Have you noticed possible pest damage around your Las vegas home? If you start to see silvery, odd-looking creepy crawlies, you're likely dealing with silverfish in your house. As one of the most common pests in Nevada, they can cause damage as they love to eat paper and food high in starches. If you suspect you're dealing with an infestation or, worse, you're confident you're dealing with silverfish in your home, the Las Vegas pest control experts are here to help.
How Do Silverfish Get Their Name
Silverfish get their name from their silverish-gray color and their many similarities to fish, including their shape and movements. When a silverfish moves, its body sways side to side, similar to a fish swimming in the water. They are nocturnal and typically hide from humans. They can sprint, so it might be challenging to spot one in your home. However, if you do, it could signify a more extensive infestation as silverfish can breed rapidly, allowing for a quick escalation.
While they are similar to fish, they have some differences, such as a silverfish having six legs. While most insects have a short lifespan, silverfish typically live six years or more. To successfully kill a silverfish, you need to utilize a specialized silverfish insecticide; however, this method can fail if you don't have the knowledge and experience of a pest control professional.
The Role Silverfish Play In The Ecosystem
Learning about silverfish can help you keep them out of your home and understand their purpose in the ecosystem. They live under debris, stones, bark, and other crevices in areas with high moisture. They also target algae, insects, dead plants, moss, and fungi. When inside, silverfish feed on dead insects in crawlspaces and damp basements. Silverfish serve as both predator and prey in the ecosystem. Earwigs, centipedes, and house spiders are common insects that will hunt silverfish.
Habits And Behaviors Of Silverfish In Las Vegas
Silverfish do not have wings and move from place to place in a quick fish-like manner. While they do not sting or bite, they can cause significant loss in food contamination and damaged personal items. Silverfish have weak jaws, so instead of biting things, they scrape them causing holes in clothing and fabric and discoloration of paper products, wallpaper, and books. They can also contaminate pasta, pet food, flour, and cereals. Silverfish in Las Vegas will enter your home for two main reasons: available food sources and a presence of a warm, dark, and moist area to reside.
Homeowners can typically find them in the following places:
- Under sinks
- Attics
- Crawl spaces
- Pantries and kitchens
- Humid bathrooms
- Basements
Silverfish eat carbohydrate-based food sources and can reproduce quickly, producing 30 to 60 eggs at a time. If you spot one silverfish, there likely is much more hiding. Silverfish can become a severe problem because they consume a wide variety of materials, household items, food, and clothing. In addition, they will also consume:
- Cellulose
- Photos
- Plaster
- Glue
- Dandruff
- Hair
- Clothing
- Coffee
- Fabrics
- Dead insects
Once a silverfish infestation exists, all potential hiding places must be eliminated and destroyed to prevent an even more significant silverfish infestation. Silverfish are hardy scavengers and can survive and hide in seemingly impenetrable spaces.
Professional Help To Remove Silverfish From Your Home
Finding the right pest control professionals to work with is crucial when you have a silverfish issue. At Anderson Pest Control, we strive to provide friendly, personal, and exceptional service. We have provided the highest level of pest control and customer service to residences and businesses in Las Vegas and the surrounding area. It isn't easy. It takes training and retraining and requires hard work every day, but we love what we do, so it doesn't feel like work.
Regarding Las Vegas area pests, we are your local pest control experts. We are sensitive to your concerns, but we will always inform you what will work best to address your silverfish control needs and provide long-lasting results. Contact us to tell us about your pest concerns, to schedule a free pest control inspection and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in Las Vegas.
We look forward to meeting you and guiding you in finding the right services for your home or business.