Silverfish — A Common Texas Pest
Tired of finding pesky silverfish in your clothing, books, and papers? While silverfish won’t harm you, they can destroy your home. Unfortunately, these small, shiny silver insects are a prominent pest species around Boerne and the Texas Hill Country.
Ready to eliminate these pests? Call the professionals at Covenant Pest Control for a free inspection and customized pest treatment plan.
What does a Silverfish look like?
Silverfish are tiny insects, only about ½ to ¾ inch long, with fish-like scales. They have a flat, oval-shaped body, two antennae, and three tail projections. People call them “bristletails” due to their three long tail-like appendages. Silverfish are wingless and appear like fish with their rapid side-to-side movement.
Where do Silverfish live?
Silverfish normally live outdoors under rocks, bark, and leaf mold. They need moisture and high humidity to survive.
In drier climates, they will invade your home as a means of survival searching for a moist living space. They like to hide in dark, damp places such as attics and basements. And are often spotted around bathtubs and sinks.
You’ll also find them in your kitchen seeking out flour, cereals, and other grains.
Lifecycle of a Silverfish
Once a silverfish reaches adulthood, it lays eggs constantly. In fact, it can lay up to 60 eggs at one time. These eggs hatch within 3 weeks and the young mature within 4 to 6 weeks. With a lifespan of anywhere from 2 to 8 years, it’s easy to see how these native pests can quickly become a huge problem in your home. Unfortunately, these hardy pests can survive up to a year without food.
What do Silverfish eat?
Silverfish are chewing insects. They eat carbohydrates and protein. They feed on flour, oats, paper, cardboard, books, cereals, and dead insects. In fact, they often enter your home in cardboard boxes or plastic containers previously stored in an infested area.
Are Silverfish harmful?
Silverfish won’t hurt you. But they can contaminate your food. Make sure to check your food for droppings and throw out anything that has evidence of an insect infestation.
If you find Silverfish in your home, it is a definite cause for concern. Silverfish will eat through clothing, carpet, photos, and even coffee and sugar. Silverfish can cause major damage to your personal property.
Call Covenant Pest Control at (830) 320-4002 for your FREE consultation. We’ll send an expert technician to your home to do a thorough inspection. And we’ll recommend the best pest treatment plan to rid your home of these unwanted pests.
10 Tips for Preventing Silverfish?
- Regularly inspect your home for potential entry points for unwanted pests. Seal foundation cracks, gaps around doors, and repair torn screens.
- Regularly clean closets.
- Keep floors cleaned and vacuumed.
- Use airtight food storage containers.
- Limit the moisture in your home by using a dehumidifier.
- Keep crawl space vents open for increased air circulation.
- Keep under-sink areas in the kitchen and bathrooms well-ventilated.
- Keep gutters clean and ensure water drains away from your home to reduce dampness.
- Clear out paper clutter. Silverfish feast on paper products such as old magazines and books.
- Use cinnamon and cloves to keep Silverfish at bay.
How to Spot a Silverfish Infestation
Silverfish often go unnoticed for extended periods because they like to come out at night and move very quickly.
You might find half-eaten pages in a book or chewed boxes in your pantry. Feeding marks like tiny holes or notches along a surface edge, yellow stains, or evidence of tiny black pepper-like pellet dropping are also signs of silverfish.
Remember Silverfish reproduce very quickly allowing for rapid infestation. They can be difficult to control. Don’t wait!
Call Covenant Pest Control for Help
If you think you have an infestation of Silverfish, call Covenant Pest Control today. You can count on our experienced pest control technicians to get the job done right!
Have pest concerns besides silverfish? Check out our information on roaches, scorpions, spiders, and ants. Or just give us a call and we can get you scheduled for services.