UK households are being invaded by a tiny silver insect this August, which can be an indicator of a huge problem in your house.
Silverfish are an unusual pest in your home: they are shiny silver, teardrop-shaped insects which are usually found lurking in skirting boards, along windowsills and other wood-based nooks and crannies, and their numbers explode in August.
Moreover, silverfish are actually a worrying indicator of a problem which can be hugely expensive to fix: damp.
Silverfish are attracted to areas of damp, such as in bathrooms as well as kitchens. Damp can rot the joists and structure of your home, and lead to the release of mould spores and cause health issues if left unchecked, and it’s expensive to rip out and replace entire walls or floors badly affected by damp, as well as clean off mould and black spots.
New data from Victorian Plumbing has found that these pesky bugs are most common in the home around August when they cling to damp areas such as bathrooms. There has been 895,000 Google searches in the past month for silverfish, and data indicates that this is only going to spike further in August as it does each year.
Alex Woods, bathroom expert at Victorian Plumbing, gives his top tips on keeping your bathroom free from silverfish.
He said: “Silverfish are often found in bathrooms as they are attracted to areas with high moisture levels. When bathrooms become damp and humid, they are the ideal place for silverfish to gather.
“Reducing bathroom humidity is essential when looking to eliminate silverfish in your bathroom. This can be done in a few simple steps, firstly installing an extractor fan in your bathroom can not only stop unwanted pests but also stop the spread of mould and mildew in the room. For a cheaper but short-term option, buying disposable dehumidifiers can help to reduce excess moisture.
“Dehumidifiers work by trapping the moisture in the air, preventing it from spreading around the room. This is especially important in small or windowless rooms, in particular bathrooms, where moisture has nowhere to escape.”
He added: “One of the simplest ways of reducing the risk of silverfish in your bathroom is by hanging up your bath mat or over the bath after use. When your bath mat becomes damp after being used it can leave a moist and warm environment in which silverfish thrive.”