Silverfish

Habits

Silverfish move fast and are good climbers. They can survive for weeks without food or water, but require a high humidity environment of 70 to 90 percent. Silverfish prefer areas of room temperature (70-85 degrees F/21-29 degrees C). They are nocturnal and prefer to hide or rest in tight cracks or crevices during the day. Silverfish can be found almost anywhere in a house including living rooms, bedrooms, bathrooms, attics, basements, garages and shake roofs. In fact, shake roofs are excellent breeding sites for silverfish during the warmer months, as they have an abundance of moisture, cellulose, starch and dead insects. From there, they can easily gain entrance and move down through the insulation to enter a home.

Silverfish are known to infest commercial structures such as offices, stores and libraries. They are often introduced into buildings via cardboard cartons of books and papers from an infested location. They will roam quite some distance while searching for food, but once they find a satisfactory food source, they remain close to it. Within structures, they will breed in a variety of areas, including wall voids, in/under the subflooring, attics, etc.

Silverfish usually feed on paper items, glue, clothing and food items, such as flour and rolled oats. They prefer proteins to carbohydrates and are cannibalistic — their favorite protein meals include dried beef and dead or injured of their kind.

The silverfish female lays about one to three eggs per day, placing them in cracks, under objects or left exposed. Developmental time is three to four months under favorable conditions of 72-90 degrees F and at least 50-75 percent relative humidity. Otherwise, it may require up to two to three years. The majority of silverfish live up to three years.

Habitat

Silverfish are found throughout the U.S. and are typically seen in moist, humid areas in the home, such as bathrooms, basements, and attics.

Threats

Silverfish are mainly a nuisance pest. Indoors, they can cause property damage by chewing holes in clothing, upholstery and paper goods, such as wallpaper and books. This is why it is important to get rid of silverfish if you are dealing with an infestation.