Thankfully, these pests are harmless to humans and animals! Silverfish are small pests that do not bite or sting. They aren’t dangerous to pets if consumed, although we don’t recommend feeding them to your cats or dogs as a pest treatment plan. Thankfully, the most harm that these pests cause are as eye-sores.

Nope! Since they don’t sting or bite, and won’t harm your pets if eaten, they’re pretty harmless. That doesn’t mean that they’re welcome in your home, though. Any pest infestations can cause worry and stress in homeowners. They can damage goods like books, clothing, and they’ll even eat your food. If you notice Silverfish in your home, you may want to get rid of them right away.

Silverfish thrive in places that are both dark and damp - places homeowners don’t often spend time in. They can be found in kitchens, atticks, bathrooms, and other parts of your home. They are most attracted to clothing. Keep clothes off of the floor and keeping homes clean can reduce the occurrence of Silverfish.

These pests are pretty easy to spot and identify. Silverfish often have silver or metallic shaped coloring, and long slender bodies with long antennae. They don’t have wings and look unlike many other insects, making them very easy to distinguish.

What do they eat? These pests love to feed on sugary and starchy foods. These foods can be the goods stored in your pantry, left-overs that have been left out in the open, or the pages of books in your home. These bugs have also been known to eat other insects. While they won’t bite you, they may chew on your favorite clothing as a snack!

Silverfish can live for long periods of time and reproduce fairly quickly. These pests can go from an egg to a full sized adult in under 6 months, and follow the typical 3 stages of life that we see followed by both cockroaches and crickets. From an egg, they develop into a nymph and continue to grow until they reach adulthood. These bugs can typically live for up to 8 years!

Using pesticides for large scale infestations are often the best way to resolve a pest problem, but here are a few preventative tips for homeowners looking to keep these insects out of their home:

Keep your kitchen clean and empty the trash bin regularly. Silverfish love food. They will hide in trash bins and other cool, dark places. Keeping your home clean will give Silverfish fewer spots to hide and less leftover food to sustain themselves on.

Regularly check under and around furniture. Silverfish are known to hide under furniture and other easy-to-get-to spaces. Keeping these areas clean will give insects one less place to hide.

While some home remedies may be helpful to reduce the occurrence of Silverfish in your home, pesticide may be necessary for larger infestations. Silverfish can often be hard to spot, and it can be difficult to locate all of the bugs when attempting to remove them from your home. Using a pesticide allows homeowners to fortify their home and treat both the interior and exterior of their property. If you’ve noticed Silverfish or other pests in your home, view our bi-monthly pest control page to learn more about our proven Power Sprayer treatment. If pests come back, so do we!