Silverfish are primary wingless insects, whose ancestors did not know how to fly. Unlike many similar insects, silverfish can live almost anywhere there are people!
Silverfish require high humidity (75-97%) and normal room temperature. They are able to feed on a wide range of foods, including cellulose, chitin and starch, and therefore can eat everything from glue to books.
Additionally, silverfish are surprisingly hardy. Their small bodies, up to 2 cm long, are covered in silvery scales that fall off easily on contact, allowing silverfish to escape webs and predators.
Interestingly, silverfish are able to regenerate lost body parts in just 3 to 4 weeks. Unlike most insects, they continue to molt after reaching maturity, performing up to 30 molts per year, allowing them to live up to 3 years.
Despite their incredible vitality, silverfish have their weaknesses. They have weak jaws, move relatively slowly, and are vulnerable when rebuilding their defenses.
Silverfish are also not very fertile. The female lays fewer than 100 eggs in her lifetime, giving way to cockroaches and other household pests, which drove them out of my home.
Oddly enough, these insects are nocturnal, do not feed on human food and do not carry diseases dangerous to humans. Sometimes their waste can cause allergies, but this rarely happens
