I believe I have Silverfish in my apartment. What should I do to get rid of them?
Question:I think they are Silverfish. It looks like a weird centiped. I have scene a few which I have killed. I have a small dog that likes to chace them but he cannot catch them. Do they damage the apt? Are they poisonous to my dog? what should I do to get rid of them?
Answers:
What ever it is that you have it is not silverfish. Silverfish are very small and your dog would not see them to chase after. Silverfish are found where there is moisture.
The"weird" looking centipede, is just that a centipede.
By the way the other posters did a great job on the silverfish, unfortunatley your problem by your description is not silverfish.
The best thing for you to do is get a sample and let a qualified person ID it for you.
And yes, centipedes can be poisonous to your dog.
Silverfish
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Lepisma saccharina
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Arthropoda
Class: Insecta
Order: Thysanura
Family: Lepismatidae
Genus: Lepisma
Species: L. saccharina
Binomial name
Lepisma saccharina
Linnaeus, 1758
For other uses, see Silverfish (disambiguation).
Lepisma saccharina (commonly called the fishmoth, urban silverfish or just the silverfish) is a small, wingless insect typically measuring between half to one inch. Its common name derives from the animal's silvery blue colour, combined with the fish-like appearance of its movements, while the scientific name indicates the silverfish's diet of carbohydrates such as sugar or starches. It belongs to the basal insect order Thysanura, and the species is estimated to have existed for 300 million years, originating in the Palaeozoic Era.[1]
An eyeless species of silverfish, or a close relative, was discovered in January 2006 in caves in Sequoia National Park, California.
Contents [hide]
1 Diet
2 Habitat
3 Reproduction
4 Predation
5 Elimination
6 Notes
7 External links
[edit] Diet
The favourite food of silverfish is any matter that contains starch or polysaccharides, such as dextrin in adhesives. These include glue, book bindings, paper, photos, sugar, hair, and dandruff. Silverfish can also cause damage to books, tapestries, and textiles. Apart from these cases, the damage caused by silverfish is negligible and they have no direct effect on human health beyond psychological distress to people who dislike them. Other substances that may be eaten include cotton, linen, silk and synthetic fibres, and dead insects or even its own exuvia (moulted exoskeleton). During famine, a silverfish may even attack leatherware and synthetic fabrics. In extreme cases, silverfish may live for a year without eating.
[edit] Habitat
The silverfish is a widespread commensal in human dwellings, much like its relative, the firebrat (Thermobia domestica). Silverfish can often be found under refrigerator, beds, or around a well-heated toilet, if the crevices in the floor tiles are large enough. It is also common to find them near the crevices of the wood that has been bonded with starch glue (from which they feed), especially where the wall and floor meet. They are quite shy and most of them come out at night, when there isn't much human activity nearby. Firebrats prefer warmer conditions, and can be found in bakeries, where they feed on flour and bread, as well as other animal products.
[edit] Reproduction
The reproduction of silverfish has only recently been studied. The male lays a spermatophore, a sperm capsule covered in gossamer. Having located the spermatophore via a variety of biochemical signals, the female takes up the spermatophore for fertilization, which will then result in a fertilized egg.
[edit] Predation
A silverfish (Lepisma saccharina) without its silvery scales, which are only developed after its third moult.Earwigs, house centipedes, and in rare cases spiders are known to be predatory upon silverfish.
[edit] Elimination
In buildings, silverfish can only exist in sufficiently humid, crevice-rich environments. If these two conditions are removed, the silverfish will not be able to survive. Other measures that may be taken to eliminate silverfish, at least temporarily, include the following:
A 1:1-ratio dispersion of borax or boric acid and sugar is a reliable bait to kill silverfish (relatively harmless to humans and non-insects).
The scent of a sal ammoniac solution should drive away silverfish within 24 hours.
To capture silverfish, sprinkle plaster on a wet, white cotton cloth, put it in a corner overnight, near the silverfish's hideout. Or trap in small glass containers -- silverfish cannot climb up the smooth inside walls.
Adults can be killed by freezing, but it is difficult to kill the eggs.
By far the most effective way to be rid of silverfish for sure is to keep an area or room tidy, limiting the possible number of breeding grounds they have.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to:
Lepisma saccharinaWikispecies has information related to:
Lepisma saccharina
[edit] Notes
^ University of Arkansas: Arthropod Museum Notes 2005
[edit] External links
Silverfish factsheet at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
http://www.uos.harvard.edu/ehs/pes_silve... Harvard University factsheet on silverfish and firebrats
Frequently Asked Questions about Silverfish at Cornell Cooperative Extension, Insect Diagnostics Laboratory
Magnified pictures of Silverfish
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/silverfish"...
Sounds like silverfish. If you have ivy growing around your apartment it needs to be sprayed or taken out. If you rent then your landlord needs to pay to have them taken care of because they are an infestation. ps i heard they have a little bite to them.
Check online, go to google and type silverfish in the images section, if they are in fact silverfish (which they don't sound like it) you will know.
Silverfish are shy by nature and usually only come out at night in bathrooms and kitchens where there is moisture and food.
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