Why Do I Have Silverfish In My Home?

Are you seeing silverfish appearing inside the rooms of your home? Are you wondering how these creepy little pests are getting in? You’re not alone.

Silverfish make most people scratch their heads when they start popping up in unexpected places. But, as you see them more and more, you may begin to notice a pattern.

Silverfish thrive in warm, humid spaces, such as bathrooms, laundry rooms, or basements. This is because these pests are drawn to moisture and enjoy chewing on paper or fabrics with starch or sugar residues in them.

Silverfish: Frequently Asked Questions

What does a Silverfish Look like?

A silverfish, also known as a fishmoth, urban silverfish, or carpet shark, is a very small insect with a flattened, slender body.

It measures around ½ to 1 inch in length, and it is light grey and blue, but, since it has a shimmery quality, it often appears silver (thus the name).

The other part of its name, no doubt, came about because of its way of slithering across surfaces in a fish-like motion. Although these creepy creatures are disturbing to encounter, it’s essential to note that they are not just disturbing; they can also damage belongings.

Why Are Silverfish Drawn To Homes?

In the same way, you will find silverfish in moist/humid places inside your home; you will also find them in wet/damp areas around the outside of your home.

So, anyplace that traps moisture on the ground is an excellent place for silverfish to hang out.

Here are some of the things that will draw silverfish onto your property and possibly right up next to your home:

1.  Leaf piles that are moist on the bottom.
   If you have leaves that have been sitting around for a while, silverfish (and other moisture-loving pests) will love you for it. And the closer these piles are to your home, the more likely these pests are to find their way inside.
2.  Heavily weeded areas that contain moisture.
   Thick weeds create shade, and shade prevents the sun from drying out the soil after it rains. This is another place where silverfish will hide.
3. Wood lying on the ground.
   Items such as firewood, construction materials, or other wooden objects that are directly on the ground are great places for silverfish and other pests to hang out. Not only moisture-loving pests, but also rodent pests such as mice and rats.
4. Any object that prevents the ground from drying.
   Large rocks, tarps, toys; these are just a few things that could keep the ground moist and be a harborage for silverfish.
5. Mulch.
   Mulch is a favorite place for moisture pests.
6. Leaky spigots or clogged or broken gutters.
   If you have water running down the outside of your home or water collecting in the soil, this will create conditions that silverfish love. Beyond this, it can also cause the wood on your home to soften, making it easier for pests to chew their way in.

Where do silverfish come from? 

If you have silverfish in your home, they likely came from the soil around your home. When the ground gets dry, these insects look for a wetter place to be. Sometimes, they get into the basements of man-made structures.

Do silverfish bite?

The jaws of a silverfish, which are called mandibles, are not strong enough to bite through the skin of a human. Their mouthparts are designed to scrape the food they eat. And, even if silverfish could bite you, they don’t have any venom and are not known to carry diseases in their bellies.

What do silverfish eat?

Silverfish eat a wide variety of foods. They can eat the foods we eat, such as pasta, flour, and cereal.

But they also eat things we wouldn’t consider food, such as magazines, books, wallpaper, photos, the bills in your filing cabinet, clothing, and more.

This is the real danger silverfish pose when they enter a home. They can eat carpets, bedding, curtains, tapestries, and other items that contain cellulose. If you have a lot of silverfish, they can do a lot of damage.

Do You Have Silverfish in Your Attic?

This may seem like a strange question if you don’t know what a silverfish is.

When you hear the word “silverfish,” you might picture a shiny little swimmer darting around an aquarium. So it can sound a bit odd when someone asks, “Do you have silverfish in your attic?” After all, no one’s ever gone into their attic and found fish flopping around on the floor.

Silverfish are not generally an attic pest. They don’t come in through your exterior walls, and they have a tough time breathing in your attic–or anywhere that is outside of the water.

But the insect known as the silverfish does come in through your exterior walls and has no problem breathing in your attic.

Do you have silverfish in your attic? If you have these insects in your attic, there are a few things you should be aware of.

• If you have books in your attic, these insects can do quite a bit of damage to them. Silverfish eat the cellulose in paper products and the glue found in the bindings of books.
• If you have stored photos, silverfish can chew their way in and damage them. These insects eat cardboard and love eating photos as well.
• Do you have clothing in your attic? Silverfish will chew holes in your clothing. Once again, they are going after the cellulose, but they also love the starches and the glues.
• If you have draperies, sheets, or fabrics, they can all be damaged by silverfish.
• Silverfish will eat baseball caps and other hats.
• If you have a finished attic with wallpaper, silverfish are drawn to eat holes in that, too.
• Stamps, cards, and other collectibles made of paper are in danger from the damaging effects of these invaders.
• If you store financial records in your attic, you may want to make sure they are in a safe or a hard plastic tote. 

How Silverfish Get Into Homes

Once silverfish are on your property and up close to your home, they can find ways into your home.

If you have any gaps, cracks, or holes in your exterior walls, possibly due to moisture damage, silverfish will find their way inside. But there are some practical steps you can take to discourage and prevent silverfish from coming in close and entering your home.

Silverfish Prevention Tips:

• Remove leaf piles and weedy areas that contain moisture.
• Move firewood, construction materials, and any other wood well away from your home and up off the ground.
• Trim back vegetation from your foundation. This will dry up moist areas and also remove “bridges” that pests use to get to your home.
• Replace mulch with a dryer material such as crushed rock.
• Inspect the outside of your home and seal up any gaps, cracks, or holes you find, using a caulking gun.
• Dry up any areas inside your home using fans and/or dehumidifiers.

How do I get rid of silverfish? 

This is the big question. We wish we could give you a simple answer.

Silverfish can climb up through your wall voids and hide in other places that are hard to get to. Getting them out of a home requires an education in the habits and habitats of these insects.

If you need assistance removing silverfish and sealing your exterior walls, the team here at American Pest has the expertise and resources to get the job done right the first time. When you protect your home with our year-round pest control plan, you can be confident that they won’t return.

Our educated pest professionals have the knowledge, tools, and expertise to get rid of your silverfish problem quickly. Give us a call today.