Your first encounter with a silverfish is one you’re unlikely to forget because silverfish are unlike any other pests you’ve seen before. These teardrop-shaped insects are a little less than an inch long, but despite their relatively small size, their appearance can be startling. A metallic silver shade, silverfish get their name both from their color and their fish-like movements. However, their resemblance to fish ends with their two long antennae and their three bristle-like appendages that protrude from their back end. Silverfish are truly unique-looking pests. If you’ve found these pests in your home, you likely need silverfish pest control in Yakima County. Learn more about silverfish and how to control and prevent them below.
Understanding Silverfish: Behavior, Habitat, And Life Cycle
Silverfish in Yakima County are pests that can be a problem for homeowners during any season of the year. They prefer humid environments and often get inside when looking for a moist area in which to live. That’s why you’re likely to find them in bathrooms, kitchens, or basements. Although you can sometimes find them out in the open, silverfish prefer to stay hidden away whenever possible.
The silverfish life cycle begins when silverfish eggs are laid. These tiny, oval-shaped white eggs are laid in groups of up to 200 eggs and will hatch in a few weeks if the conditions are right. If it’s too cold, the eggs will go dormant until the temperature is warmer, and they can hatch under more favorable conditions. Once hatched into nymphs, silverfish will go through several nymph stages before becoming adults in about 40 days. Adult silverfish can live two to three years and continue to molt throughout their lives.
Damaging Effects Of Silverfish In Your Home: What You Need To Know
Silverfish damage is something that you need to keep an eye out for if you’ve found silverfish in your house. Although the damage they cause is usually not significant, it can harm your belongings, so you don’t want it to continue. Silverfish eat glue, paper, and food items, such as oats and flour, which puts your books, magazines, wallpaper, and other belongings at risk.
Thankfully, silverfish are not known to be harmful to people or pets. They don’t bite, and they don’t spread diseases. Overall, they are considered more of a nuisance pest than a serious threat, but due to the property damage they cause, it’s better to remove an infestation as quickly as possible when you discover one.
Silverfish-Proof Your Home: Essential Maintenance And Repairs
Silverfish prevention can be done to stop a silverfish infestation from occurring. The most important thing you can do to stop silverfish from coming into your house is to reduce the moisture in your home. Use dehumidifiers in rooms with high humidity, fix leaky faucets, and make sure you don’t have any leaking pipes or other water issues.
Other things you can do to avoid a silverfish infestation include sealing cracks and crevices around the exterior of your home, storing books and other paper products in closed containers, and storing food items in sealed containers.
Professional Silverfish Extermination: When To Call In The Experts
If you think you have a silverfish infestation in your Yakima County home, contact Prosite. We offer the pest control services you need to get rid of the silverfish in your house using safe and effective treatments.
Reach out to Prosite today for help with silverfish and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Yakima County. We’ll ensure you don’t get startled by a silverfish sighting in your home by making sure your home is silverfish-free.