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What is a Silverfish Infestation?
A silverfish infestation refers to the invasion of these bugs into your home. Silverfish indoor infestation is facilitated by certain conditions within your home. These filthy insects will invade your house if you provide them with conducive environment to thrive. Severe infestation can be difficult to control. Therefore, taking early precautions will help you to get rid of them without much effort.
Note that elimination of silverfish from your home will even tougher if it takes longer to notice infestation. You also need to understand that silverfish will never disappear from your on themselves, unless they are eaten by predators like earwig and spiders. Otherwise you have to take actions.
Therefore, the sooner you notice them and get to work of killing them the better for you.
How many Silverfish is an infestation
Infestation of silverfish is no different from infestation by other insects. Even a small number of silverfish or presence of eggs is considered a silverfish infestation. Note that these insects are particularly shy and will always hide, making it difficult to notice infestation of silverfish. However, silverfish infestation can be low, moderate and severe infestation.
The degree of infestation varies with their population; where severe infestation entails a large thriving population of silverfish. Moderate infestation is much lower in number than severe infestation, but is characterized by a higher population of insects than in low infestation. Presence of silverfish eggs is a clear indication of a thriving population of these bugs.
Causes of Silverfish infestation
Infestation of silverfish can be embarrassing and annoying. I believe some of you might have been embarrassed wearing torn clothes unaware or finding yellowish stains around your fabrics for all to see. You don’t have to worry, you are not alone. Silverfish infestation is caused by three main factors namely:
1. Living Conditions
Silverfish will never come to your house without a reason. And this is basically why not every home is suitable habitat for silverfish. Moist, warm and dark conditions are the reason behind silverfish infestation in your home. Dampness in your bathroom, kitchen sinks, laundry room, behind cupboards and below the fridge is ideal for their survival.
Ideally, warm areas with excess waters offer excellent condition for these bugs. It is necessary that you take actions to dry up moist in these areas and also minimize darkness through ventilation. You also need to fill up cracks and holes near damp areas- they provide ideal hiding habitats for silverfish.
2. Access to food
Denying them access to food and water will starve these insects to death. These little creatures love all kinds of foods from cereals to corn foods as well as bookbinding glue and papers. They also feed on some fabrics especially linen and cotton garments.
If you are fond of leaving around these food sources lying around your home, then are inviting these filthy bugs into home. You have to fix problem before you can even imagine killing these bugs. Otherwise, their offspring will survive on these staff after hatching from concealed eggs.
3. Easy access to your home
These insects occur naturally in the wild and would only gain entry into homes when they find an easy way in, and would thrive if the conditions are favorable. You can prevent entry by closing possible entrances to your home.
Signs and Symptoms of Silverfish Infestation
To say the truth, spotting a living insect is a sign of infestation, and this is no different for silver bugs. However, be cautioned that silverfish may be easily noticed since they love to hide in dark places. However, the following signs and symptoms will provide a clue on whether you have a silverfish problem in your home.
Presence of Silverfish damages
The following signs could give an indication of silverfish infestation in your home.
- Presence of silverfish holes in your fabrics and paper products
- Presence of floating bugs with silverfish features in your groceries
- Presence of yellowish dust left behind on surfaces as the molts
Presence of Silverfish Droppings
Although it can be disgusting to look out for fecal matter of insects, this can help you to notice possible silverfish infestation. Presence of pellets or pepper corns spherical dark deposits is a sign of these insects in your home.
You are likely to notice these droppings in boxes, food bags and cupboards. Poops can also be found cunningly hidden in between the papers and books pages.
Silverfish in Bed and Bedroom
Even though silverfish love moist areas like drains, basements and sinks, their feeding habits takes them all over the house, including the bedroom. They love feasting on linen and cotton fabrics and these makes your beddings an ideal source of food for these insects. They also love hiding in dark places, hence poor ventilation in bedroom is also an ideal habitat for silverfish.
Having silverfish in your bed and bedroom can raise anxiety and fear. The sight of these insects as they scamper for safety to avoid light can be too scarring. They also cause damages to your beddings, drapes and curtains. These insects will punch holes in bed linens, draperies, curtains and clothing in your bed and bedroom as they go about feeding.
Silverfish in Bathroom & Control
Silverfish loves moist places and bathroom offers them with ideal condition to thrive. They also hide in crevices and cracks and only come out at night to feed on starchy foods, fabrics and paper products. These pests can overrun your bedroom if indeed it has ideal environment for them to thrive.
You can control silverfish infestation by filling all holes in bathroom walls, floors, skirting boards and around taps. Proper ventilation of bathroom during and after taking shower by way of extractor fans and opening windows can be helpful. Avoid leaving wet towels and clothes in your bathroom because they provide them with good habitats.
Silverfish in Kitchen & Control
Kitchen cupboards and sinks offer conducive environment for silverfish to live and breed due to two main reasons.
- First, kitchen provides them with moist, humid and warm condition.
- Secondly, they can easily access starchy foods like flour, cereals and grains stored in kitchen cupboard.
Eliminating silverfish from your kitchen can be challenging because most pesticides for their removal are harmful and inappropriate for use in kitchen. They are toxic to your foods and utensils. But you get rid of excess and standing water from your kitchen. Keep areas under the sink clean and dry, and take out garbage on regular basis.
Damage caused by Silverfish Infestation
Those people who have been infested with this creepy insects understands how nuisance it can become. Even though it is not dangerous to humans and animals, silver bug can cause some damage in your home
- First, silverfish punch holes in your fabrics and paper products
- Secondly, silverfish can contaminate your groceries through their excretion
- Thirdly, silver bug scales left behind on surfaces can cause allergy especially to people with respiratory illness like asthma.
How to Stop (Prevent) Silverfish Infestation in homes?
Since removing silverfish from your home after infestation can be difficult, you can prevent them from entering your home without much effort. In line with recommendations of the department of Entomology at Penn, a number of measures can be used to prevent silverfish infestation in homes.
- Reducing sources of foods by keeping cereals, pastas, meal, leftovers, flours, pet foods and treats out of reach by these insects. Regular vacuuming of carpets, furniture and flooring can stop entry of these insects.
- Reducing water sources using dehumidifiers in moist basements and keeping exterior areas well painted and caulked. Clear all debris from downspouts and gutters and grade landscaping to facilitate draining of water from your home.
- Reducing harborages such as gaps and holes in floors and walls and filling up cracks and crevices where they seek refuge.
- Repellents can also be used to keep away these creepy insects from your home.
Are Silverfish bugs harmless?
Yes, Silverfish bugs are harmless either to both animals or humans. They belong to arthropods which do not cause or transmit diseases in human and animals.
Silverfish Bug Bites
These insects are known to bite papers, fabrics and cereals as they feed on them. This is evident with irregular holes they create in these items. However, silverfish bugs so not bite humans and animals.
Sources and references
PEST HACKS: https://pesthacks.com/silverfish-infestation-signs/
AVON PEST CONTROL: http://www.avonpestcontrol.ca/damages-caused-by-silverfish-invasion/
TERMINIX: https://www.terminix.com/blog/diy/how-do-you-get-rid-of-silverfish