Did you see a silverfish crawling around your home? You must be worried if it will enter a well-lit room having led lights?
In this article, we will let you know if silverfish are attracted to LED lights.
Are Silverfish Attracted to LED Lights?
Silverfish are not attracted to LED lights. These are nocturnal animals that are attracted to damp, dark places such as attics and basements. There is no scientific evidence to suggest that silverfish are attracted to LED lights.
Why are Silverfish Attracted to LED Lights?
Silverfish are not particularly attracted to LED lights. The environment that attracts silverfish is in fact dark and damp. Some insects such as the moth are known to be attracted to light sources. However, this is not the case with silverfish which is a nocturnal insect.
The following are some of the things that are more likely to attract silverfish to your home:
- High moisture – Silverfish need more than 75% percent humidity to survive, so they are attracted to moist, damp areas of the house. This is why silverfish is commonly seen in kitchens, bathrooms, garages, laundry rooms, and cabinets. They may crawl out of high humidity spaces for a short while looking for food or warmth, but generally, they prefer highly humid areas to live in.
- Dark and warm places – Silverfish are known to be nocturnal insects that hide in the day and come out at night for food. They refer to hide in dark and warm spaces such as the basement and the attic. They may be hidden in cracks and crevices in your home’s structure.
- Food sources that provide carbohydrates and proteins. Silverfish prefer to eat complex carbohydrateslike flour, rolled oats, and starches in cardboard boxes, paper, book bindings, glue, and insulation. They also eat protein, such as dried beef and dead insects.
Do LED Light Strips Attract Silverfish?
For most bugs, Lights sources emitting smaller wavelengths of light are more attractive while longer wavelengths of light are less visible. The heat emitted from a light source can also attract bugs that are looking for warmth in colder climates. Since LED lights produce minimal amounts of UV light and heat, they are not attractive to bugs in general.
Silverfish are more likely to live in darker spaces. For instance, Shake roofs are ideal for silverfish breeding and habitation since these provide moist spaces and food sources such as cellulose, and dead insects.
Silverfish usually move down the shake roofs through the insulation to crawl inside the home in colder months when they are searching for warmer areas to live in
What Color LED Lights Do Not Attract Silverfish?
In most cases, insects are attracted to UV light, smaller wavelengths of light, and the heat emitted by light sources. Silverfish are not attracted to any light in particular since they prefer dark damp places. In the winters, insects may be drawn towards light sources for the heat emitted by them. However, since LED lights do not emit heat they would not attract silverfish.
Does Light Keep Silverfish Away?
Light may keep silverfish away since they like to hide in dark spaces. However, you may still encounter silverfish in your house if they come in looking for food or warmth.
You can prevent the spread of silverfish in your home by following these tips:
- Remove debris outside your home. Clean the gutters to avoid standing water that could attract silverfish.
- Since silverfish are attracted to moisture it is better to keep humidity levels low inside your home.
- Store all food items in airtight containers so the silverfish are not attracted to your home due to available food sources.
- Vacuum the furniture and floors of your home regularly to remove any trash or debris the silverfish are likely to feed on.
- Inspect the walls and doors in your home to identify any cracks and seams in the foundation. Caulk to seal any cracks you find to eliminate any openings from where silverfish can enter your home.
If you notice your house is already infested with silverfish, the following tips can help you get rid of silverfish:
- Spray an insecticide or put desiccant dust on areas of infestation. Make sure to cover any cracks and fixtures in the ceiling. Common pesticides used to get rid of silverfish include boric acid, Diatomaceous Earth, and pyrethrin.
- Make a jar trap. Place starchy food inside a glass container and cover the outer surface of the jar with masking tape. The silverfish will climb into the jar but it will be trapped inside. It will not be able to climb back out since the inside glass surface is too smooth for it to climb.
- Place a sticky trap around the house – The silverfish will get stuck in the traps.
- Make a wet newspaper trap – Wet a newspaper and roll it up. Now place it in areas where you suspect silverfish visits. The silverfish will enter and begin to reside in the moist newspaper. Throw it out after a few days.
- A natural way to repel silverfish is to spray cedar oil or put dried bay leaves around the house. Silverfish hates the smell of oils and bay leaves and will avoid these areas in your home.
Since these insects like to hide in dark places such as cracks in the roof or walls, they mostly go unnoticed.
However, If you observe that there is a heavy silverfish infestation in your home then it is best to contact a professional pest control company to help you eliminate the silverfish from your home.
