Are you the type of person who likes to collect blankets, pillow, or other fabric-based items? Do you enjoy running your hand over a factory softened piece of clothing? Do you appreciate your carpets the way they are and not with chew marks all over them? If so, you wouldn’t like silverfish.
A Few Facts About Silverfish
Silverfish are mysterious pests that not many people know about. To help you better understand these curious insects, here are a few fun facts:
- Silverfish cannot fly but compensate by running fast.
- When a silverfish runs, its body wiggles much like that of a fish.
- Along with running as fast as a fish swims, silverfish also have scales that cover their bodies, like fish.
- Silverfish love fabrics but not for the same reason people do: these little pests consume fabric like its candy!
- Silverfish eat many other strange things like shampoo, glue, silk, and dead insects.
- Silverfish often crawl onto bookshelves and consume the glue that holds books together.
- An adult female silverfish produces between two and 20 eggs every day, laying eggs in secluded areas like cracks, crevices, rugs, and carpeting.
- It is not uncommon to find these little pests inside bathtubs, sinks, and other areas that commonly collect water.
How To Identify A Silverfish Infestation
Silverfish are small insects that can be difficult to identify with the naked eye. To help you know if these pests are present inside your Sacramento home, keep your eyes out for these five signs:
- Holes and bite marks in the paper of books, magazines, and newspapers.
- Yellow stains on carpets, clothing, and other fabric-based items around your home.
- Shed silver scales near cracks and crevices, carpets, and secluded areas around your home.
- Pepper-like specs of fecal matter inside carpets, on clothing, and around other fabric-based items.
- Live, ¾” long, silver pests with three tail-like appendages and two long front antennae.
Preventing Silverfish
Silverfish infiltrate homes in a variety of ways and stick around for a variety of reasons. To reduce your chances of a silverfish infestation, here are a few precautions to take around your Sacramento home:
- Store all dry food inside large plastic, glass, or metal containers.
- Dust your home thoroughly and often.
- Use a caulk gun to seal gaps, cracks, and other openings in your home’s exterior foundation.
- Store clothing in a dry environment.
- Fix leaky piping and fixtures inside your home.
- Use a dehumidifier to keep humidity levels down.
- Make sure all of the rooms in your home are properly ventilated.
- Finally, if you suspect your home has silverfish, consider storing books and other valuables these pests might destroy in a safe location.
If your home is currently crawling with silverfish, your next step should be calling a professional. At ProActive Pest Control, we offer effective detailed solutions to quickly remove silverfish. We also offer comprehensive treatments to keep these pests from invading your home in the future.
Let us solve your pest problems. Contact us today to learn more about how we protect properties against pests or schedule a visit for your Sacramento home.