Silverfish

Description

The silverfish is a small, wingless insect and their size ranges from a quarter to half an inch long. They have a very long body and possess three pairs of legs. They look a lot like a small fish because of their body shape and the small scales on it. Some silverfish have small, almost microscopic eyes, while a few species are completely blind.

These tiny creatures can survive up to a whole year without food, so trying to eliminate them through starvation is not the wisest option. The average life span of the silverfish is four years and they can lay their eggs year-round. Having a few silverfish around the home is not that threatening, but their number can quickly multiply, causing serious damage to belongings.

Habitat

The silverfish in Raleigh are very adaptable and can survive in almost every habitat. They do tend to gravitate toward areas with high humidity and live in areas with a lot of moisture.

Silverfish are very hard to exterminate because they move around at night and are extremely fast when they do so. Silverfish love to feed on books and clothing, and their favorite snack is the glue that binds the book together.

When silverfish feed on an object, they leave a small hole, which also accompanies a yellow stain. Signs of a silverfish infestation include tiny holes in wallpaper, damage to spines of books, scratches on pictures and holes in cardboard boxes or wooden compartments. Once they find a satisfactory home they will stay there until the food runs out, and then possibly even longer.

Elimination Or Control

In order to prevent silverfish from coming into your home, it is necessary to follow these precautions: turn on the bathroom fan while showering, open vents and small compartments in the basement, invest in a dehumidifier, and get rid of wet debris found around your home. Silverfish may be taken care of by setting up traps and some natural remedies.

You can use a jar or newspaper to set up these traps, then place them strategically where most of the silverfish congregate. A few natural remedies you can use against the silverfish are spices such as bay or cloves, mothballs, organic citrus sprays, cucumber slices, and lavender oil.

A few areas to place these pest control products in are in window frames, basements, attics, in cabinets or pantries, and around garbage cans. Deal with these pests early on so they will not spread, causing serious problems in the future.