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What is this bug?
Hello bugman,
I found a few of these in my apartment. Can you tell me what it is? Sorry for the blurred picture. It does not stay still. This one is about 0.5cm but I’ve seen 1 mm to 1 cm in size. Thanks much and have a wonderful New Year! From Toronto, Canada. Yoon
Hi Yoon,
You have Silverfish, a common household pest.
Whats that bug?
Hello bugman, I’m hoping you can help me.
I recently moved into a new apartment, and on the first night spotted a cockroach in the sink. It was between 1 and 2 cm long and was certainly a cockroach (no mistaking it). I had my unit sprayed and did not see any adult cockroaches since (its been about 4 weeks). I did however, find a strange smaller bug (5mm-10mm) in the bathroom on 3 occasions over the past 2 weeks. Once it was in the tub, the other 2 times on the floor. Each sighting was at night, however the bug did not run from the light. My first guess is it is some sort of cockroach nymph, as I’ve looked at pictures of cockroach nymphs and they seem to share certain features (including a horizontally striped body). On the other hand, the shape seems to be different, and my bug seems to have some sort of long tail. Can you tell me what my bug is? Is it a cockroach? I’ve attached a picture. I suppose its hard to tell from the image but the bug was relatively small.
Silverfish are primitive insects that like damp dark places like your bathroom at night. They are usually regarded as household pests and they will eat a large variety of organic substances. They have a reputation for destroying book bindings.
silver fish???
I came across your site about a week ago and was trying to find out what kind of bugs were the ones I kept on seeing in my new apartment. Especially by the base of the fridge and the nearby baseboards. I had just moved in and had never seen such weird creatures…seemingly intelligent…but nasty at first look, especially when they runaway soooo fast!!! it’s like roaches on speed or something…someone said they could be Silver Fish…is that right??? What else do u know about them??? and how do I get rid of them???? Also…can they carry any diseases??? how big do they get???
if it doesn’t swim why do they call it a fish??? I’ve enclosed a close up shot of the BUG….along with a portrait with its brother…or sister??? thanks for your help
Antonio
Hi Antonio,
This is indeed a Silverfish. They are among the most primitive insects living today. They are so called because their bodies are covered with shiny thick scales and also because of the way they wriggle when they run. they are slippery and difficult to catch. They feed on dry organic debris, and they eat paper especially if it contains sizing or glue. They can do considerable damage to books. They are not disease vectors.
What is that bug?
Hi,
I have seen this bug in our new apartment on many occasions. I cannot figure out what they are. They are pretty small. This is one is a little smaller than the head of a Q-tip. They have been found mostly on walls, in dark places, and more recently in the bathtub. Can you please help me figure out what this bug is?
Thank you so much!
Kita Hang
Minneapolis, MN
Hi Kita,
This is a Silverfish and most people would concur that they are household pests.
Whats My Bug?
Hello!
I hope these photos will suffice – afraid I cant seem to get a closer one. These little guys show up every time we put the sprinkler on or when it rains.They are in our house – as well as being all over outside. These little guys look grey, but have a very pretty gold to them in the sunlight. They are about 1/2 inch long. They are soft bodied and don’t seem to have a “shell”. They like to jump – about 2-3 inches – when you disturb them. They seem to like darkness and move a lot during the night. The top right photo is a scan of the underside of the bug. The rest are digital pictures taken with a webcam. I live in Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada, and I appreciate any insight you might have as to identifying and controlling (read: keeping out of basement!) these little guys. Thanks alot!
Christina
Hi Christina,
You have Jumping Bristletails, Family Machilidae, relatives of Silverfish. They usually live under stones and leaf rubble.
What’s the bug in the pictures called?
Hi,
We were wondering what the bug showed in the pictures is called. We found it on a wooden fence in our backyard. They scurried out when we banged on the fence, and it was hard to catch them because they moved very fast.
Thanks a lot,
Pranav & Prag
Hi Pranav and Prag,
We usually get reports of Silverfish from people with household infestations. They are household pests that like damp dark areas, usually basements and bathrooms. As yours is outdoors, it is not really much to worry about. They are very primitive insects.
What this bug?
Hello there,
I was wondering if you could help me identify this annoyance in our household. I’ve had absolutely no luck with other sites. I’ve attached a picture for you take a look. Most of these bugs were sited by old heaters in our basement apartment. Any help would be appreciated!
Thanks,
Rob
Hi Rob,
You have Firebrats, Thermodia domestica, a type of Silverfish. It is a domestic species recognized by the mottled pattern. It frequents warm and even hot places, often in boiler rooms and near heaters. This habit leads to its common name.
strange bug
Hi there, I’m from Edmonton, Alberta. I’ve found some strange bugs in my bathroom and I have no idea what they are. I don’t have a picture, but they are about two centimeters long, grey and they look almost exactly like trilobites (a prehistoric crustacean extinct hundreds of thousands of years ago) Here’s a picture of what a trilobite looks like, I hope it will help.
Carla
Thank you very much.
Hi Carla,
Since Trilobites have been extinct for millions of years, we can eliminate that posiblility. Silverfish are one of the most primitive groups of insects. They frequently are found in bathrooms. I’m guessing that is what you have. They are household pests which damage books.
Ed. Note: We just recieved this notice which probably identifies Carla’s trilobytes.
(01/16/2005) Carla & trilobites
Hi!
I used to live in Edmonton too and I can tell you that those sure aren’t silverfish. Carla has SOWBUGS. They are totally harmless but really creepy, and they love to live in your basement. They are also impossible to keep out of your home. Here is a great link to information on the sowbug, which is really a crustacean!
http://www.pma.edmonton.ab.ca/natural/insects/bugsfaq/sowbug.htm
Chelsea Smith
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Bug in my house – Please help
Dear Bugman,
I am so glad that there is a site such as yours. I don’t’ know what I would do if I didn’t find your site. I have a critter in my house that just baffles me. I don’t know what it is and I have gone through the books in the library and I just can’t find out what it is that is living with me. It’s about an inch long from head to tail. It has antenna on its head and the tail is like a tail of a fish or mermaid with another set of antennas. It swings form side to side. At the bottom, it seems to have multiple legs like a caterpillar? I’m really not that sure, it just seems to slide on the floor. Anyway, I find it on the walls, in my drawers in the kitchen, bedroom, bath, on my bed… I can catch it pretty easily, it doesn’t move too quickly, BUT it does have the capability to slide right into the WALLS. When I kill it by smudging it, it just seems to just flakes into pieces. I don’t see it all the time; I see one maybe every other day in a new location. Would you PLEASE offer any information to see how I can terminate it?
Dear S.,
You have Silverfish, a common household pest that is difficult to erradicate. They are very primitive insects. They will eat most anything, including the glue from book binding or wallpaper. We have gotten a report that Cloves when spread around helps to eliminate them.
I love your web site!
We recently moved into a new house in the Phoenix, AZ area and we are seeing a lot of small (1/4 to 1/2 inch) bugs in the house that look a little bit like the silverfish that I used to see back in Virginia. They are very fast runners and they like to sit high up on the walls – particularly in the corners. They are beige with 3-4 brown stripes running from side to side and they have long thin antennae and what looks like antennae off the rear of the bug as well. They are extremely soft-bodied and, when threatened, their first response is to try to crawl deeper into the corner rather than simply run.
My camera will not let me zoom in close enough to get a decent photo, so I hope my description is adequate.
Thanks!
Bob
Peoria, AZ
Ed. Note: Several hours later, Bob sent this email.
After reading more about silverfish and firebrats, I suspect that these are the latter. Oddly enough, we don’t find them in the damp areas of the home as much as in the dry. We do not find them in sinks or drains or in greater quantities in the bathrooms or kitchen. Right now, I can find 2 or 3 of them in the living room and each bedroom, parked at the ceilings. The house stays pretty dry (<30% humidity most of the time) and there are no signs of moisture anywhere. They do not seem to be more active at night and they do not seem to hide during the day. The body is less carrot shaped than indicated in the drawings and photos I’ve seen on the web, with a slightly more rounded rear. My wife calls them “trilobites” because of their prehistoric appearance.
Hi Bob,
I am inclined to agree that you probably have Firebrats. They are very primitive insects and your wife likening them to trilobytes is interesting.
DEAR WTB,
I HAVE SEEN SILVERFISH ALL MY LIFE AND HAVE BEEN TERRIFIED OF THEM. I WAS TOLD BY MY
BIG SISTER THAT SILVERFISH WILL TRY TO BURROW INSIDE OF YOUR EARS. IT THAT TRUE?
WILL THEY HARM PEOPLE IN ANYWAY?
SILVERCHICKEN
Dear Silverchicken,
I think your sister was pulling your leg. Earwigs, on the other hand, have a reputation for seeking
refuge in ears, hence their name. Earwigs will not burrow or do any permanent damage, they are just
seeking shelter. No need to fear silverfish or earwigs.
Hello I live in England and I was hoping you could help me work out what the bugs I have in my lavatory are .They are small brown ,worm like and they move by slithering along the floor they remind me of silverfish the way they move but are the wrong colour.
thankyou
Angela Thompson
Hi Angela,
Firebrats are close relatives of Silverfish and are brownish in color. They prefer warm areas, and might be attracted to the heat in your bathroom. They are similar in habits to the silverfish, and are also household pests that feed on starchy substances like book bindings, starched clothing and wall paper paste.
