Silverfish are especially attracted to damp clothing and paper. Warm and moist spaces are their favourite. That's why leaving dirty dishes is a bad idea as they attract these and other pests. The most common attractors are food, clutter, and moisture.
Finding Silverfish in Beds
Although they prefer places like bathrooms and closets, it is possible to find silverfish bugs in beds. These insects are about half an inch in length with silver teardrop-shaped bodies and long antennae. While they're more annoying than harmful, these pests can damage bedding.
Given that Silverfish live where conditions are wet and humid, their presence could be a sign that there is a water issue in your house – it could be a leaky pipe, or water coming from outside of your home. You might also discover damp or rotting wood in areas where you find Silverfish.
Silverfish are a warning sign that your home has developed entry points, more specifically, entry points that may have been caused by water damage. When rain water gets into places it shouldn't, it can cause mold, mildew, fungi, algae, and other things to grow.
Do silverfish crawl on people? These little silver insects enjoy eating dandruff. If you have dandruff, you may find these bugs crawling on you while you sleep, or crawling around on your hairbrush in the bathroom.
Put ground cinnamon, cinnamon oil or cinnamon sticks in infected areas. Citrus fruits – Silverfish are repelled by the citrus scent of orange and lemon peel. It you use peel, you must replace it regularly. You can also make a citrus spray using lemon juice and water and spray the area.
Silverfish are attracted to moist areas of high humidity. You are most likely to find them in wall void spaces, basements or ceilings and dark, undisturbed corners. Look behind refrigerators and around boiler rooms.
Female silverfish lay eggs constantly after reaching the adult stage. They lay eggs in crevices and cracks around your home, which hatch within 3 weeks. Young insects reach the adult stage within 4 to 6 weeks. Young silverfish look like adult silverfish, only smaller and white.
They are nocturnal and prefer to hide or rest in tight cracks or crevices during the day. Silverfish usually feed on paper items, glue, clothing and food items, such as flour and rolled oats.
Unlike other household pests, they are slow to establish infestation levels of terribleness but, once they get to that point, they are incredibly difficult to control and remove.
If you see one silverfish, there is a good chance there are hundreds living in your walls. A single female can lay 100 eggs in her lifetime and it only take 3 months from egg to adult. It doesn't take long for silverfish populations to get out of hand.
Diatomaceous earth is a good option if you're looking for a natural way to kill silverfish. This powder is made from diatoms - the fossilized remains of tiny aquatic creatures. Diatomaceous earth (DE) is an excellent home remedy that works by puncturing the insect's exoskeleton, causing it to dehydrate and die.
Typically found in dark, humid environments, it's not unheard of for silverfish to take up residence in mattresses, and considering that their favourite foods include linen and hair, the bed can provide a more than welcoming habitat.
Silverfish lay their eggs in the same tiny cracks and crevices that they hang out in. Damp areas with high humidity and plenty of gaps under trim, cabinets, bathtubs, behind toilets, and anywhere else they can hide during the day. These are the places where female silverfish are likely to lay eggs.
Washing clothes is the best way to kill silverfish eggs. You may not know where the silverfish may lay eggs so washing the clothes on the hottest temperature that the clothes will take is important.
When they emerge from the egg, silverfish nymphs are miniature versions of the adults. They go through a number of molts during development, and continue to molt throughout their lives. Some species may undergo more than 50 molts.
You might find silverfish bugs in your bathroom because they love warm, damp areas. These insects need moisture to survive and reproduce, so bathrooms are often the perfect environment for silverfish. Sinks, showers, toilets, leaky faucets, and tubs all provide the conditions silverfish need to thrive.
A properly and thoroughly applied insecticide will show results in a few weeks. If control doesn't occur in 2 or 3 weeks, silverfish or firebrats probably are coming from untreated areas and secluded harborages. Seek out these areas for treatment, and eliminate water sources.
How do silverfish get into the home? They will access your home through gaps and cracks in your foundations, windows and doors. Sometimes it might be the case that they have laid a nest in some cardboard or a book that you have brought into the home.
Sprinkling a thin line of diatomaceous earth along bookshelves, cupboards, and wardrobes can kill silverfish before they begin eating your belongings. If you use diatomaceous earth, you'll need to be consistent and replace it each night before bed.
Holes in papers and fabrics.
Silverfish are well-known for their odd choice of food, which provides a big clue to an infestation. They need starches, so they happily munch on wallpaper, books, magazines, paper, and fabric. You might even find one in your kitchen cabinet searching for one of your snacks.
Silverfish can contaminate foods and eat through fabrics, paper, or other items. Silverfish eat mold, so their presence may also indicate a mold issue in your home. They are also a preferred food of spiders, centipedes, and other insects, so silverfish in your home may attract these pests.
The short answer is no, LED lights do not attract silverfish any more than other types of light. Silverfish like dark areas and so do not like light of any type. Silverfish aren't attracted to light because they are looking for food.