The tiny silver insect which could mean your home has a big problem

It's a tiny silver insect that could mean your house has a big problem. If you spot a silverfish crawling around don't ignore it.

The strange, shiny silver (hence the name) insects, shaped almost like a teardrop (and you might shed a tear if you find some in your home), YorkshireLive reports.

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The insects are harmless to humans and they themselves don't damage your house. It isn't the insects themselves that are the problem and you don't need to kill them. No, the issue is that the existence of silverfish indicates that your house has damp.

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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