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Sometimes referred to as brisletails, Silverfish can pretty much be found in most areas of the United States. Silverfish are primitive, wingless insects, without metamorphosis. Which means that the young look pretty much like the adults, except for their size. As they get older, they will develop distinguishing coloration. Their bodies are slender with a tapering abdomen. The common Silverfish is the most slender and delicate of this insect family and can easily be identified by its silvery scales that cover its entire body, giving it a silvery appearance.
Sometimes referred to as brisletails, Silverfish can pretty much be found in most areas of the United States. Silverfish are primitive, wingless insects, without metamorphosis. Which means that the young look pretty much like the adults, except for their size. As they get older, they will develop distinguishing coloration. Their bodies are slender with a tapering abdomen. The common Silverfish is the most slender and delicate of this insect family and can easily be identified by its silvery scales that cover its entire body, giving it a silvery appearance.
Silverfish can live long periods of time. They also molt continuously throughout their life which can be up to eight years. Silverfish need to mate after each molt so that the female can lay fertile eggs. Females lay eggs in small batches of up to 50 depending on the species, but they generally lay less than 100 during their entire life. This is why infestations of Silverfish is not rapid, it takes considerable time to develop a "BAD" infestation. So if you have a lot of Silverfish in or around your structure, chances are you have been hosting them a lot longer than you think.
Depending on the species, the habits and habitat of Silverfish or Firebrat may vary considerably. They can be found inside or out, they prefer warm temperatures and moisture. Silverfish are generally active only at night and can move very quickly. Silverfish feed on a wide variety of foods, concentrating on things like, carbohydrates and proteins. They have been known to feed on grains, dried beef, flour, starch, paper and some natural fibers such as cotton. Although Silverfish can and will feed on many different things, they can be very picky and go as long as a year without requiring or desiring any food.
How to control silverfish:
Each species has different habitats and requirements. In general, temperature and humidity control or lighting in certain areas will reduce populations. Residual treatments can be used in cracks and crevices and around baseboards, drawers and furniture. Attics and crawl spaces may be space fogged or dusted. Dusts in wall voids give particularly long term control. Another alternative to pesticide application is a baiting procedure that we have been using that has proven to be very effective and again reduces the amount of pesticide introduced to you and the environment.