If you’ve ever had excessive clutter such as stacks of papers, books, or magazines in your Orlando home, then you’ve probably encountered a silverfish or two in your time. While spotting these unsightly bugs is unsettling in and of itself, you might also be wondering if having silverfish around your home is dangerous, too. Luckily for us, no, silverfish are not dangerous to humans. However, they can cause all sorts of damage to our property. Therefore, it is important for you to know the steps that you can take to keep silverfish out of your Orlando home. Moreover, you need to know what your best options are should these unsightly pests find their way inside.
Identifying Silverfish
Silverfish are teardrop-shaped pests that grow to be ¾ of an inch long. While their bodies are brown or gray, they also feature silver fish-like scales which is from where they get their name. Additionally, they have six legs, long antennae, and a bristle-like appendage that comes off the backs of their bodies.
While outside, silverfish prefer to live in cool, damp areas such as under leaf piles, rocks, or fallen trees. They will gravitate to similar-feeling areas once they infest a home. Basements, crawlspaces, or any other area that is damp with an excess of clutter could be a welcoming location for silverfish.
Silverfish enter homes because they are searching for food or shelter. They can slip in through cracks in the foundation, under doors, or through cracks around windows. Alternatively, we can sometimes be responsible for bringing silverfish into our own homes. Sometimes when we bring in cardboard boxes, stacks of papers, or similar items into our homes, we unknowingly introduce silverfish inside. They can then propagate and spread throughout the house, usually settling in moisture-friendly areas.
Damage & Threats Posed By Silverfish
Silverfish do not pose any health threats to humans or our pets. However, that doesn’t mean they do not come without their drawbacks. While they may not be dangerous, silverfish are known to feed on various household items. These include books, papers, clothing, wallpaper, furniture, carpets, cereals, and anything with sugars or carbohydrates. Therefore, not only can they damage your property, but they can also ruin and contaminate your food, as well. On top of all this, silverfish are just unsightly pests that you do not want to see around your home. It is important for you to know the important steps that you can take to keep them out.
Silverfish Prevention Techniques
The main goals for silverfish prevention include lowering moisture levels in your home, cutting down on clutter, and sealing off any possible entry points. To best accomplish these goals, you should:
- Fill in any cracks in the foundation of your home
- Install weatherstripping around windows and doors
- Install door sweeps under exterior doors
- Regularly dust and vacuum your home
- Refrain from keeping excessive clutter in crawl spaces, attics, and basement
- Store clutter items in containers with tightly-sealing lids
- Fix any leaky pipes or fixtures in your home
- Use dehumidifiers to lower moisture levels around your home
- Inspect any boxes, magazines, stacks of paper, or other such items
The Most Effective Silverfish Control Solution
In the unfortunate circumstance that you do find yourself dealing with a silverfish infestation, contact the professionals here at Green Flag Services right away. Our trained pest technicians are properly equipped to effectively eliminate any silverfish infestation with which you are dealing. We will also work with you to help you better protect your home from future infestations. So, don’t let silverfish run rampant in your home. Give us a call today at Green Flag Services!
Tags: silverfish | pest prevention | home pest control |
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I've been with Green Flag for a few years. Important to me was pet safe pest control, which they provide. They have always been extremely responsive to our needs, followed up with our satisfaction and offered increased services to make sure the job is done right. All of the techs have been professional and friendly and I am glad I found them. I always recommend if someone is looking.
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