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  • Silverfish and Firebrat Miscellaneous

    Silverfish and Firebrat
  • Silverfish and Firebrat
  • Silverfish and Firebrat
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Elimination

Indoors, it is possible to place Maheu&Maheu glue traps in order to capture the intruders.

However, when the population is larger, the intervention of our certified technicians remains a safe and effective solution.

Indeed, these insects are said to be structural. It is therefore necessary to treat the surroundings of the heating systems, the piping, below the bath (it can sometimes be accessed through a hatch located in an adjacent wardrobe) and near the hot water tank as well as in other places that are more difficult to access. You should also remove the fittings on the electrical outlets and light switches to treat the inside of the walls.

When these insects are found in apartment buildings, it is preferable to intervene throughout the building since they can spread from one apartment to another by following electrical wires or piping, for example.

Actions

  • Reduce indoor humidity levels
  • Use glue trap inside
  • Request assistance from one of our pest management experts

Prevention

  • Keep humidity as low as possible

Description and development

Firebrats (Thermobia domestica Packard ) and Silverfish (Lepisma saccharina L. ) are wingless insects with scaly bodies; two long, thin antennae on their heads; and three long, rigid filaments at the tip of their abdomens. Adults are about 12.5 mm in length. Silverfish have a uniform coloring whereas Firebrats are grayish in color with darker spots.
The females of these two species lay 10 to 100 eggs over their lifespan, starting at three months of age. They seek out cracks and crevices, but sometimes lay them right in the open. Nymphs hatch 20 to 40 days later already resembling their parents, but much smaller. Both species can live up to four years.

Habits

Both species are found in warm, concealed spaces inside buildings. Silverfish can be anywhere in the house whereas Firebrats mainly stay in heating systems near electrical baseboards and heat vents. Relatively high humidity levels will spur the development of these pests, which can survive up to 300 days without food. Silverfish and Firebrats prefer to feed off vegetable matter, particularly substances containing flour and starch. They can damage glossy paper, wallpaper, book bindings, synthetic materials, as well as cotton, heavy fabric, and rayon. They also eat the glue used in lumber mills, and can even digest cellulose. They are sometimes found on construction sites, because they get into pressboard at the time of shipping.

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