If you’ve never seen a silverfish before, you’ll certainly be surprised if you see one of these strange, primordial-looking bugs in your home (or even worse, a home you are looking to rent or buy).
We don’t blame you if seeing a silverfish in a home creeps you out. But what makes silverfish appear in a house? Does it mean the house if filthy?
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.
Keep reading if you want to learn more about silverfish and why they tend to appear in homes!
Are Silverfish a Sign of Filth?
As we already mentioned, silverfish don’t have to be a sign of filth. However, they could be an indicator that not all ducks are in order in the house in question.
There is one key thing about silverfish you need to know: they need very high humidity (above 75% in the air in order to survive). They can survive lower humidity conditions for a short time, but not very long.
This is why silverfish often hide in bathrooms or kitchens. You might also find them in a damp basement, or anywhere they might have humid and dark conditions they love.
When you see a silverfish in your home, and you know you have been cleaning it on a regular basis, silverfish could be a sign of water damage or leaking pipes you are not aware of. Look for possible entry points for silverfish and possible places where the water accumulates – it could save you a lot of trouble!
Silverfish in a home could also be a sign there is not enough light and airflow inside. If the conditions in a house are good for silverfish, they are probably to good for you.
A Bit More About Silverfish
Before you start trying to find the reason silverfish got into your home, you should first be 100% sure that what you’re seeing is actually a silverfish. Learning a bit more about them can help you recognize a silverfish:
The latin name of a silverfish is Lepisma saccharinum. These insects are 13–25 mm (0.5–1.0 inches) long.
Silverfish are not that difficult to recognize, as they have somewhat of a unique look. Despite the name, they don’t have anything to do with fish, but their shape and color somewhat resemble one. The body of the silverfish is long and thin, and it goes more narrow towards the back.
The tell-tale signs of a silverfish are its body shape and the distinctly gray/silver color. Newly hatched silverfish appear almost white – but you are unlikely to see those rather than an adult specimen.
You might also notice that silverfish have two long antennae on their heads. This is hard to see with the naked eye, but they perform peculiar ‘wiggling’ movements with their antennas that also somewhat resemble the movement of a fish.
Silverfish are a nocturnal species. This means you are more likely to see them at night, or when you walk into a dark room and suddenly turn the lights on, just light cockroaches.
Silverfish can run very fast on horizontal surfaces, and if exposed to light they will try to find a hidden spot. Interestingly, silverfish can climb vertical surfaces but they are very slow when trying to do that.
Fun facts about silverfish:
- A single silverfish can live up to 3 years
- If silverfish loose their antennas, they grow them back within 4 weeks
- Silverfish will eat dead members of their own species
- Ancestors of silverfish are some of the oldest insects on earth
Are Silverfish a Sign of Damp?
Yes, silverfish are definitely a sign you have a damp area inside your home. A damp basement is the perfect breeding ground for silverfish. Also consider pipes in your home and possible leaks. Where could water be accumulating that you are not aware of?
Are Silverfish a Sign of Mold?
Silverfish are not a sign of mold, specifically, but they might as well indicate mold. This is because silverfish love damp areas where there is not too much fresh air circulating. These are also the perfect conditions for developing mold. So where there are silverfish, there might as well be mold.
Does Seeing One Silverfish Mean an Infestation?
A single tiny silverfish can live up to three years, and they don’t breed as fast as many other bugs. This is why seeing a single silverfish is usually not a reason to panic. Simply get rid of the bug and keep an eye out in case there are more.
If you keep seeing multiple silverfish and silverfish dropping, though, this could be a reason to worry as they might be breeding in some damp place out of your sight.
What Attracts Silverfish into Your Home?
If wondering why silverfish are attracted to your home – there is a simple answer. They find it a pleasant place to live. So, to understand why silverfish are getting into your home, we need to understand the ideal habitat for silverfish.
These are the 3 things they need:
#1 Humidity
As we already mentioned, a key characteristic of silverfish is that they love humidity! They can only survive in places that are damp enough. If there are damp corners in your house, this is the #1 reason you are seeing silverfish.
#2 Warmth
Silverfish might be able to survive in a range of temperatures, but their sweet spot is between 22 and 27°C (72 to 81°F). If they can find a dark place that is damp and warm like this, this is where silverfish will stay.
#3 Something to Feed On
Silverfish are known to love carbohydrates and they are often thought of as the culprits eating food such as grains, life flour and oatmeal or chewing through pages of books.
However, silverfish also eat protein – which is why things like (dry) meat can attract them too. They also get protein from eating dead insects (even their own species), so they might appear in areas where there are other dead bugs.
Final Thoughts
A single silverfish is rarely a sign to worry. Even if you see many silverfish, it is not a reason to panic. In general, it is not as bad as having a house full of cockroaches or termites!
Silverfish don’t multiply too fast so they probably won’t take over your house. Moreover, they do not bite and they are not known to spread diseases.
That being said, some people can be allergic to silverfish – although this is actually not very common.
Moreover, silverfish can get into your food which is certainly not pleasant. If silverfish are getting into your food, though, it might be a sign you are keeping your food in an overly humid place which is not the best idea.
So, seeing silverfish is not a huge reason to worry, but you might want to investigate whether there is an underlying cause.
As you have seen, silverfish are far less scary than some other bugs! One might even think they look quite cute. However, seeing them in your house is not a good sign.
To learn more about silverfish, check out these links:
I’ve seen one silverfish should I be worried?
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