What are silverfish? Are silverfish harmful? How do you get silverfish? For the answers to these questions and more, here's what Gilbert homeowners should know about how silverfish got their name, what their purpose is, how silverfish behave, and how pest control in Gilbert can help you eliminate silverfish.
Why Are Silverfish Called Silverfish?
What do silverfish look like, and how did they get their name? Fortunately, silverfish are one of the easier pests to identify. With three prominent bristles that protrude from their hind-ends, teardrop-shaped bodies, and silvery-metallic scales that make them look shiny, silverfish may look like they belong in the aquarium, but these pests are more than capable of surviving on land.
They get their name from the way they crawl around using fish-like movement. Even young or nymph silverfish look very similar to adult silverfish, but they're smaller in size.
What Is The Purpose Of Silverfish?
While silverfish may be a big nuisance in your home, they do serve a purpose outside of being a pest. When they aren't looking for moisture inside your home, silverfish are important decomposers for the outside world.
Do silverfish bite? Silverfish aren't known to bite or cause harm to people, although they may not be so nice to your property.
Habits And Behavior Of Silverfish In Gilbert
Since they're nocturnal, you may not realize you've got silverfish in your home unless you discover their hiding spots. Generally, silverfish are drawn to the most humid or moist parts of your home – like basements, attics, or even garages. For this reason, silverfish tend to be more attracted to homes that have existing moisture or humidity issues.
These critters can hide in tiny cracks and crevices as well as ceiling soffits or skylights when they aren't feeding, making them even more difficult for us to detect when they're looking for a silverfish infestation.
Are silverfish harmful? While it may be good news that silverfish aren't known to bite or transmit diseases like some pests, that doesn't mean a silverfish infestation will leave your home untouched. These pests can still cause plenty of damage, especially since they feed on materials in your home.
Silverfish may chew on your wallpaper, books, or certain starchy food items, such as cereals, in your pantry. Not only can this contaminate your food supply, but they can also leave chew marks or stains on your wallpaper and books.
Since they already spend a lot of time in basements, garages, and other storage areas, silverfish tend to get into personal belongings – like expensive books or priceless photo albums you don't want to be damaged.
What Can I Do To Remove The Silverfish From My Home?
The best way to get rid of silverfish in your home is by using pest control in Gilbert, and the best choice is always What's Bugging You Pest Control. With years of pest control experience and a reputation that speaks for itself, our eco-friendly and effective treatments can turn your Gilbert home back into a silverfish-free zone.
Don't wait for them to do more damage if you know you've got silverfish or suspect you may have them because you're finding evidence of an infestation. Call us today at What's Bugging You Pest Control to learn more about how we can help solve your silverfish problem.