A silverfish, also referred to as fishmoth, urban silverfish, or carpet shark, is a tiny insect with a slender, flattened body that is around ½ to 1 inch long. It is light gray and blue coloring shimmers and looks to be a silvery color. This, and the fact that it slithers across surfaces in an almost fishlike manner is how it gets its name. Not only are these creatures creepy and disturbing, they can be damaging to belongings.
What problems do they cause?
Although silverfish are not directly dangerous to humans, in that they do not bite or carry diseases, they are dangerous to belongings. Some of the items silverfish tend to damage include old photos, wallpaper, books, fabrics and more.
- Photos: While digital photos are safe from the deleterious effects of a silverfish invasion, old photos stored away somewhere may not be so lucky. When silverfish deface old photos, you may not only lose the photos themselves but the memories that they hold as well.
- Wallpaper: Silverfish love to eat the paste on wallpaper. This will cause that wallpaper to sag and have unsightly areas of deterioration. If this happens, you could end up facing costly repairs by having to re-paper or paint, making silverfish not only dangerous to your wallpaper, but to your wallet as well.
- Books and fabrics: Silverfish also love to eat the glue that holds books together, as well as organic fabrics. If you have books that you treasure, or clothing you would rather not have eaten by insects, it is important to take care of a silverfish infestation right away.
How can silverfish be prevented?
In order to keep silverfish from invading in the first place, try implementing the following tips:
- Fill in any gaps or cracks found in your foundation or outside walls using liquid cement or a caulking gun. It doesn't take much of a gap for these tiny insects to squeeze through.
- Replace any mulch you have near your foundation with gravel, rocks, or some other dry material that does not retain moisture. If you prefer mulch, consider having your pest control company lay down a chemical barrier between your mulch and basement walls. Silverfish and other pests are drawn to moisture, so this will help keep them away from your home.
- Be sure that all of your screens and door sweeps are present and in good working condition. Again, it doesn't take much of a gap for silverfish to squeeze their way into your home.
If you have done all you can to prevent silverfish, or get them out of your home, and you are still having problems, please do not hesitate to call us here at Big Blue. We can take care of those silverfish, as well as a multitude of other household pests. Reach out to us today to learn about our residential pest control services.