Problem Identifier Unit Screen//v.w/ RR Template

Problem Identifier Unit Screen//v.w/ RR Template Silverfish and firebrats

Problem
Paper and fabric products, especially those made with glue, paste, or sizing, are stained yellow, chewed, or notched, and may be covered with excrement and silver or gray scales. When infested products are moved, flattened, slender, wingless insects up to ½ inch long may scurry away. These insects have long, thin antennae, and may be silvery and shiny, or dull and mottled gray.

Analysis
(Lepisma and Thermobia species)
&NBSP;&NBSP;These common household pests are similar in size, shape, and feeding habits except for their coloration and hiding places. Silverfish are silvery, and prefer damp, cool to warm (70° to 80°F) locations such as basements and wall voids. Firebrats are mottled gray, and prefer damp, hot (90° to 105°F) locations such as hot-water pipes and areas near the oven or furnace. These pests are active at night, and hide during the day. They feed on a wide range of foods, especially products high in starches, including human food, paper, paste, and linen and other fabrics. Silverfish damage books by feeding on the bindings. These pests crawl throughout the house along pipes and through holes or crevices in the walls or floor. The adult females lay eggs in cracks or openings behind baseboards and other protected areas.

Solution
Treat with ORTHO Home Pest Insect Control or ORTHO Ant-Stop Ant Killer Dust according to label directions. Where practical, seal all cracks and crevices in the infested areas. Store valued papers and clothes in tightly sealed plastic bags.