What's the lifespan of a silverfish?

The average female silverfish will lay up to 100 eggs during her life. Silverfish have a lifespan ranging from two to eight years.

How long do silverfish live in a house?

They can live up to 8 years and reproduce frequently throughout their lives. This is why they can be a huge nuisance and over time they can cause damage to household items.

What repels silverfish?

Silverfish hate the smell of citrus, cinnamon and lavender. If you are looking to repel them naturally, a great idea is to use essential oils to clean your home or as a home fragrance (such as candles and diffusers) to keep them away.

How fast do silverfish multiply?

Depending upon climate conditions and species, eggs may take between 19 to 60 days to hatch. Humid conditions are preferable, though silverfish can thrive in almost any environment. Female silverfish produce one to three eggs per day, or clusters of two to twenty.

Should I let silverfish live?

A silverfish can live without food and water for a year. You can, however, make them less comfortable by ventilating moist areas and using a dehumidifier. This won't eradicate them, but it will drive some away, and can keep the rest from coming out of the walls.

Learn Something About Silverfish!

What kills silverfish instantly?

Use borax. Borax is an effective way to kill silverfish. For best results, purchase borax at your local home goods store, and spread a thin layer anywhere you've noticed silverfish. It's particularly appropriate for use on the back side of cabinets, along baseboards, in closets, and beneath appliances.

Do silverfish mean your house is dirty?

You might be happy to learn that silverfish are not necessarily a sign of a dirty house. However, they can be a sign of underlying problems. Silverfish love warm and damp areas, and this is generally not what you want in your home.

Do silverfish have nests?

Inside homes, silverfish create nests in damp areas where temperatures are cooler, and they are usually found residing in basements. However, they can also be found nesting in cabinets and underneath sinks in attics, kitchens, crawl spaces, laundry rooms, and bathrooms.

Do silverfish lay eggs in your ear?

Do silverfish crawl in ears and lay eggs? Like the earwig, silverfish have earned a reputation for climbing into the ears of sleeping people and laying their eggs. This is not true for either of these insects.

What do silverfish eat in your home?

Silverfish eat starches and protein-rich items, including grains, vegetables, fibers, sugars and fabrics. The pests also feed on stored cereals and pet food. In fact, infesting these types of products is often how they are brought inside the house.

Do silverfish go on beds?

Finding Silverfish in Beds

Although they prefer places like bathrooms and closets, it is possible to find silverfish bugs in beds. These insects are about half an inch in length with silver teardrop-shaped bodies and long antennae. While they're more annoying than harmful, these pests can damage bedding.

Do spiders eat silverfish?

Centipedes, spiders, and earwigs all prey on silverfish, and all can be a potential problem for the families that live in the home.

Will silverfish bite humans?

Can Silverfish Bite? Although silverfish have a creepy appearance and are occasionally mistaken for venomous centipedes, silverfish are not known to bite humans and do not carry diseases.

What time of year do silverfish come out?

Most silverfish infestations begin outside. In Southern California's winter when the weather is wetter and more humid, it may as well be a silverfish paradise. They find their way inside as they look for similar conditions; the controlled climate and variety of dark, uninhabited spots help them sustain populations.

What harm do silverfish do?

While silverfish are harmless to the human body, they do cause damage to clothing, books, papers, food in pantries and wallpaper. Silverfish leave small holes in materials they bite and may also cause yellow staining. Look for their presence in dark and damp locations such as bathrooms, under sinks and in garages.

Do silverfish leave droppings?

Silverfish feces are small and round, almost like ground pepper.

Can silverfish jump?

Silverfish can jump up to 2 feet vertically. They are immune to most bug poisons. Silverfish love vegetable matter and will eat paper, glue, cardboard, toothpaste, silk, cotton, pasta, mold, cereals, and much more.

Why do I keep finding silverfish in my bed?

Silverfish also love eating fabrics, and your bed is almost an all-fabric fixture. The mattress, comforter, pillow, pillowcases can effectively sustain these insects.

Can silverfish live in your hair?

Soap, hair, dandruff, and dust can also be food sources for silverfish, along with glue, clothing, silk, cotton, and linen. These insects can also eat dried beef products and even other silverfish. Other food products that they can eat include: coffee.

How do you spot a silverfish nest?

Tiny black spots of their excrement. Yellowish stains. Nests outdoors in bark or other wood, rocks, or construction material in warm weather. Indoor nests in damp, dark areas.

Where do baby silverfish come from?

Female silverfish lay their eggs in hidden places around homes. These eggs typically hatch in about 20 to 40 days. Baby silverfish, or nymphs, in an ideal setting can mature in three months. In cool climates, full development into adults may take up to two years.

What do silverfish eggs looks like?

Silverfish eggs are elliptically shaped and measure approximately 1 mm in length. Initially soft and white, silverfish eggs toughen and yellow after a few hours. Upon hatching, silverfish are white in color, although they develop to become silver or gray in adulthood.

Do silverfish live in carpets?

Can silverfish live in my carpet? Silverfish enjoy carbohydrates, particularly starch and dextrin which can be found in books, clothing and dead skin. That said, silverfish aren't picky, they will move on to synthetic fibres found in carpets and rugs when their preferred delicacy runs low.

Can silverfish climb walls?

They're Poor Climbers

Some types of insects can expertly climb smooth vertical surfaces, like walls. Silverfish do not have this ability. If they fall into a sink, bathtub, or similar place, they can't get out. Since these pests can be found trapped in sinks or tubs, some people think silverfish climb out of drains.

How do I get rid of silverfish?

Use boric acid.

This powder is a natural substance and another anti-insect superweapon. It will kill both the silverfish and their eggs. Spread it around the areas controlled by the silverfish before going to bed and vacuum it up in the morning. You may need to repeat this process until they are all gone.