If your home is buzzing with a shiny and fast-moving bugs that hastily disappear into hiding when the lights are turned on, it may be a Silverfish. The Silverfish has been on our planet for a long time. According to some estimate, the Silverfish could be estimated to be up to 300 million years old and is one of the most primitive insect species of our species.
The surface of the Silverfish is shimmering, slightly folding into silver. The size of an adult is about 1 cm. The body of the Silverfish is tapered backwards clearly, with two tactile horns on the head and three socks at the end.
The Silverfish thrives best in damp rooms.
The Silverfish (Lepisima saccaharina) is relatively harmless. The Silverfish can use nearly anything for food, especially everything that contains sugar, starch, cellulose and proteins. A Silverfish can destroy paper, notebook textiles, and anything with starch.
Silverfish likes to eat:
– Flour
– Oatmeal
– Dried meat
– Paper
– Cardboard
– Books
– Adhesives
– Vegetables
– Cereals
– Dead insects
Reproduction of Silverfish
Female Silverfish lay eggs continuously once they have reached sexual maturity. They lay eggs in any of the various furrows in your home between the moldings, in the cracks, in the crevices in the tiles. The eggs of the Silverfish hatch in good conditions within 3 weeks. Good conditions are heat and humidity.
Young Silverfish are light in color and very delicate. They may be difficult to detect depending on the surfaces where you are. Young silverfish reach adulthood in 4-6 weeks and this, too, depends on the growing conditions. Young Silverfish otherwise look like grown Silverfish, but they are only very light in color compared to an adult Silverfish and they are also smaller in size.
Living conditions of the Silverfish
Silverfish live for a relatively long time, from 2 to 8 years. They can live without food for up to a year. Silverfish need plenty of moisture and are really dependent on humid conditions. Silverfish grow in moist and warm conditions. They like darkness very much and therefore in bright light they are hardly noticed.
Large Silverfish populations can grow to a large size due to their continuous reproduction. The silverfish can grow even in new buildings built with brick or stone that has been damp.
Silverfish can also be found inthe following places:
- Basements
- Sinks
- Bath tubs
- Cabinet shelves
- Behind the floor moldings
- Book Shelves
- Surroundings of windows
- Behind the door frames
Where do Silverfish come from?
Silverfish may arrive at their new home with shopping, and especially with cardboard boxes and cardboard packaging. The silverfish also arrive in boxes, among papers or books that arrive from the places where they have lived before.
Are Silverfish harmful?
Silverfish are harmless to humans themselves, but they can leave feces in your food and on table surfaces while moving around and are likely to do so and may therefore contaminate them. These feces also stains surfaces and leaves marks. Silverfish will not bite and in any case will not harm you, if not mentally.
Silverfish use glue for food. They can get it from your wallpaper, bindings from books, certain types of carpets, curtains and furniture coverings.
How to get rid of Silverfish?
- Store your food in tight sealed containers.
- Vacuum regularly.
- Store food only in a specific place in your home.
- Vacuum carpets, furniture and floors regularly.
- Clean well the remnants of food.
- Always take out the garbage at the end of the day.
Silverfish love water!
Always dry the shower rooms with a spatula after you have showered since Silverfish multiply in humidity. Also try to dry the basement premises if necessary, for example, with a building dryer. Pay attention to the fact that rainwater is lead away from your house.
Since Silverfish lay eggs in cracks and burrows, they can be compacted and so you can eliminate possible new litters.
For example, use diatomaceous earth or other powders in cracks and spaces that you would not normally visit, such as crawl spaces and attics. These powders work best when staying dry.
For other spaces in your home, use a suitable insecticides.