How to Prevent Silverfish in West Palm Beach

Have you recently noticed a tiny silver-colored insect in the kitchen, bathroom, or basement of your home? You might have been struggling to identify what they are, or maybe you do know what they are already. 

These silver-colored insects slithering across your kitchen cabinets or bathroom floors are called silverfish. Whether you are noticing silverfish for the first time or you have been battling them for a while, one sure thing is that you want them gone for good since nobody likes pests in their homes.

How do you prevent silverfish in West Palm Beach? The solution is in this article. Keep reading to hear our best tips about how to prevent silverfish, how to eliminate them from your home completely, and when to reach out to a professional pest control company like Native Pest Management.

What are Silverfish?

Silverfish are nocturnal creatures with silver scales that invade spaces with high humidity, including basements, bathrooms, and kitchens. Their average size is between 3-10mm. 

They’re very tiny and can grow to a vast population right under your nose if you don’t know what they look like, or if you don’t know the early signs of a silverfish infestation.  

How to Identify Silverfish

Identifying a silverfish in West Palm Beach is easy as long as you know where and when to look for them.

To find silverfish in your home, your targets should be anywhere moist. This is because silverfish love moisture and can’t survive in dry environments. So to find them, look in the crevices or cracks in your kitchen cabinet or sink, in your bathroom, and even on the walls covering your household plumbing.

If there is a silverfish infestation, you will find them in these moist, cooler spots of your home.

Identification is the next step to preventing silverfish. Silverfish look like a teardrop, only that they have silver coverings as scales, hence their name. You can also identify silverfish by their movement. Silverfish move across the floors like fish swimming and are very fast. One minute they’re there, and the next, they disappear, so keep an eye out!

Silverfish are also nocturnal pests. You probably won’t see them in broad daylight unless you look extra closely for them and look in the right spot–silverfish always avoid any form of light, so they hide in the crevices and cracks of your home.

If you're having trouble deciding whether the slithery bug in your home is a silverfish, get in touch with Native Pest Management and our team can quickly help identify it for you. 

What Do Silverfish Do?

You might be wondering, “what do silverfish do?” if you’re unfamiliar with them. It’s important to understand the behavior of any pests. With this knowledge, you can prevent a silverfish infestation or re-infestation.

• Silverfish feed on sugary and starchy substances. This includes starchy foods like cereal and rice, but also household items like  books, wallpaper, glue, and toothpaste.

• Silverfish  can survive as long as a year without food. This means you can’t exactly starve silverfish out of your home. They will survive and keep reproducing as long as there’s water.

• They are never far from their source of food. Silverfish will always hide in cracks and crevices nearby food sources to achieve this.

Where do Silverfish Live?

Silverfish love wet places with moist air, water, and accessible food. And this can be anywhere from your kitchens to bathrooms, cabinets, and laundry room. These are the best environments  for them to grow, feed and reproduce.

They are also known to survive in temperatures less than 50 Fahrenheit. But ideally, they seek out spots with temperatures ranging from 70 to 90 degrees Fahrenheit.

Do Silverfish Bite?

Contrary to their creepy appearance, silverfish don’t bite humans or pets  They’re actually shy, harmless little creatures. Silverfish are more interested in feeding on the starchy food in your kitchen than showing themselves to you.

Are Silverfish Dangerous?

While silverfish are gross, they’re harmless. They don’t bite and don’t carry any diseases. Silverfish will sometimes leave droppings around your home, and may end up in your belongings and in food. This fact can be a bit unsettling, so preventing silverfish is the right move.

To avoid silverfish droppings in your food, make sure your food is always stored  correctly. Seal leftovers in airtight containers, and seal opened but uncooked starches like rice and pasta with clips or clothespins. 

Signs of a Silverfish Infestation

Because silverfish are nocturnal, they are not easily seen during the day. But that doesn't mean you can’t find any if they are present in your home. On that note, here are signs of a silverfish infestation:

• Live silverfish sightings: whether it is during the day or at night, once you raise a book or check your kitchen’s moist areas thoroughly and you find these creatures underneath, you probably  have a silverfish infestation.

• Their droppings: Silverfish droppings are so small that you would think it’s just a speck of dust and sweep it aside. Because of this, silverfish might go unnoticed in the first few weeks or months. But as a  silverfish infestation grows, you will keep seeing these tiny black droppings.

• Yellow stains on your fabric: Silverfish eat fabric, and they leave a silver molt on your clothes. This will also happen when they eat other household items like books, papers and even cardboard boxes. 

• Molt: Silverfish shed their skin even in adulthood. Any sign of metallic-colored skin indicates the presence of silverfish.

How to Prevent a Silverfish Infestation in West Palm Beach

A silverfish infestation in your West Palm Beach home can be prevented by following the steps below:

• Get a dehumidifier: Silverfish are attracted to moist places. So if you like in a moist climate, getting a dehumidifier will reduce the moisture in your home and keep silverfish out of your home.

• Get rid of debris: If you have dead plants, wood or leaves around your house, but sure to clear it up.

• Don't leave food particles around your house. Doing so would invite silverfish to your home and provide enough  food for them to feed on.   

• Reach out to Native Pest Management to help you with silverfish prevention. 

How Do You Prevent Silverfish Naturally?

• Using cedar oil: The amazing thing about cedar oil is that it is one of the few essential oils that are safe for pets! Plus, cedar oil prevents silverfish. So this is an excellent method of eco-friendly silverfish control. All you need is cedar oil, water, and a spray bottle, or a diffuser. Spray the cedar oil mixed with water in the area where you notice the silverfish population.You can also use cedar oil in a diffuser.

• Bay leaves: Sprinkle dried-up bay leaves in the moist corner of your home where you have noticed silverfish. The oil from these leaves will repel silverfish, but it only works when dry.

• Newspaper: Soak the newspaper in water  and roll it up. Because silverfish have a big appetite, they will also eat newspapers. Leave the rolled newspaper for a few days. During this time, silverfish will be attracted to it.  Afterward, you can burn the newspaper to kill any silverfish that made their way through.

• Sticky traps. Lay out sticky traps where the silverfish population is most concentrated. You can purchase these from any home improvement store. 

Professional Silverfish Exterminator in West Palm Beach 

At Native Pest Management, we understand how difficult it is to eliminate silverfish, especially on your own, and we want to take that burden off of you. Our expert technicians provide eco-friendly and pet friendly silverfish extermination. 

We know how stressful a pest infestation can be, especially for icky insects like silverfish. We’re prepared to help to restore your peace of mind that your silverfish infestation took away. 

Not only do we offer services to exterminate silverfish, but also other common household pests in West Palm Beach like ants, cockroaches, termites, and even mosquitoes.

As experts in eco-friendly and pet friendly pest control, you can trust us to get rid of and prevent silverfish to restore your peace of mind. We’re all about making homes pest free, so if you live anywhere in West Palm Beach, as well as Port St. Lucie, Fort Lauderdale, Miami, Tallahassee or any of the surrounding areas, we’re here to help.

Are you looking to hire the best silverfish exterminator in West Palm Beach? Native Pest Management is here for you and all your pest control worries.  Reach out to us today!