Guard Pest Control is the number one solution for pest control in Snohomish, WA. We're used to dealing with unwanted and annoying critters like silverfish, and we intend to eradicate infestations once and for all.
As a homeowner, there's plenty to know, especially if you think you may have silverfish on your property. We've put together a guide of handy tips for identifying a possible infestation and the steps to take to reclaim your home from these pests.
What Are Silverfish?
Silverfish are prehistoric-looking insects that habitually make their way inside our homes. While not acutely dangerous, they can be quite a nuisance – even contaminating your food with their droppings.
In appearance, the average silverfish isn't dissimilar to a centipede or millipede. Silverfish are silvery gray and metallic looking. Their erratic movements resemble that of a fish.
Silverfish sizes range slightly, but they're not overly large insects. If a silverfish reaches an inch in length, it's on the larger end of what's possible for them.
So, where do silverfish come from? There are plenty of places for silverfish to live indoors and out. Silverfish can enter homes through cracks and gaps in your foundation, in boxes, and carried in unknowingly. Silverfish love damp and dark places found in basements, attics, bathrooms, and more. Outside, you can find them under rocks, dirt, and plants.
Once they make their way indoors, silverfish congregate in basements, storage areas, garages, and other areas that are damp enough to support them.
Warning Signs Of Silverfish Inside Your Snohomish Home
Silverfish are excellent at hiding, but there are many signs left behind for homeowners. Identifying and diagnosing a silverfish infestation may not even require a homeowner to see the bugs themselves.
Here are a few of the most noticeable and telling signs of a silverfish infestation:
Shed skin. Silverfish shed a few times throughout their lives, and you may see the discarded exoskeleton of these creatures lying around. Where there's smoke, there's fire.
Paper or cardboard boxes with yellow stains. This is a telltale sign that silverfish have been present and have shed their skin and could signal that an infestation has been ongoing for some time.
Silverfish fecal matter looks like tiny grains of pepper. If you see these on the floor in your basement, garage, or kitchen, don't dismiss them as everyday dust. It could be the droppings of silverfish.
Damage! While we enjoy things like books for entertainment, silverfish can and will treat them as food. They require highly starchy foods to survive, so much so that anything containing paper or pulp will do nicely for them. Silverfish can damage or destroy countless things in the home over a long enough time.
Silverfish are unwelcome guests in any home. They can treat just about anything on the property as a snack.
Are Silverfish Dangerous?
After looking at silverfish, you might wonder, "can silverfish bite?" Unlike some of the other nasty pests we're used to dealing with, silverfish don't pose an overt threat where biting or stinging is concerned
Silverfish are dangerous, however. They can easily contaminate the food in a home and cause damage to anything they consider a food source. To silverfish, that can be clothing, office items, books, wallpaper, and just about anything short of the kitchen sink! They even can chew up furniture.
This is an excellent opportunity to think about what attracts silverfish. They can cause damage because they can digest starchy materials like wood, pulp, paper, etc. Many things in the average home, including parts of the house itself, can be a tasty snack for a silverfish.
Call The Professionals For Silverfish Control In Snohomish
There's no getting around it; thebest way to get rid of silverfish is to call in the pros. Silverfish can hide in areas that are impossible for the average homeowner to reach safely.
There are ways to deter silverfish from ever setting up shop in the first place. Good cleaning discipline, particularly in areas exposed to frequent moisture, will go a long way.
Once an infestation has taken hold, there's not a lot homeowners can do to ensure its eradication is complete. Due to their "stealthy" nature, an infestation can worsen in the home for a long time before homeowners notice.
Guard Pest Control is standing by to help you reclaim your home from these persistent pests. We have the training, the knowledge, and the tools to remedy an infestation of any size. We'll help to mitigate any factors that may contribute to attracting silverfish in the first place.
Contact Guard Pest Control for a free over-the-phone estimate.