Silverfish are tiny pests that can cause a lot of damage in the carpet. They also like to munch on whatever is in your linen cupboard and any paper that is left undisturbed, including books. Carpet Cleaning Perth agree they do a lot of damage in the home and need to be got rid of before they eat everything.
What do they look like? Their name says it all. If you see a tiny insect that has the shape of a fish and is a silvery grey colour that will be a silverfish. And if you are quick enough to squash one, it will leave a silvery grey residue behind, so you’ll be sure it was really a silverfish intent on damaging your household linen, books or carpet.
What do silverfish look like? While most are silvery grey, some can have a blue or brownish tint. If you can catch one, you’ll see three bristles on their rear section. These are what give them their fishtail like appearance. The favourite diet of silverfish is carbohydrates; more especially polysaccharides – that is, dextrin or starch.
These can be found in many different household products such as book bindings, glue, clothing and even dandruff. However, even if none of these things were in your house, they would eat other things such as anything made of silk or linen, carpet including synthetic carpets and even household dust.
What does silverfish infestation look like?
- You will find holes in any number of items including carpets, clothing, paper, books and wallpaper.
- Around the edges of the holes there will be a yellow stain.
- What looks like black pepper sprinkled in the corners, but is actually faecal matter.
- Adult silverfish can be found in food packages whether they have been opened or not, in the linen cupboard and amongst books or papers that have been left undisturbed for some time.
You may not see them, since they prefer darkness, but it is still possible to spot them during the day, especially if the infestation is a large one. Lifting up papers and linens is likely to disturb them and you’ll see them trying to hide somewhere else.
So how can you get rid of silverfish? The best way is to ensure your house is clean and tidy all the time. Steam cleaning the carpet if that is where they are will kill them. But they are likely to be in other places as well. Mothballs in the cupboards will deter them, but make sure you replace them as soon as the packet suggests.
Since they love to be in undisturbed places, tidying up the cupboards and throwing out old papers will help to ensure no silverfish come your way.
