How to Prevent Silverfish

How to Prevent Silverfish

Mar 29, 2023 | Florida Pest Control

South Florida Pest Control: Identifying Silverfish

While silverfish are harmless to humans, if infested, they can become a huge nuisance to your home! These pests are prevalent in most Lauderhill, Florida homes and once they get inside, it’s hard to eliminate them as they can live up to 8 years and reproduce frequently. Learn more about these common household pests and how you can prevent silverfish below.

Why Silverfish Infest

These pests look to our homes mainly for food sources and a warm place to inhabit. They tend to eat sugary substances and will eat books, wallpaper, shirts, clothes, and even photographs! They will also look to lay their eggs in an environment they thrive in, seeking out dark, moist hidden areas of homes, such as our basements or attics.

How to Prevent Silverfish

Silverfish are known to rapidly reproduce, making it harder to get rid of if you do end up spotting these creatures inside. Luckily, there are some easy do-it-yourself preventative measures to place throughout your home.

  • Keep dry food in your pantry with tightly sealed containers
  • Dust your home often as certain particles can contain starches
  • Store your clothes in a dry environment
  • Utilize caulk to seal cracks, holes, or openings
  • Consider investing in a dehumidifier to reduce the humidity inside your home
  • Remove piles of brush, old plants, wood, and leaves

How to Eliminate Silverfish

Even after you’ve placed preventative measures throughout your home and they are still infesting, it could be time for some professional help. Your local South Florida pest control company will be able to set you up with a comprehensive treatment and prevention plan.

Why are Silverfish in my Macon Home?

Why are Silverfish in my Macon Home?

Mar 1, 2023 | Pest Control

Ranging from 12 to 19 mm in size, silverfish are household pests that are attracted to dark, damp areas. They range in colors including white, brown-grey, and bluish-silver. Silverfish are wingless with a flat appearance and 3 thread-like tails. Their size and shape allow them to hide in small spaces.

They feed on starch and sugar and find a lot of these options in your home. You can find them eating paste from book bindings, photos, clothing, bedding, curtains, old papers, wallpaper paste, shampoo, dead insects, pasta, flour, cereal, and other common starches. Because of this they are typically found in kitchens and pantries.

Beyond the kitchen, they can be found in bathrooms, basements, attics, and laundry rooms, which provide dark, damp spaces. They usually find their way indoors when the weather begins to get warmer and drier or when there is excessive rainfall.

Their jaws aren’t strong enough to pierce human skin, but they are fast and can usually escape predators fairly quickly. They will cause damage to your home by chewing fabrics, contaminating food they are eating, and triggering allergies.

Common signs of silverfish include:

  • Holes, notches, edges on surface they eat
  • Yellow stains or discarded scales
  • Feces in the form of tiny black pellets

Prevent silverfish by:

  • Cleaning out closets and cabinets and dusting bookshelves
  • Storing food in airtight containers
  • Removing piles of wet leaves from your yard
  • Using a dehumidifier in damp areas like basements and crawlspaces
  • Keeping the perimeter of your home clean and dry
  • Sealing the exterior of your home

If you notice an increase in silverfish in your Georgia home, contact your local pest control company for a thorough evaluation.

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