What Is The Easiest Way To Get Rid of Silverfish In Western Massachusetts?

You're in your bathroom, brushing your teeth, and you see it—a tiny pest that is barely a speck. What on earth is it? You grab a magnifying glass (because you definitely have one of those lying around) and you look closer at the tiny pest. It has a fish-like shape with a rounded head and a tail that tappers off. At the end of its tail, there are three long antennae-looking appendages. What on earth is this alien creature you've found? If it is tan, you're looking at a firebrat. If it is silver, you're looking at a silverfish. It is also likely that you've found a baby silverfish. These pests begin life as tiny versions of the adults. Unlike a butterfly, which starts as a caterpillar, or a fly, which starts as a maggot, silverfish start life as an insect. Join us today as we dig in deeper and look at silverfish in Western Massachusetts. We'll discuss how to tell that you have a silverfish infestation, what silverfish do in your home, and how to prevent an infestation if you don't have one yet. If you've found these pests in your food, or they're damaging the belongings in your home, jump to our contact page for professional pest control in Western Massachusetts. Our service team knows the best way to get rid of silverfish. We can help you find an appropriate solution.  

How To Tell If You Have A Silverfish Problem In Your Home

Obviously, seeing a silverfish in your home is one way to tell that you have an infestation, but it actually isn't the best way. Silverfish can get into your home but not survive long under certain conditions. Seeing one in your bathroom is not conclusive proof that you have an infestation. It may have climbed through a gap around your window frame and found its way indoors. The rest of the silverfish might be outdoors. You'll need to search for proof of activity within your home if you want to find conclusive evidence of an indoor infestation. Here are some examples:

• Inspect items in storage, particularly books and clothing. These are commonly targeted by silverfish. If you find holes in these items, silverfish are likely to blame.
• Inspect your pantry foods and stored foods in your kitchen. If you find holes in packages or you see tiny silverfish nymphs crawling around, you definitely have an infestation.
• Inspect humid spaces, such as a boiler room, laundry room, bathrooms, basement, or cellar. If silverfish have found their way indoors, they're definitely going to gravitate to these areas. If so, you may see them. Use a flashlight to check gaps and crevices; and tight spaces between stacked objects, such as magazines, newspapers, and books.

Sometimes silverfish hide in walls and it isn't easy to detect them. You may have a clue that this is occurring if you continually see them in your bathroom, even after taking the time to seal around your bathroom window frame. Here are a few more clues:

• You may see tiny scales scattered about on the floor and in recesses.
• You may see black fecal matter or fecal spotting.
• You may detect yellow stains. These yellow stains are left behind during the molting process.
• You can use a trap to detect silverfish in your home. Take a glass jar and cover it with masking tape. The silverfish will crawl inside and be unable to climb back out. Keep in mind that this is for detecting silverfish; it will not arrest a silverfish infestation.
• You may also use sticky traps to capture silverfish to tell where they're active in your home. 

When you discover silverfish warning signs or find these pests crawling around in your home, the next step is to consider the threats these pests may present to your family or your belongings. Let's take a quick look at this.   

Are Silverfish Harmful To My Family Or Possessions?

We're often asked, "Are silverfish dangerous?" We're happy to say the answer is no. In fact, silverfish aren't the worst pests to find in your Western Massachusetts home. There are many pests that present a far greater risk to your health and property, but silverfish aren't exactly harmless. Here are some facts you should know about the silverfish in your home and what you may expect.

• They don't bite or sting and they don't have venom. That is great news! Several pests in our area do.
• While silverfish can get into stored foods, they aren't known to spread bacteria as other pests do. They won't go between stored foods and trash receptacles like dirty insects. They tend to stay near a food source. Unfortunately, they contaminate food with their presence—and also with their feces. So, it isn't pleasant to open a package of food and find these insects crawling around inside! 
• A recent study links silverfish to allergens that cause respiratory issues. The scales shed by silverfish contain a protein that can cause an allergic reaction in some people, and the droppings of silverfish are also considered an allergen.
• The more silverfish you have in your home, the greater the concern. Fortunately, it isn't easy for silverfish to live in most homes. They have a high moisture requirement.
• Silverfish can damage your belongings and building materials. They nibble on important documents, books, clothing, photos, wallpaper, and more. Silverfish damage is greater in locations that are higher in humidity. You can deter them by storing your belongings in sealed plastic totes or keeping items in dry habitats that are unfriendly to silverfish.
• Silverfish don't damage materials with tough cellulose, like wood timbers. So they aren't considered wood-destroying organisms, like carpenter ants, carpenter bees, termites, or wood-boring beetles.     

In many cases, silverfish are mostly nuisance pests, but there are legitimate concerns. Knowing these simple facts can help you properly evaluate your silverfish infestation and decide on appropriate corrective measures. 

Silverfish Prevention Tips For Around The House

You can do some things about silverfish inside your home. Some are easy. Some are difficult. But these tips will help you guard your stuff and your stored foods.

• Address plumbing issues, such as leaking faucets. Silverfish need moisture. Depriving them of moisture will drive them out or eliminate them.
• Address humidity. It is amazing how much of an impact installing a dehumidifier can have on silverfish, particularly in humid storage spaces.
• We touched on this already, but it bears mentioning again. Store items in sealed plastic totes. Doing so will keep silverfish from feeding on these items.
• Store your pantry foods in sealed containers. Not only will this work to keep silverfish out, but it will also help you manage the threat of pantry pests such as Indian meal moths, weavils, and beetles.

As for around the outside of your home, there are many all-natural solutions to reduce the number of silverfish and prevent them from continuing to get into your home. Here are some helpful suggestions to get you started.

• Remove leaf litter as quickly as possible to get rid of beneficial silverfish habitats near your home.
• Clean your gutters or hire someone to do the job.
• Repair gutter breaks.
• Repair exterior plumbing issues, such as a damaged spigot or a leaking hose.
• Trim landscape vegetation to allow the wind to flow through your plants and keep things dry.
• Use a caulking gun to fill in exterior holes and to seal around your window and door frames.
• Repair damaged screens and address gaps around screen frames.

These tips will have a big impact on silverfish and help you address a silverfish problem. If you don't have silverfish in your home, they'll help you keep silverfish out. For greater protection, or to know that you no longer have silverfish in your home, contact American Pest Solutions for silverfish control in Western Massachusetts. The methods and products we use get results.   

How Can I Get Rid Of These Pesky Silverfish Once And For All?

Once the silverfish are gone, can you keep them away for good? Yes. It is actually possible to prevent silverfish from getting into your home. Ongoing pest control service for your home includes routine liquid applications applied to your exterior. These applications make it hard for silverfish to live near your home or find tiny entry points to enter your home. We also provide advice for addressing conducive conditions around your home and in your yard. If you live in Western Massachusetts, navigate to our contact page and reach out to us. The service team at American Pest Solutions looks forward to meeting and exceeding your expectations. Our solutions are industry-leading and field-tested, and we have over a century of experience. Since 1913, we've been perfecting our services and finding the best solutions for common pests in our state. Let our experience and professionalism work for you. Connect with us today and speak with one of our agents to request service for your home or business. We're here to help.