Seeing a silverfish crawling around your house now and again might seem pretty innocuous. Silverfish cannot sting. They're not particularly disgusting and don't do significant property damage like termites and rats. However, a big enough silverfish problem can damage valuable and irreplaceable possessions, so they still need to be on your Del Rio pest control to-do list.
How To Identify A Silverfish
Silverfish are usually pretty easy to spot because of their distinct appearance. They do look like tiny, silvery fish. Though, if you look up close, silverfish look more like tiny silver shrimp or crayfish.
Silverfish are white in their juvenile stages and only attain their silvery color when they reach maturity. They have sectional bodies that taper off at the tail and feature long antennae at the front and a set of long abdominal appendages that look like fishtails.
Seeing a random silverfish now and again is not necessarily a sign of a significant silverfish infestation. But silverfish do not like to come into contact with people and are very good at hiding. So if you start seeing a silverfish every time you turn around, it's a good sign you have a severe infestation because there are probably many more you aren't seeing.
The Problems Silverfish Can Cause In Your Home
Most people think of silverfish as just an innocuous feature of their house, but this is not exactly true. Silverfish can seriously damage a wide array of items in your house.
These scavengers are kind of like cockroaches in that they'll eat just about anything, but they especially prefer starches. And that doesn't just include potato chips. It can be anything that contains starch, including paper, certain kinds of natural fabrics, glue, and other adhesives.
So you can imagine what can happen if a horde of silverfish gets into your favorite book collection or your nice wallpaper. They can also ruin your pantry food stores like flour, cornstarch, and dried oats.
Why And How Silverfish Find Their Way Into Your Home
Silverfish are attracted to several things inside your home. Predator-free shelter is a big pull for silverfish, but if you get a big enough silverfish infestation, the spiders and scorpions will start following them inside. That can make your house more dangerous for them (and potentially you), but the presence of predators isn't typically much of a deterrent.
This is because your home still has climate control, food, and moisture. Silverfish need lots of moisture to survive. Here in West Texas, moisture can be a tough thing to come by, which is why silverfish will often congregate in human habitations. Usually, we're their only option.
This is why fixing moisture issues like condensation or leaks can be a major way to deter silverfish.
Other ways to reduce their numbers include:
- Storing pantry foods in airtight containers.
- Covering garbage cans.
- Sealing off potential entry points.
- Storing fabrics and books in vacuum bags when not in use.
These best practices can help make your home more hostile to silverfish.
Contact The Professionals For Total Silverfish Control
If you have a silverfish problem, don't waste your time with amateur solutions like silverfish sprays or foggers. Let Gold Star Exterminators handle the silverfish treatment for you! We can eliminate your infestation to protect your valuable items and keep your food stores and cooking surfaces clean.