us humans in any way, they are just irritating and unpleasant.
Long-tailed Silverfish are wingless insects with a dark gray surface with scales, which is why they are less shiny than Silverfish. The typical body length of an adult Long-tailed Silverfish is 10–14 mm without tactile horn-like socks and hairs, but from experience von say that they grow up to 18 mm in length. With their hair and socks they look bigger yet.
The shape of the body is similar to that of Silverfish. The body of the Long-tailed Silverfish is flat and elongated, tapering to the back. On the back side there are three long socks. The middle sock points straight back and is approximately the length of the Long-tailed Silverfish’s own body, while the side socks point to the side almost without exception. On the head there are two long socks and two shorter ones.
When nymphs hatch from an egg, they are about 2 mm long. After 14 stages of development, they grow and become more like an adult. Young individuals do not have scales and for this reason look pale.
Long-tailed Silverfish can be seen indoors all year round. They thrive in just about any space in their home and thrive in modern houses.
The nutrition of long-tailed silverfish
The Long-tailed Silverfish is actually quite omnivorous. They can eat flour, cereal grain, potato peelings, breadcrumbs, dead insects and all organic material are well suited for it. Adult individuals can live for a long time without eating and can also eat paper and wallpaper. However, in order to develop properly, they need decent and varied food.
The development of the Long-tailed Silverfish
The full development of a long-tailed silverfish from a juvenile to an adult, lasts from 18 months to up to 3 years. Adults can live for several years and produce about 50 eggs per year.
Living conditions of long-tailed silverfish
Long-tailed Silverfish thrive well also in damp and dry, they are not picky. Adults and young long-tailed silverfish are sensitive to low and high temperatures. The Long-tailed Silverfish dies in frost. The development and functioning of the Long-tailed Silverfish is completely inhibited at temperatures below 16 C and stops completely at temperatures below 11C. At temperatures above 26C, their lifespan is limited, and at temperatures above 40 C, they live only a few hours and then die. The Long-tailed Silverfish dies in hot and frost.
Disadvantages of the Long-tailed Silverfish
In addition to being irritating life partners, they can also damage paper materials. For example, museums and historical collections can be at risk if long-tailed silverfish spread. For this reason, it is necessary to be extremely vigilant in the environment where the material to be protected is available.
In addition to food, the Long-tailed Silverfish eats cotton, linen, paper, stamps and any fabrics made of plant material.
The long-tailed silverfish can be difficult to eradicate, but with persistent and consistent poisoning, these can be gotten rid of. In these pages we tell our story in the fight against the long-tailed silverfish. It is worth reading so that you can understand what all is worth doing in order to destroy them as quickly and easily as possible.
Where does the Long-tailed Silverfish come from in our homes?
The Long-tailed Silverfish is carried to our homes by moving goods, for example In shipments in cardboard boxes. They can live in storage rooms, so when you order a product to your home, there may be more in the package than the item you ordered. Long-tailed Silverfish can travel with bags and handbags from school, kindergarten and workplaces.
And to this end. With the deep voice of experience, you can get rid of these! Do not fall into despair. Cheers to all with the long-tailed silverfish war!