Where Do Silverfish Bugs Come From?

Silverfish are nocturnal insects. They live in warm, dark and moist places. These include bathrooms, basements, kitchens, caves and leaf litter.

Silverfish eat all kinds of materials. They mainly eat carbohydrates, starches and proteins. To a certain extent, they can also eat dried foods and dead bugs.

They can also chew on clothes, books, curtains and paper goods. If they are allowed to multiply in your home, they can cause property damage. In addition, they can trigger allergic reactions in some people.

Silverfish infestations can be hard to spot. They tend to be small, flat, and tear-drop shaped. During the adolescent stage, they shed their skin and are very easy to miss.

Their eggs are laid in dark and moist areas. They look like yellow and white bulbs. Adults are slender and have two long antennae. Usually, silverfish infestations are visible when they move around during the night.

Silverfish can enter homes through cracks on the ground or through shake roofs. They can also invade man-made structures such as lumber. Depending on the severity of the infestation, they can cause damage.

Adult silverfish have a unique courtship dance. Both sexes produce pheromones that induce aggregation. Normally, male firebrats lay a protected capsule containing sperm in the central hiding place.

Silverfish prefer to feed on cellulose and starchy materials, and can damage dry foods and paper goods. However, they do not sting.

One way to prevent a silverfish infestation is to use diatomaceous earth. It is a naturally occurring mineral that has been fossilized. Using it on the surface of the house will destroy the waxy coating on the insects.