There’s a bug that you don’t want to see in your home because it could signify that you have a much larger problem on your hands. The little critter is known as a silverfish. This is a silver insect that does not have wings. The bug has a tapered abdomen, which gives it a fish-like appearance. That’s where the name of the bug comes from.
While these bugs won’t hurt you directly, they will try to eat your food. They enjoy a diet rich in carbohydrates like oats, cereal, and other starchy foods. And while these bugs won’t cause harm directly to you, seeing one inside your home could be indicative of a much larger and very expensive problem that you’ll want to deal with pronto.
The silverfish has six legs and two long antennae. It also has three long protrusions that look like antennae on its backside where the fins of the fish would go. Seeing one of these critters inside your home could mean that you have an unsolved water problem or a patch of dampness in your home. If that problem persists, you could be looking at a very expensive repair bill in the near future.
Silverfish are considered household pests. They come out at night and act very similarly to cockroaches, eating your food and going into your cabinets. You’ll want to call an exterminator if you see silverfish in your home. But more than that, you’ll also want to call a contractor to come to check your home for unchecked dampness, as the silverfish need that environment to thrive inside a home.
These annoying pests can live up to a year without food so long as they have ample water. These bugs need a humidity level of over seventy-five percent to survive and thrive. They love moisture and water and are often found in highly humid areas in a house. They can only survive outside of a highly humid environment for a short period of time. That’s why it is most common to find silverfish in damp places around the home, like bathrooms, basements, kitchens, laundry rooms, garages, and, most annoyingly, in cabinets.
If you see silverfish in your home or apartment, you’d better check the rest of your house. Since these bugs need a highly humid environment to live in, the fact that you have an infestation of silverfish indicates that there is likely a very damp part in your house, which could be causing damage to the structure of your home.
In addition to calling a professional exterminator, you should also call a contractor to come and check out the possible water problems in your home that could be causing the dampness. Doing so will help nip any further damage to your home or apartment in the bud and save you from potentially costly repairs later on.
So, if you’ve seen a silverfish, don’t ignore it. Deal with the problem now and save yourself the headache later.