{"id":3174,"date":"2022-11-12T13:44:16","date_gmt":"2022-11-12T13:44:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bugcontrol.org\/?p=3174"},"modified":"2026-10-07T17:58:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-07T17:58:47","slug":"how-to-get-rid-of-silverfish-natural-herbal-and-chemical-treatment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bugcontrol.org\/?p=3174","title":{"rendered":"How to Get Rid of Silverfish \u2013 Natural, Herbal, and Chemical Treatment"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

1. Introduction  <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Silverfish (Lepisma saccharinum) is of the order Zygentoma<\/a>. The name silverfish is because of their property of fish-like movement appearance<\/a> and silvery light grey color. Their diet consists of sources of carbohydrates like starches and sugar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

They are nocturnal insects of about 13-25 mm in length. They appear like fish due to their tapered abdomen<\/a> at the end. They possess two compound eyes with one terminal filament at the waist and two long cerci. The younger ones are whitish and develop a grey metallic shine on hatching.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some species, like Apterygota, are wingless, have long antennae, and move with fish-like wiggling motion. They can regenerate filament and antennae in two to four weeks if lost. The life span of silverfish is up to three years. The silverfishes are very good runners, but only on horizontal surfaces. They also mostly avoid light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.1 Distribution  <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Silverfishes are cosmopolitan species<\/a> found in the Americas, Africa, Eurasia, Australia, and other parts of the Pacific. One can find them in basements, attics, bathtubs, sinks, kitchens, showers, classrooms, and even in old books or urban areas. They need a humidity level of about 75% to 95% for inhibition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.2 Life Cycle and Reproduction  <\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

There is an interesting process involved in reproduction. The male and female stand face to face with their antennae touching in the first phase. In the second phase, the male runs away, and the female chases him. In the third, they stand beside each other head to tail, and the male lays his spermatophore, which the female takes in her body through the ovipositor to fertilize the eggs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The female can lay up to 60 oval-shaped<\/a>, whitish eggs at a time that takes about two weeks to two months to hatch.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.3 Etymology and Nomenclature <\/strong> <\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Due to the tendency of silverfish to eat starchy foods, the scientific name Lepisma saccharinum was given by Carl Linnaeus in his 10th<\/sup> edition of System Naturae in 1758. They eat dextrin, which is rich in carbohydrates and protein. The common names have come from their specific metallic appearance and fish-like shape. The common words came into practice in 1855. The common nomenclatural gender of Lepisma was treated as feminine by most of the authors (1957).

However, in 2018, the International Commission of Zoological Nomenclature stated the gender of Lepisma (and all similar) as neuter, post-ICZN Article 30, which saw changes in the spelling of many well-known species, including Lepisma saccharinum.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

1.4 Types of Silverfish \u2013<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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There are around six types of silverfish known, of which are listed as follows –<\/h3>\n\n\n\n