Do you want to get rid of silverfish? The tiny silver bugs you’ve seen in your home are likely silverfish, a common pest in the UK. Even while a silverfish infestation can be annoying, the good news is that there are several home remedies and DIY solutions you can try to get rid of them.
DIY silverfish traps
Starchy foods are their favorite, and silverfish will go to considerable lengths to find them. Fill a glass jar with flour, dried cereal, or dry pet food to eliminate them. Remove the top of the jar and tape the whole outer part of the container.
The rough surface of the tape will allow silverfish to enter the jar. However, they won’t be able to exit since their feet cannot get a grip on the interior’s smooth glass surface.
Aside from being affordable, this method is non-toxic and safe for pets and kids. However, it might be labor-intensive and requires an individual to dispose of dead silverfish, which can be unsightly for some.
Cedar oil is effective in preventing silverfish infestation
One of the many essential oils used to deter silverfish is cedar oil. It works particularly well in deterring silverfish, clothing moths, and carpet beetles.
You can use a spray bottle or a diffuser that contains water and cedar oil. They despise the potent pheromones in cedar. Place the diffuser in infested areas or spray the mixture you have made.
Using cedar oil for pest control might require several re-applications. Although it is easy to use and quite affordable, it can badly affect people with allergies or sensitive skin.
Using newspapers to attract them
Roll up some damp old newspaper. It will attract silverfish, who will begin to live there. The newspaper should be disposed of in an airtight, sealed container after a few days. The silverfish that have made their way inside can also be destroyed by burning them.
Extra precautions are advised in using this method as it can be inapplicable for households with kids because they might move the newspapers around. Also, this method doesn’t impact getting rid of large concentrations of a silverfish infestation.
Using borax
Borax works well to eliminate silverfish. You can buy borax at local retailers and apply a thin layer wherever you’ve seen silverfish infestation to achieve the desired results. It is especially suitable for use on the back side of appliances, along with baseboards, closets, and cupboards.
Borax requires re-applications and should not be used near food, pets, or children.
Using dried bay leaves
To find a potent silverfish repellent, look no further than your pantry. Simply add a few dried bay leaves wherever you have noticed silverfish activity. The oils of bay leaves, which are effective insect deterrents, repel silverfish.
This can be an effective way to get rid of silverfish, but it should be noted that it doesn’t kill pests.
Using poison
Silverfish can be controlled effectively using pest control techniques, such as poison, much like all other insects. There are a number of methods for dealing with a silverfish infestation, including foggers, bug bombs, and focused sprays.
However, it is highly advised to seek the help of a professional pest control company when using poison because they are hazardous and risky for your family’s children, pets, and other occupants.
Furthermore, you should never DIY these techniques. If you’re considering using poison as a pest management method, work with a qualified pest control specialist like Merlin Environmental.
Putting out sticky traps
A great approach to get rid of silverfish is with sticky traps, which are widely accessible at hardware or home and garden stores. Place a few of these traps wherever you’ve seen silverfish activity after purchasing many of them. Check the traps after a few days, and throw away any with silverfish attached.
It should be noted that this method is not ideal for households with kids and pets. In addition to being unsightly, sticky traps should be checked regularly and removed once it is already filled with trapped silverfish.
When you hire a pest control company like Merlin Environmental, the process involves conducting a thorough inspection inside and outside your home to identify infested areas and establish a plan to close off entry points and eliminate silverfish completely. The customized plan also includes ongoing pest control services if necessary.
What are silverfish?
Silverfish are tiny, nocturnal insects that can invade homes and cause pest problems. Their silvery, grey appearance and body with fine scales, attributed to their tapering tails and antennae, give them their name. They tend to burrow in shadowy areas and travel swiftly, so they may frequently outrun predators.
What do silverfish look like?
The tear-shaped silverfish have three long, bristle-like appendages extending from the back of their bodies and a lengthy pair of antennae.
The body is largest at the head and narrows toward the back, where the three long, bristle-covered appendages are located. One of the appendages extends straight from the body’s end, while the other two protrude at 90-degree angles from the left and right sides of the torso.
What do silverfish eggs look like?
In their lifetime, female silverfish can lay up to an average of 100 eggs. Depending on the species, the eggs are laid in clusters of 2 to 20 or in groups of 2 or 3 per day. Throughout an infested home, they might be kept in several locations. Because silverfish eggs frequently hide in tiny gaps or crevices, it might be challenging to find them.
Silverfish hatch from the egg completely developed, yet they are younger than grown adults. Silverfish continue to molt throughout their lives, and nymphs must go through multiple molts before reaching their maximum size. Over 50 molts may occur in a silverfish’s lifetime.
Where do silverfish come from?
Silverfish are naturally found living in leaf litter and other natural cracks like those found under rocks and logs. Despite their adaptability to different conditions, they favor moist, gloomy spaces like attics, bathrooms, laundry rooms, and basements. They might conceal themselves in boxes kept in a damp shed or another area and accidentally be brought inside the house.
How to find a silverfish nest?
Even though they are drawn to moisture, silverfish are not aquatic. These carbohydrate-eating chewing insects build their nests indoors and outdoors in dim, moist spaces.
Indoors
Silverfish enjoy moist, humid environments indoors. Because of this, they are frequently found in basements, kitchens, laundry rooms, and around water and heating pipes. In cracks and crevices, they build nests and deposit eggs. Due to the easy access to crumbs and other dried foods, kitchen cabinets are another preferred nesting location. Silverfish, who eat items like books, clothing, paper, and other carbohydrates, are also frequently infested by attics and closets.
Outdoors
Silverfish build their nests outside under rocks, tree bark, or in musty areas. They reside in the nests of other insects as well as those of birds and rats. Silverfish frequently establish their nests in a building’s crawl space. They prefer temperatures between 21 and 26 degrees Celcius, so they frequently seek refuge inside when the weather becomes chilly.
How common are silverfish?
Due to their widespread distribution, most pest control specialists in the UK have encountered silverfish over the course of their work. This species is widespread and prospers in human settings because of our way of life.
As they have trouble climbing smooth surfaces, they frequently become trapped in sinks, bathtubs, glass, and chinaware while hunting in bathrooms, kitchens, and pantries at night. During the day, they will conceal themselves behind wallpaper, skirting boards, bathroom panels, and other similar surfaces.
What attracts silverfish?
Silverfish may penetrate your home due to their attraction to dark, moist environments. If they discover food once they are inside, they will remain. Due to their propensity for concealing and relatively lengthy lifespan, silverfish can easily multiply inside your home without your knowledge.
How long do silverfish live?
The lifespan of a silverfish is between two and eight years. Silverfish typically mature into adults in three to four months. A mature adult can take up to two years to develop in cool climates.
The surroundings significantly impact how silverfish develop and how long they survive. These insects can survive for roughly three years in optimum conditions of high temperatures and humidity.
What do silverfish eat?
Silverfish, like all insects, must eat. These pests eat dried items, such as cereal, dry pet food, and starchy foods, like fibers, sugars, textiles, grains, and dried goods. The fact that silverfish naturally consume nearly everything, from starches and carbohydrates to protein, contributes partly to their difficulty in removal. They consume composting plant matter, leaves, and other decomposing materials in their native habitat. They will cheerfully chow down on food leftovers, lost pet food, and dried products like sugar, wheat, and cereal in your home.
What eats silverfish?
Like other insects, silverfish have natural predators that can help keep their populations in check. Silverfish are eaten by earwigs, spiders, and centipedes outside and within the house.
What do silverfish do to humans?
Silverfish are not known to bite people and do not carry any diseases, despite their creepy appearance and occasional confusion with deadly centipedes. A silverfish typically runs away from danger as soon as it is disturbed.
Silverfish are not harmful to humans. But they can cause an allergic reaction to some. A study found that reactions may occur if silverfish are found in the house. When silverfish shed their skin, their scales are left behind. Tropomyosin, a protein found in the scales that silverfish shed, can mix with other allergens to occasionally induce allergic reactions. Additionally, a person could be allergic to silverfish droppings.
However, although they can contaminate your food, they won’t harm you. Make sure to examine your food for any insects because silverfish put their waste in your meal. Food with bugs should be thrown away.
Furthermore, silverfish can be a nuisance to humans when they bite materials and leave tiny holes on them, sometimes with a yellow tint. They frequently cause damage to items like:
- Wallpaper
- Linens
- Books
- Clothing
- Papers
- Food stored in pantries
- Unopened food packages
What keeps silverfish away?
- Keep your home clean. Pests of all kinds can be avoided by keeping the house clean. Additionally, you can look for skin molts and other telltale symptoms of a new insect infestation, such as droppings. In light of this, dust and vacuum your home at least once a week, or more often if you have children or animals.
- Keep your clothing dry and place it in a dry space. Your clothes should be kept in a cool, dry place. If your home tends to be humid, you can install a dehumidifier.
- Seal cracks and other entry points. Sealing tiny gaps around windows and doors with caulk will block potential entry points used by pests like silverfish to enter your home.
- Seal all dry food and pet food properly in airtight containers. Food in boxes, such as cereal, should be placed into airtight, sealed containers. Large rubber tubs with tight-fitting covers are ideal for storing larger bags. Additionally, you should immediately clean up any food spillage.
- Check your ventilation. Keep in mind that silverfish enjoy moisture. Concentrate on ventilating warm, moist spaces like bathrooms to make your home as hostile as you can for them. You can also utilize a vent fan or a dehumidifier to maintain a cool, dry environment.
- Get rid of food sources. Keep in mind that silverfish will consume both organic and inorganic materials. Get rid of any food sources outside your home, such as brush piles, plant carcasses, wood piles, and leaf piles, to deter pests. Keep leaves, shrubs, and other moisture-rich material away from the exterior of your property. Secure all food sources inside, and clear the inside of debris like stacks of paper and cardboard boxes.
