Little-known critters could be hiding in your bathroom – but there's way to banish them

Kirsty Card

24 June 2024 at 7:20 am·2-min read

New ceramic toilet bowl in a modern bathroom. White clean, soft toilet paper hanging on the toilet paper holder. The concept of personal hygiene. — -Credit: (Image: Getty)

A hygiene expert "unlocked a new fear" by telling people about a little-known insect that could be hiding in your home.

Silverfish are small, wingless insects scientifically known as Lepisma saccharina. They are around 12-19 millimetres in length with a tapering, carrot-shaped body that is covered with silvery scales, giving them a metallic appearance.

As you've probably guessed, they get their name for their distinctive appearance and fish-like movements.

Silverfish feed on carbohydrates, particularly sugars and starches. Their diet includes a variety of items such as glue, paper, book bindings, insulation, clothing, and even dead insects.

They are found worldwide and prefer dark, damp, and humid environments. They are commonly found in basements, bathrooms, kitchens, and attics. They are nocturnal and tend to hide during the day in small crevices or spaces.

Silverfish also tend to lay eggs and deposit them into small spots of crevices, meaning they can hide throughout nooks and crannies in your home. To prevent this from happening, make sure these areas are sealed up.

Silverfish sitting on wood, extreme close up with high magnification, focus on eyes — Silverfish are small, wingless insects that love damp areas (stock image) -Credit:Getty Images/iStockphoto

Mary Futher, who is known as Madame Sweat, also revealed another way to banish the critters. It's all about removing the amount of moisture in your home, which is where silverfish thrive usually.

In a video, which has gained more than 15,500 likes, she explained: "This could be lurking in your bathroom. These creatures are called silverfish and they love moisture.

"As long as your bathroom is moist, these creatures are going to hide in places you can't see, and they will keep reappearing because they're going to lay eggs...

"If you want to evict them, you have to make your bathroom less hospitable meaning you got to dry out that moisture. Get a dehumidifier. Keep the fan on. Open a window. Find a way to get that moisture down in your bathroom."

TikTok users were left stunned by the clip as they took to the comments claiming they had never seen the pests before. A viewer wrote: "New fear activated," as another added: "I've never seen one inside the house".

A third commented: "I have just learned to live with them. Had them for 23 years. Some of them are gigantic!"

Someone else had some words of reassurance though, adding: "Silverfish are harmless. They try to hide away from us the way we try to run away from them."

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