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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Alex Evans & Alahna Kindred

The tiny silver insect in your home that could cause you a huge and expensive problem

Homeowners in Scotland and across the UK have been warned to be on the look out for a small silver insect.

Although harmless themselves, the tiny Silverfish could indicate a very expensive problem if you do not take care.

The shiny silver insects are shaped almost like a teardrop and they themselves don't damage your house so there is no need to kill them.

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But if you find these small insects in your property it means you have a damp problem, which can be costly if it goes unchecked.

Silverfish love damp conditions and thrive around water and moisture.

If you see one darting in or out of your skirting boards, or on gaps around windowsills, it's a pretty good sign that you have damp and that there's moisture inside your property.

If left unchecked, damp can cause myriad issues. It can cause bricks to crack, joists to rot, plaster to decay and mould spores to spread, destroying the very fabric of your house and the air quality too.

Of course, damp can be caused by all sorts of things from leaky drainpipes to condensation, ageing damp proofing or just poor ventilation, especially around bathrooms or kitchens where a lot of water is left hanging in the air.

The cause can be hard to pin down but either way, spotting silverfish indoors can be a sign that there's damp to be sorted out.

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