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Do Silverfish Live In Drains?

Finding Silverfish in your bathtub and sink? Silverfish are pests that might have a name that makes them feel aquatic but are not actually aquatic. They get their name from the silvery-brown shade of their scales. Their presence in the house has raised a lot of concerns, and you must have asked the question: do silverfish live in the drain?

 Prevent Silverfish Bugs

This question was birth from various sightings of them at multiple places around drains, bathtubs, sinks or even around floor grates. There is no simple answer to this question but you should know that there is up to 90% chance of them not living in your drain. They, however, are attracted to moisture. Even with their love for humidity, they do not travel through the drains. They might travel around your pipes and drains but never through the drains.

Recommended Read: All About Silverfish

Where do Silverfish Live? Since it has been established that Silverfish do not live in drains, so where do they come from? First silverfish are attracted to both moisture and warmth. They also have a love for pretty high levels of humidity (above 75%). This helps explain why they are frequently found in bathrooms around the sinks and tub area. There are two major places you find silverfish Outdoor Dark Places: They are nocturnal and opt for dark places, where they have their leeway. There, they can breed and find a home. Most times, they find their home themselves in the bark of trees or organic leaf matter around homes. They can go further to cohabit the nests of other insects and even birds. Thus, you can find them in the termites’ hills as well as the nests of rodents. They seek to nest indoors when the temperature does not favour them. Silverfish survive better in temperatures between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit.
  1. Indoor Areas: Dark places mixed with high humidity serve as the right place for them. During the day, you might find paper-thin evidence of their existence since they scurry from high temperatures. In the night, however, you are sure to encounter them, scurrying on floors or climbing up walls. They can be found near your kitchen, laundry rooms, and around pipes. They will feed on carbohydrates, proteins and even mold. They also enjoy glue from book bindings and even wallpaper glue.
Are Silverfish Harmful? You might not consider their presence as sordid enough to feel yourself drowning with no one to throw you a lifeline, but there’s something always that lingering fear that comes with the knowledge that there is an insect in your home. Let us address the elephant in the room: Silverfish are not harmful to humans. But they do shed their skin and this has been known to cause allergic reactions in some humans. DIY for Preventing Silverfish Infestation Even when silverfish’s ability to harm humans have been muzzled, we cannot rule out their harm to other things in the house. Before they sully the tranquility of your home, here are ways to keep them away from your home.
  1. Remove Moisture: Reduce excess moisture in basements with ventilation or dehumidifier. Fix leaky pipes or gutter down spots that may allow collection of excessive amounts of water in one location around the home.
  2. Block Their Entrance Point: Prevention is always the best policy, so locate areas of entry, weep holes, plumbing penetrations, and cracks in brick. Also, insure that the surrounding organic matter, such as mulch or leaf litter is not passed slab height.
  3. Regular Vacuuming: Ensure you vacuum the house regularly, giving the silverfish little to no room to have space in your home.
  4. Use Traps: Another way you can burn their chances of living in your home is to set traps for them. There are numerous traps you can use to take them out. These traps would act as your monsters while you act like their Dr. Frankenstein.
  5. Newspaper Traps: Roll up a newspaper and use an elastic band to tie the paper. Then, moisten the paper. Since feeding on papers is their popular pastimes, they would go for the opportunity. While feeding, however, they will be trapped as a result of the closed-end. The next day, pick the newspaper without unrolling it as you dispose of it. If burning them is your choice, please eviscerate them away. Repeat the process until you are sure they are totally eliminated.
  6. Get Traps from Stores: Since the presence of silverfish is not entirely restricted to a particular region, glue traps are a good option. Inexpensive, effective, and easy to set up, the traps are available at various hardware stores. Harris Insect Traps are a perfect option and available locally in most hardware stores.
  7. Repellents: There are several repellents suitable for ridding your house of silverfish. All you need to do is to get one of your choices.

Recommended Product: Killing and Preventing Silverfish with Boric Acid