Ernies Pest Control
Termites, roaches, rodents-professional pest control service.
Silverfish Pest Control Facts and Prevention
Ernie's Pest Control services Toledo, Northwest Ohio and Lower Michigan.
Preventive measures for all pests you can take are :
- Do not leave piles of clothing, papers or other miscellaneous things laying around
- Regular cleaning and maintenance of your home or business
- When cleaning, check under carpet edges and baseboards
- Do not have dirty dishes piled up and sitting for long periods of time, especially not in old water
- Especially in hot weather, put your food scraps in plastic before disposing of them
- Schedule regular pest control maintenance
- If you see one pest or insect, chances are you are not seeing rest. A call to Ernie's Pest Control should be made to schedule an appointment as soon as possible.
Silverfish Pest Control and Information
Silverfish
Characteristics
- Silverfish grow to be 1/2 - 1 inch long
- Their coloring is brown or silver gray
- Silverfish are wingless, soft insects with a fish like appearance and a flat body, which is tapered at both ends and covered by overlapping scales
- The Silverfish abdomen has 3 filaments extending from it
- They are not often seen by people because they are nocturnal and can run very quickly
Habitat
- Silverfish prefer damp, dark, moderate temperature places such as basements, laundry rooms, and under sinks
- They can also be found in bookcases, closet shelves, behind baseboards, wallpaper, window or door frames, wall voids and sub-floor areas
- Normally Silverfish are found outside under rocks, bark and leaf mold, in bird and mammal nests, termite nests, in wood shingles and siding, and also can enter a structure this way
- Silverfish can be a problem year round
- Attics are also a favorite place for Silverfish, due to the abundant food sources of recycled brown in paper insulation and storage boxes
- They may be found in bath tubs and sinks, as they will crawl in seeking moisture and cannot crawl out on a slick surface
Diet
- Silverfish diets are high in protein, sugar, molds and starch
- They feed on cereals, moist wheat flour, starch in book bindings, paper on which there is glue or paste, gum, cotton, linen, rayon and silk
- Silverfish may eat irregular holes in wallpaper to get at the glue
- Once Silverfish find a good source of food, they stay close to it
- Silverfish can go up to one year without food
Reproduction
- Adult Silverfish may lay eggs containing a few to 50 in cracks or crevices
- A female lays less than 100 eggs in her 2 - 8 year lifespan
- In ideal conditions, eggs hatch within 2 weeks but may take up to 2 months to hatch
- Silverfish go through a 3 stage life cycle called gradual metamorphosis
- The life cycle from egg to adult is 3 months, but their sexual maturity is measured in years
- They must mate after each molt if viable eggs are to be produced
- Populations do not build rapidly because of their slow development rate and the small number of eggs laid
Signs Of A Silverfish Infestation
- Their cast off skins from molting are visible
- Holes in wallpaper, books and fabric
- Silverfish may leave a yellowish stain on fabric