How Can Silverfish Damage Your Home?

Silverfish often invade attics, kitchens, and bathrooms. Their unusual diet may result in repair bills or time-consuming projects. Silverfish are a species of insects that are not commonly brought up during conversations about pest control, despite being extremely common. Because not very many people have even heard of these pests, it can be difficult to recognize the signs of a silverfish infestation or understand how silverfish can damage property. To help you stay on your guard, here is a brief description of silverfish and some ways to know if you have them in your house.

What are Silverfish? 

Silverfish are actually pretty interesting creatures. They have roamed the earth long before the dinosaurs, and some scientists estimate that they are around 400 million years old! An impressive track-record. Despite their appearance, they are fortunately not directly harmful to humans. Some people may be allergic to the skin they molt, but otherwise they don’t bite and rarely carry germs. What they do harm, however, is property. Silverfish live by constantly feeding on the nutrients found in paper and many types of fabric, so if you have silverfish in your home, everything from your books to your clothes are at risk.

Do You Have a Silverfish Infestation? 

If you’re wondering whether or not you’re living with silverfish right now, here are some things to check for. Obviously, one of the signs of silverfish is finding some silverfish themselves. Silverfish are silver, about the size of a grain of an earwig, and have a hard exoskeleton and antennas. silverfish shed their skin several times throughout their lives, so if you suspect them in your house, finding silverfish skin is about as conclusive as finding them crawling across your counter. For good measure, you can always call a pest control specialist to have your house inspected if you want to be extra careful.

Signs of Silverfish infestations

Signs of silverfish damage include damage to your wallpaper, holes in your clothes, and tears in cardboard boxes. If you see yellow stains or small black pellets on your shelves or in your closets, this could be silverfish excrement. The most common signs of silverfish damage include: 

Damage to Wallpaper

If your house has wallpaper, these bugs might consume the paste that attaches this material to the walls. This behavior could cause your wallpaper to peel. Silverfish may also stain the paper with a yellowish fluid.

Moldy Insulation

When this pest takes up residence in an attic or wall, it will eat the insulation’s paper lining. This coating exists to prevent condensation from forming. Consequently, silverfish may eventually cause mold to develop in your walls.

Damaged Fabrics

These insects can damage many types of carpets, rugs, and curtains. Most materials are vulnerable to silverfish. They eat silk, wool, linen, and cotton. Additionally, this pest devours rayon because it contains cellulose.

Silverfish tend to harm wool carpets more severely than other floor coverings. They prefer to consume this fabric in relatively dark locations. For example, you might find significant carpet damage in a closet, under your sofa or behind an entertainment center.

This insect also favors humid places. You may notice numerous scales, dead bugs, and yellow stains in moist areas. Although it’s usually possible to clean up these messes, they have the potential to permanently discolor surfaces.

Holes in Your Belongings

These bugs can damage some of the items that you keep in your home. They might create tiny holes in clothing, blankets, furs or leather goods. Silverfish may also ruin books by devouring the glue in bindings. They harm certain types of art as well.

This pest can eat and contaminate various foods. Among other things, it consumes dried meats, bread, oatmeal and flour. Many bugs look for sweet or oily meals, but silverfish normally seek sources of protein and carbohydrates.

Alvin Pest Control can prevent these insects from damaging your house and possessions. We began serving Alvin-area homeowners and landlords about five decades ago. In the years since, we’ve earned high marks from customers for our effective solutions, top-notch service, and affordable rates.

Please contact us for information on silverfish control and a free estimate.