If you believe you have silverfish in your McKinney home, you should call a professional McKinney pest control company that has experience dealing with this nuisance pest, like EcoArmor Pest Defense. Our licensed, certified, highly-trained service professionals know what they’re doing when it comes to these occasional invaders. Learn how to identify silverfish in your home, the damage they can cause, prevention tips, and how to get rid of them for good.

How To Identify Silverfish In Your Home

Silverfish are ½ to ¾ inch long, silvery gray, somewhat teardrop-shaped insects. They have thin antennae and three long tail-like appendages. One way to identify their presence is to see chew marks on papers, books, or wallpaper. These pests may also chew on the attic or basement insulation paper. Silverfish feces can be found in those areas, resembling black pepper scattered around their nesting areas – typically in attics, basements, and bathrooms – and where silverfish are feeding.

You may wonder, “Why do I have silverfish?” There are two potential answers. The first is that they were outside your home and found a way in, and the second is that you accidentally carried them inside, perhaps on firewood or other infested items.

The Damage Silverfish Can Do In Your Home

If you have a shake roof, the first danger silverfish are likely to cause will start at the top. Shake roofs are an ideal breeding environment for silverfish because they provide plenty of moisture with lots of cellulose and dead bugs to feed on. Basically, silverfish will start out eating your roof.

The second area where they can cause damage is on your bookcases. Silverfish love a good book, but for far different reasons than you do. The paper and glue are both tasty treats to silverfish. Piles of paper on your desk or in your filing cabinets are also at risk.

The third area these McKinney occasional invaders can wreak havoc is in your kitchen. These insects will eat through cardboard containers to get to food in your pantry. They seek out both protein and carbohydrates and will eat stored food as well as other insects.

To prevent this kind of damage, you need to know how to get rid of silverfish in your McKinney home: by calling EcoArmor Pest Defense.

Silverfish Prevention Tips For Your McKinney Home

There are several steps you can take to prevent silverfish from invading your home:

• Make sure your yard has good drainage to keep moisture from pooling around your foundation, which would draw silverfish toward your home.
• Use air conditioning and dehumidifiers to dry out your attic, crawl space, and basement, making them less attractive to silverfish.
• Rake yard debris like grass clippings, pulled weeds, and fallen leaves away from your foundation, so silverfish can’t hide in the piles.
• Put down a crushed rock barrier between your house and any mulch or grass currently up against it.
• Store firewood, garbage cans, and recycling bins away from your home.
• Install weather stripping around all windows and doors to prevent silverfish from gaining access.
• Regularly inspect the exterior of your house and repair any cracks or crevices that could allow silverfish or other pests to access your home.

Now that you know the prevention tips, you should learn how to get rid of silverfish if you do wind up with an infestation.

How To Get Rid Of Silverfish For Good

The best way to get rid of silverfish is to partner with EcoArmor Pest Defense. We have the training and experience needed to eradicate any infestation you may find in your home, including silverfish. Contact us today for your free quote and to learn more about our residential and commercial pest control services in McKinney.