Silverfish Control

Few insects give homeowners the creepy crawlies quite like silverfish. Silverfish are often found in bathrooms, basements, and kitchens. They can be found in other areas of the home as well, but they are attracted to moist and humid areas, so bathrooms and basements are usually where they settle down. It may seem like the only negative factor about silverfish is the way they startle you when they pop out of your baseboards, but they can do damage to items in your home as well.

In the kitchen, they can find their way into certain containers or jars of food. Rice and other grains are the items they typically frequent. They can contaminate these food items with waste, so anything you see them come in contact with will need to be tossed and replaced. If they are found in closets, they can damage clothing as well. You may find holes or yellow stains if they are frequently a closet where you keep your clothing or towels. It can help to dry clean anything that is found with damage to make sure all remnants and remaining silverfish are long gone.

Because silverfish are big fans of moist and humid areas, it can be beneficial to bring a dehumidifier into your home. Making the area less appealing to them can keep them from wanting to stay or coming back. You can caulk cracks or entry points that they have likely used and repair any leaky pipes or plumbing. Repairing leaks can keep any additional moisture from being present that may attract them. If food was the problem, be sure to dispose of anything that was contaminated and use a vacuum or tightly sealed jars and containers in the future.

Like many other pests, depending on the severity of your infestation, you can first attempt simpler removal methods. Placing traps around your home or sprinkling Diatomaceous earth around areas where they were seen can work. DE is a natural crushed-up rock that dehydrates and kills silverfish if they come into contact with it. These methods may work with smaller infestations, but larger infestations may require some chemical or pesticide-based removal methods.

If your infestation seems out of hand or you want to make sure you remove them for good, calling a professional can keep you from having to repeat the removal process multiple times. Mighty Men Pest Control is available to answer any questions you have about silverfish removal. If you need assistance removing the visitors in your bathroom or closet, give us a call and we can help you get rid of them for good.

Silverfish Prevention

Silverfish are creepy crawlies that nobody enjoys finding in their home. They may not be as regularly seen as ants, but they are extremely common. If you are not sure whether you have ever seen one in your home, consider yourself lucky. The way that they slink across the floor is not a sight that anyone enjoys having seen in the confines of their space. Here is a great resource to learn more about silverfish at homepestcontrol.org.

Silverfish can be found in any part of the United States, but are especially common in humid climates. They have long, flat bodies that taper off at the end. With six legs, they move fast. If the majority of your home does not have a water problem or leakage, you may only see them in areas of your home where water is supposed to be found. Your bathroom and kitchen are the two most common areas on the main floor of your house. They like these areas because they either have water or food. The kitchen usually has both. If your home has water leaking in any location, you may find them in those areas as well. 

Water Leakage?

If you have been seeing silverfish around your home outside of the bathroom or kitchen, There may be an area of your home that needs repair. Having a professional inspect the area to see if that is the case can help you begin tackling the issue. 

If you have no areas that have water leakage or need repair, your issue may be because of food, clutter, or a collection of water in the kitchen or bathroom. Once food and water are taken care of the problem usually resolves itself. Insecticide can be used to help rid the area as well.

Clutter?

Making sure there is no regular clutter in the bathroom that is maintaining an environment of moisture can help prevent silverfish from appearing in the area. Make sure water is cleaned up after baths and showers and that stacks of wet or dirty clothes are not left piled up on a wet bathroom floor.

Humidity?

Silverfish love humidity and water, but they also love carbohydrates and other pantry essentials. Make sure that your food is properly sealed in the pantry and that food is put and properly stored away after use. 

If your bathroom is kept dry and your kitchen is kept organized, but you still catch the occasional silverfish or two, you may need to dehumidify certain areas of your space. Purchase a dehumidifier and place it in certain areas of your home where you see the critters or areas of your home that you know are more humid than others. You can install a fan or purchase a portable fan in your bathroom that can help circulate any wet air around the area. Running cold air throughout your air conditioner can help dry out any moist areas. 

Outside of cleanliness and dehumidifying your home, there are a few random tasks that you are probably already doing that help contribute to the prevention of silverfish. Regularly vacuuming your space not only cleans up the area and removes bits of items that silverfish may find attractive, but it may also vacuum up the silverfish and their eggs as well. You can also use a hand vacuum to help clean cracks and crevices that your normal vacuum cleaner cannot reach.

If you already have a silverfish problem and these methods of prevention did not resolve the issue, an insecticide can help remove the insects that are already present in the home. Mighty Men Pest Control can help you with deciding what form of insecticide is best for your situation and how much you should use in space. We have the knowledge and experience to help guide you through whatever process you are currently in. If you are just trying to implement methods of prevention, we can guide you through that, but we can also help in any current insect removal as well. 

How to get rid of silverfish?

Silverfish are small insects that do not represent a major danger. It is, however, quite annoying to have them at home. This type of pest is characterized by attacking mainly all those objects made of starch or cellulose, like books, cardboard boxes, photographs, or notebooks. Although they do not cause damage like rats and cockroaches, it is of vital importance to get rid of them once they have been seen; when they reproduce, they are capable of laying up to 100 eggs. So how can I get rid of silverfish? In order to control this pest, it’s not enough to just kill the silverfish that come into view. You have to attack the nest to prevent these pesky insects from reproducing. 

Here are some tips on how to get rid of silverfish. We hope they can help you!

5 tips to get rid of silverfish.

Apply natural lavender oils in the corners.

Lavender is known to be a natural repellent. In the case of pesky silverfish, this natural oil will work perfectly. All you will have to do is apply a few drops in the corners where you have identified the nest. 

Use another natural repellent such as cedarwood.

Another natural repellent for these small insects is the scent of cedar. It doesn’t matter if it’s leaves or tree bark. Although this scent is attractive to humans, for insects it is unbearable. 

What you have to do is to place small aromatic sachets and place them strategically in all those corners where you have seen numerous silverfish. 

Carefully apply boric acid

This product is undoubtedly a very effective solution to eliminate any type of pest, especially silverfish. However, it can be highly toxic to humans. So you must be very careful.

Getting boric acid is really easy. You can find it in pharmacies and even in supermarkets. When applying it, remember to put on masks and gloves. Then place it in those corners where you suspect there is some kind of nest. 

This product’s effect is not immediate, so it must stay on the areas you put them in for some days. Be careful and do not let pets or small children get near the place where you put the substance. 

Ethyl alcohol.

Ethyl alcohol is par excellence and a good pest exterminator. A very good solution to kill them is to follow them to their nest. Once you know where it is, spray some alcohol in the whole area. This is how you will be able to eliminate those insects completely. 

Seek professional help. 

In case the problem persists. A pest fumigator will always be the most effective solution. These professionals will have the best method to eliminate any traces of silverfish inside the house. 

How can you keep silverfish out of your home?

• Make sure there are no water leaks in your home:

Check your home for any leaks or moisture problems. This is undoubtedly the favorite hiding place of these small insects; they love humidity and dark places. 

• Move your furniture constantly:

Try to move the furniture in your house periodically. If you don’t. This will probably contribute to the formation of breeding places for many insects such as silverfish.

• Keep your house clean.

These small insects feed on any organic matter they find in their path. Therefore, it is necessary to maintain hygiene standards in your home at all times. Especially if you live in closed and poorly ventilated places. 

• Eliminate cracks.

Seal any type of hole you see around the house.  Cover all cracks in walls, door frames, or corners. For this, you can use cement or any other type of ceiling material. As long as it is not silicone.

Remember: although these small insects are harmless and do not bring damage like rats and cockroaches, an infestation of silverfish can be a great nuisance and will be difficult to eliminate. 

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