Elis Pest Control NI

Silverfish

Clean, Fast, Discreet & Cost-effective

silverfish
What are they?

Silverfish, Lepisma saccharinum, is a small, wingless insect, part of an order called  Zygentoma of which there are 550 known species.

The name Silverfish derives from the insect’s silvery light grey colour, combined with the fish-like appearance of its movements.

When they are fully grown that are a cigar-shaped, silver-grey, wingless insect about 12mm long. They are agile and can move quickly and have three long bristles at the tail end

Where can you find them?
Silverfish inhabit moist areas, requiring a relative humidity between 75% -95% to survive. They are commonly found in attics, baths, sinks, showers and kitchens. Nocturnal in habit, they are often trapped in baths, basins or chinaware as it cannot climb the smooth surfaces.   Life Cycle – A silverfish usually lays fewer than 100 eggs in her lifetime. Eggs are laid in cracks and crevices, the female can lay up to 60 eggs at once. The eggs are oval-shaped, whitish, about 0.8 mm in length and can take from 2 weeks to 2 months to hatch,   When the nymphs hatch, they are whitish in colour, and look like smaller adults. As they moult, young silverfish develop a greyish appearance and a metallic shine, the journey to adulthood can take up to 3 years and Silverfish continue to moult after reaching adulthood. –
Why do they cause problems?

Silverfish can become a serious pest problem as they consume a wide variety of food, materials, household items, and clothing. Once Silverfish are discovered, even just one, you can be assured that there are many more and it is advisable to have the infestation treated as soon as possible.

Silverfish will feed on almost anything but prefer to feed on residues of starchy substances such as glues, wallpaper paste and carbohydrate food debris.

How do you treat the problem?

Good sanitation of the area reduces the chance of a silverfish infestation, try to reduce clutter and keep surfaces including your floor surfaces dry and cleaned regularly, securing food storage is also critical. Silverfish are incredible foragers, surviving in seemingly impenetrable spaces, clean, well proofed areas can protect your home. To treat a Silverfish issue: all potential hiding places must be eliminated so a comprehensive investigation of the area is required, your expert technicians who give you all-inclusive guidance on how to protect your home from recurrence and will also conduct a comprehensive riddance program.  

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