The name silver fish alludes to a beautiful tropical aquatic creature, does it not? But alas, it is a half inch insect that can cause damage to your home and be a nuisance.
Silverfish are tiny insects without flying ability, their name comes from their silvery metallic grey/blue shine due to fine scales on the upper portion of their body, in conjunction with the fish like wiggly motion it makes when it moves. Their bodies are flat, being wider at the front portion and taper toward the back.
Silver Fish – Where are they found?
These insects are found in North America, Asia, Japan and other parts of the Pacific, Europe and Australia also.
Silverfish enjoy damp, cool, dark places like basements, attics, garages, closets and laundry rooms. Attics are a favorite spot because of the massive food supply found in storage boxes and paper insulation.
The mating ritual of the Silverfish is fascinating and will last about 30 minutes, first comes the courting stage, the male and female face each other with their antennae twitching and touching, then back off and return to this position. Then the male runs away and the female makes chase after him. Once caught, they stand next to each other, facing opposite directions and the male vibrates his tail and produces a sperm capsule that the female accepts into her body. The eggs can take anywhere from two weeks to two months to hatch. Silverfish lay an average of 100 eggs in their lifetime and one of the few species of insects that, after mating, will continue to moult.
They can go for a year or more without eating, but they do enjoy eating glue (most commonly found in book bindings and behind wall paper), sugar, coffee, hair, carpet, clothing (which they leave a yellow stain on) particularly cotton, linen, silk and other synthetic fibers.
If they are extremely hungry, they will feast on leather also. They have been known to damage tapestries. Once they find a plentiful feeding ground, they are in no in a hurry to leave. The good news being that their predators are spiders and centipedes.
They will enter your dwelling through wood shingles or sidings on your home. They are a year round annoyance. Mending leaking pipes, ventilating closed rooms (i.e.: attics), vacuum cracks and crevices regularly and keeping food in secure places might help keep these critters away.
These are very fast moving insects, but if you find a silverfish in the sink or tub, you have the advantage because they can’t climb up the slick surface to flee.
If they can avoid the tragic sink death, it is possible for silver fish to live an average of two to eight years.
Silverfish elimination is very important. For this work you can hire a professional
Melbourne pest control service company. They will make your house free from these nasty pests.
Continue to: - How to Control and Eliminate Silverfish in Your Home
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