Silverfish Bite
What Do Silverfish Bite?
A small, squirmy and common household bug, many wonder whether silverfish bite. Although they do chomp on many things in our households, silverfish do not bite humans. But that doesn’t stop them from being considered a pest.
Silverfish can often be found in one of two places. They love to live in bookshelves, or anywhere there is paper that is left relatively undisturbed. They also thrive in bathrooms, where the moisture and mildew growth provide a perfect habitat.
A silverfish is a small, shiny grey insect that grows from ¼” to ½” in size. While they don’t swim (despite their name), their tail does move back and forth while they walk in a swishing, fish-like manner. They are also flat like a fish and can fit into skinny, small spaces.
Can Silverfish Cause Damage?
While they are small creatures, they can live in large groups and if that group attacks your home there will be damage. Silverfish bite through paper bags that hold sugar or flour and have a field day snacking on the food inside. They can leave a trail of mess if not looked after and are especially dangerous in a library situation.
Silverfish will chew into a book’s paper, cover and backing, eventually making it unreadable. They also like to make their nests in the bindings and such of books.
Preventing the Infestation of Silverfish
The easiest way to remove silverfish is to remove their food source. If your house is humid and plenty of mold and mildew are growing, invest in a quality dehumidifier and lower the moisture content in the air.
Wrap any important books in plastic and store the balance away in strong plastic boxes. Do the same for the sugar and flour and anything else they’ve taken a liking to. Place them in a re-sealable, heavy duty plastic container and the silverfish will soon lose interest and leave.
Silverfish can also chew on wallpaper, so steer clear of that décor item if at all possible.
There are a few home made methods that fight off the damage caused by little silverfish.
First off, there is a silverfish trap, made of only a jar, some masking tape, a bit of sugar and a cotton ball. Stand the jar up and cover completely in masking tape. This is to make the side of the jar climbable, so make sure whatever tape you use has friction.
Fill the cotton ball with sugar by pouring the sugar over top of it. Now that sugar-coated ball should be effective bait for the insect. Once they climb in to inspect and snack, they will not be able to climb back out. Do with the trapped silverfish as you please.
Another, more invasive technique for silverfish is to use boric acid mixed with water as poisonous bait. Boric acid in such small amounts is not harmful to humans and can be sprayed right onto your kitchen counter. The silverfish will ingest the solution and be eliminated.
Some suggest the use of Diatomaceous earth, but make sure that you use pool grade instead of something more universal.
A traditional silverfish deterrent may also work. Place cloves in known hang outs of the insect and they will eventually be driven away by the unpleasant (to them) smell. Watch to see where they are congregating and feeding to know exactly where to put the clove. Tuck them into libraries, filing systems and other paper piles.
Don’t be afraid of these little insects, but don’t be fooled into thinking they are harmless. Silverfish bite and destroy plenty of paper and some dried foods. Control them with some of the methods above and save your home from a mess.