Silverfish are household pests, silvery to grey in colour and approximately 1 1/2 – 2 cm long. They are wingless and look a little ‘fishlike’ having scales like fish and a tapered body at both ends.
Adult Silverfish (L)-Do-it-yourself Pest Control, Adult Silverfish (R)-Integrated Pest Management of Alaska
Description
They are very quick when surprised, such as turning on a light or a sudden movement.
Habitat and Lifecycle
Silverfish are found worldwide, live in homes, vacant buildings, hospitals, attics, bathrooms and other places that are dark, warm and damp. During the day they are generally hiding in cracks, crevices, baseboards and behind furniture. As long as there is food they will continue to thrive. Unlike most insects having 4 lifestages, these guys only have 3. Males leave their sperm on fine silk threads and females then pick it up fertilizes her eggs. The females lay their eggs 1-4 per day and hatching occurs after 2-3 weeks. Egg to adult is approximately 4 months. They shed thier skins several times per year and can live up to 3 years. In their lifetime they can lay several hundred eggs.
Silverfish damage (L)-Home & Garden Information Center, Silverfish damage (R)-Clemson University
Diet and Damage
Their main diet is high in protein and carbohydrates. This includes food stuffs, books, paper, wallpaper, attic insulation, cardboard, drywall, cotton clothing and many other household items. Indications of silverfish includes small irregular holes and also tiny yellow stains.
How to get rid of Silverfish
- Pot Stickers – you can buy these or make your own with bright yellow card coated with a sticky substance like tanglefoot. Sticky traps placed on the floor are very effective.
- Reducing moisture in the home is the most important since they need dampness to survive. Using dehumidifiers in areas where silverfish are present will help reduce their numbers.
- Silica Dioxide is a non-toxic dust that can be applied to baseboards and areas where they have been seen. This works by drying them out so they shrivel up and die.
- Vaccuum regularily to keep the population at bay.
- Keeping moist debris out of the house is also good practice
Can Silver Fish Jump? If so how high
Was cleaning up my room and noticed some Silverfish scurrying about – got grossed out. Just finished vacuuming up but has anyone had any success with Boric Acid?
Is there anywhere to find and order LIVE silverfish? I am trying to study them and I want to be able to watch their life habits/mating habits, etc. How can I get hold of some to keep? I have looked to buy online and cannot find anywhere.
Yeah, also keeping one as a pet. I found it while unpacking and saved it because I was worried it might be some kind of bedbug and also because it moved really cool but when I looked it up it seemed fine. I like that I can have a pet I don’t have to feed when I’m gone.
Id rather a Centipede live in my house because they eat other insects than a little bug that seemingly just runs around and does nothing like the silverfish.
I have a really cool pet silver fish that I got out of the tub when I started filling it up and noticed him. His name is Willie for short of William. He has some drops of water, and bits of paper to keep him alive.
Im also trying to identify a not silverfish. Theay seem to have more leggs,and no antenna. I want to know if they are good or bad i believe everything has its place in the natural order of things so i don’t kill spiders. I may have to catch one and find a bug expert at my college. If i find out i will post my findings
travis
How can I kill this bugs….I see them and my bathroom all the time
The first time I saw a silver fish was in California about 10 yrs ago. Hadn’t seen one since until last week when I saw one in our home in MI. It was near the top of the wall in the kitchen when I noticed it, and stayed there for several days. I kept thinking it looked like a silverfish. So, anyway, a few days ago I decided I was going to catch it and feed it to my son’s frogs. I climbed up on the step stool, then thought…’I wonder if these things can fly?’. So, I climbed down and decided to google them. I found out they do NOT fly, BUT can jump up to 2 feet! So, I was afraid it might jump and land in the carpet and I would never find it, or worse: jump on me! 🙂 So, I decided to kill it quickly. Not too afraid of bugs, but don’t care for them in our home and don’t care for them to jump on me unexpectedly. lol. Then a couple of days ago, we picked up some paver/garden bricks and found on in our trunk. Killed that little critter too.
Ackkk….I hate insects…I was on the computer listening to music and my sister was cleaning up. All of a sudden she screamed and I turned back and I saw a “silverfish” I nearly jumped out of my pants.I searched up “Silver Insect” on google and I clicked this page. The picture matches what I saw exactly.I was wondering is there any ways to get rid of them as quickly as possible? I absolutly HATE insects and bugs. I totally hate spiders mostly. Please tell me the quickest way possible to get rid of them and do they cause and diseases or harm.I have these books I really like and I don’t want those “silverfish” to be eating my books.Will they crawl into your clothes or nose and stuff when you sleep? EWWWWW…..I ABSOLUTLY HATE BUGS AND INSECT (except butterflies and other unharmful and pretty ones) PLEASE HELP ME
SCARED!!!
Reply ASAP
Alice
lol to Joyce&cats….I know ur post was over a year ago but I just read it and found it super funny how u and ur cats kill them and how u like to watch them die and suffer lol….I hate bugs or insects.I just found a silverfish on my bedframe so Im doin my whole room..Im killing anything that isnt human sadly my cats cant help cause the spray is harmful but Ill get them…..I had other lil bed insect issues,they were not bed bugs but different types of bed insects idk much I just started reseaerch and the killing process:)good luck to all out there,if u dont know what the insect or bug is just google it,that helped me,I typed in once bug that is brown and big on my pillow and it lead me to where I needed to go…good luck to all,and thats cool that u r keepin one as a pet and sorry one died..to each their own right:) later yall
nichole
Why can’t I find any information ANYwhere about not-quite-silverfish/firebrats?
Like Eric above, I too keep seeing what I *thought* were silverfish: its silver, fast, body shaped like a fish. Typed ‘silverfish’ into Google only to discover page after page, picture after picture, of silverfish with attenae and stuff that the “silverfish” in my place DO NOT have.
I can fight the un-silverfish using the methods here, but will they work? Or will I just waste my time and money?
okay so i was cleaning my room and found one but my room isn’t wet or hot so why iot was there im very confused please blog back.
SCARED!!!
Unfortunately many people may not be aware that they may actually bring the silverfish bug and their eggs into their home when they purchase furniture or products packed in cardboard box containers , especially if these products have been stored in a warehouse that is suitable to silverfish living conditions.
Silverfish are becoming huge problem for me here in Florida. Going to try a dehumidifier next. Thanks for the tips!