Silverfish Facts and Information
Protect your home or business from silverfish by learning techniques for identification and control.
Treatment
How do I get rid of Silverfish?
What Orkin Does
Silverfish infestations require professional treatment. Your local pest control expert will be able to assess the situation and determine the most effective silverfish treatment plan for your specific problem.
At the first sign of a silverfish infestation, contact your local pest control professional. Scheduling a home inspection may help you get rid of silverfish.
Homeowners often transport silverfish indoors unknowingly. When brought inside the home, cardboard boxes and plastic containers recently stored in infested areas can allow the pests to spread.
Warm and moist spaces, like basements and crawl spaces, attract silverfish. The pests will enter homes through foundation cracks, torn screens, or gaps around doors. Leaving dirty dishes out in the open will also lure silverfish indoors.
Frequently Asked Questions
Behavior, Diet & Habits
Understanding Silverfish
Appearance
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Color: white to brown-grey or bluish-silver in color
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Shape: silverfish are teardrop-shaped insects
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Length: 12-19 mm in length.
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Tail: Three long bristles on rear
Habitat
Capable of thriving in most climates, silverfish prefer to dwell in dark, damp areas such as basements, attics, kitchens and bathrooms. They are especially attracted to paper and damp clothing. Commonly found in stored boxes in garages and sheds.
Diet
Silverfish are known for their destructive feeding habits, oftentimes ruining papers, clothing and wallpaper. Silverfish feed on carbohydrates, particularly sugars and starches. Cellulose, shampoos, glue in books, linen, silk and dead insects may be food sources. They have been found in unopened food packages.
Reproduction
Silverfish undergo love dances prior to mating. Males lay spermatophores, which are taken into the ovipositor of female specimens. Females' egg numbers and habits vary, depending on species. One species lays a few eggs a day where as another species lays clusters of 2 to 20 eggs. Read more about the life cycle of a silverfish.