Underneath your feet, there may be a silent pest invading your house. This insect hides from humans, but that doesn't keep it from damaging your Dallas home. Although its name has the word "fish," it is not a fish but moves like a fish. What is this elusive insect? It is the silverfish.
If something is causing damage in your home, but you can't identify the problem, contact the best pest control in Dallas, Addison Pest Control. We know all about bugs — including the elusive silverfish.
Is This A Silverfish? Bugs That Look Like Silverfish
The silverfish is elusive, and when homeowners see one, it is often confused with other common household pests. House bugs that look like silverfish include earwigs, firebrats, woodlice, centipedes, termites, and cockroaches. Silverfish are similar to common household pests because they have six legs and two antennae. They also have an oval, elongated body resembling a cockroach, and their silver appearance causes people to mistake them for termites.
Although the silverfish insect shares many characteristics with other insects, they are identifiable by the following bodily and movement distinctions:
- Body: Their wingless, flat, silver body tapers with scales from the head to the tail. On the rear of the body, silverfish have three tail strands.
- Movement: Silverfish move fast, wiggling like a fish in the water as they dart across horizontal surfaces.
Silverfish are nocturnal and stay hidden, but if you shine a light and see a silver insect resembling a shiny centipede wiggling as it flees, you have seen a silverfish.
What Are Silverfish Attracted To?
Like fish in water, silverfish like moisture, and they are attracted to moist, humid areas like the basement, crawlspace, and bathrooms in the house. Silverfish are attracted to the following:
- Drains
- Leaky pipes
- Canister light fixtures
- Skylights
- Soffits
- Moldy wood
- Moldy paper/cardboard
Homes with shake roofs seem especially susceptible to silverfish due to cellulose, moisture, and starch in that kind of roof.
What Do Silverfish Eat? A List Of Things You Might Not Expect
Although these tiny creatures hide in cracks and crevices during the day, there are signs of silverfish damage in paper products, clothing, and upholstery. Silverfish like the starches they get from consuming the following:
- Paper
- Wallpaper
- Oats
- Glue
- Flour
- Sugar
If these items are in the humid, moist areas of the home and you notice chew marks and damage, you probably have silverfish gnawing on them while you sleep.
Although they like carbohydrates, the first love of the silverfish diet is protein. Silverfish will eat other injured or dead silverfish and beef products. In addition to their desire to consume carbohydrates and protein, they chew holes in clothing and upholstery.
Getting Rid Of Silverfish The Easy Way In Dallas
To get rid of silverfish, begin with the following recommendations:
- Remove paper products from humid areas of the home.
- Seal food in airtight containers.
- Clean shake roofs every other year.
- Eliminate items stored against the exterior of the house.
- Block openings into the home around pipes, wires, and vents.
- Install a humidifier in the basement or crawlspace and the attic.
- Repair moldy wood.
- Eliminate musty books and magazines.
These recommendations will control and reduce the silverfish population in your Dallas home, but to eradicate them, you need professional help from Addison Pest Control. Our experts can identify if your problem is the elusive silverfish or another insect. Once identified, we can apply environmentally safe and effective treatments to eliminate silverfish from your Dallas home. Contact us, and let us get rid of silverfish for you.