House Centipede vs Silverfish: Know the Difference, Signs

If you have ever caught sight with your own eyes of a fast-creeping, ultra-legged animal moving across the bathroom floor of your house or a shining bug wiggling in your basement, then it is certain that either a house centipede or a silverfish has been encountered by you. Though both pests are typical of American households, it is very important to know the differences between the two for efficient control. In this article, we are going to learn everything about house centipede vs silverfish their appearance, behavior, the role of people, and the most effective ways of their elimination simultaneously.

House Centipede vs Silverfish

The identifying features of the physical appearance of house centipede vs silverfish are, at first:

Appearance & Size:

1. The display style of house centipedes is with a body that has the form of a long tube and is flattened; the color of this animal normally comes in a yellowish-brown base with narrow, black lines seen most often in three places on its back. The reason why this particular kind is so extraordinary happens to be that it is equipped with 15 pairs of long, thin legs, which not only give it a hairy look but also give it the ability to move fast. Adults of this variant can grow to be one and a half inches in height.
2. Meanwhile, the silver fish is even smaller when you compare it with the house centipede, it is about half an inch to one inch long. Its body is teardrop-shape in silvery-gray color, cover with fine scales, and has three long, thread-like appendages at the rear end, and also six short legs as it is also its other way of living.

Color:

1. House centipedes are yellowish-brown with dark stripes.
2. Silver fish are pale to dark gray or silver, often shiny and without stripes.

Habitat:

In a similar way, dark and humid places are their favorite ones; both pests like to dwell in such places as a basement, bathroom, attic, and closet. Thus, high levels of humidity are the most critical factor for attractive living spaces for both house centipedes and silverfish.

Diet:

1. House centipedes operate through their behaviors to eat mainly insect species including cockroaches and spiders alongside silverfish. Other pests bound to be present when house centipedes dwell in the area.
2. Silverfish operate as decomposers because they mainly feed on paper products together with cellulose materials and glues and textiles. The insects endanger more stored items including books wallpapers and clothing because of their destructive nature.

Signs That May Attract House Centipede vs SilverFish

To be able to successfully prevent these pests from invading your house, you need to have a good understanding of what actually attracts them. The things that primarily cause house centipedes to become interested in your place are as follows:

House Centipedes:

• Other insects attract the drone flies because these insects provide them their nourishment.
• The species prefer habitats with excessive humidity and moisture which includes leaky basements and crawlspaces and bathrooms.
• Both clutter and walls or floors that show cracks offer insects the chance to hide.

Silver Fish:

• Drawn to starchy materials-books, cardboard, wallpaper, and even pantry goods.Prefer damp, dark spaces with high humidity, such as attics, laundry rooms, and under sinks.Accumulated paper, fabric, and food crumbs can encourage infestations.
• Drawn to starchy materials-books, cardboard, wallpaper, and even pantry goods.
• Prefer damp, dark spaces with high humidity, such as attics, laundry rooms, and under sinks.
• Accumulated paper, fabric, and food crumbs can encourage infestations.

The main difference here is that house centipedes attract toward the presence of other pests as well as moisture, while silverfish are mostly looking for sources of starchy food and the moisture they need.

How to Get Rid of Centipedes and Silver Fish

To get rid of these centipedes and silver fish that the house shelter has become, you should apply the following directed method:

For House Centipedes:

1. Reduce Humidity: Do this by using a dehumidifier and repairing leaks to lower the humidity in the places like your basement and bathroom where the centipedes usually come from and live.
2. Seal The Holes: The physical barriers in the form of wall, window and foundation to invading activities of the pest are also to closed down.
3. Light-Weight Insects: Because the house centipedes primarily live on other insects, if you remove their potential prey, there is no reason for them to come to your place. bases that you suspect are their shelters, cleanup can only bring the result of a big reduction in the population of house centipedes.Selfmade Natural
4. Sprays and Glue Traps: The traps need to be placed at the vulnerable areas, making sure that the effects of mobility will not be experienced, only sticking on the walls for instance. Moreover, natural sprays like tea tree, lavender, or peppermint are to used.
5. Sticky Traps & Natural Repellents: Hot glue traps can stop indoor pests while natural repellents paired with essential oil scents like tea tree, lavender, and peppermint should used for pest prevention.

For Silver Fish:

1. Keep Clean and Well Organized: Clear out mess, such as piles of paper, cardboard, and old clothes. Seal food in airtight containers to prevent silverfish infestation.
2. Avoid Moisture: The same strategies must used as in the case of house centipedes, namely, moisture elimination and leak fixing.
3. Frequent Vacuuming: Keep this practice in your daily household routine. Being a source of both food and eggs, vacuuming can help to prevent and eliminate the house population in such a simple way because it only targets the adult and the young.
4. Professional Help: When faced with major infestations of either pest, there’s no better way to handle the situation than to hire the services of a competent pest control company. They will be able to provide the necessary treatment and monitor the situation on a regular basis

Conclusion

In the question of house centipede vs silverfish, as much as both of them are unwelcome, they still come to your place for different reasons. Moreover, an interesting point is that although house centipedes may frighten you due to their fast motion and abnormally large number of legs, they actually are effective at maintaining the rest of the pest population in your home. Quite the contrary, silverfish may cause a lot of harm to your possessions when feeding on them as much as they can eat the starchy matter.

If you want to keep the house free from both house centipedes and silverfish, then the way to go is to keep your home dry, seal the entry points, and keep your living space clean and uncluttered. If you find any of these pests, take action immediately to prevent a serious problem.

By using an appropriate approach, you can safeguard your home and live stress-free even when the pest problem is found.