Silver fishes can be a major nuisance to you within your home, not only being unsightly to look at but also causing potential contamination of your food in the cupboard. When you notice these little critters running around, it is best to take action and implement control methods. While it is always most effective to call in the professionals like us, there are a few ways you can attempt to curb the issue before it gets out of hand. Read on to find out a bit more about dealing with these pests.
Seal Up Food
You don’t want to pour out your entire shelf of cereal or pasta, but that could become a reality when you find it swimming with these squirming insects. The best way to ensure they cannot get in is to correctly seal the bags and boxes, allowing for no way in. Sealing dry goods like cereal, pasta, rice, quinoa, flour, sugar and pet food in sturdy, airtight containers prevents silverfish from reaching these tempting food sources.
Reduce Humidity
These critters thrive in moist, humid environments, making home basements, attics and many food storage areas the ideal places to crawl into. So remove their favourite conditions by using a dehumidifier in damp basements and ensuring the bathroom is well-ventilated, reducing the spaces they can thrive. However, a dehumidifier won’t cure the underlying source of humidity within the space. It only helps to reduce the environment.
Clear Clutter
Silverfish also love hiding in, or even eating, old papers, magazines and books, so if you tend to hoard papers, you might want to check them and place them in more tightly sealed containers. Get rid of the stuff you haven’t looked at in forever, and store items you can’t bear to part with in airtight bins, especially if the papers are kept in the basement or attic. When left for years and forgotten about, you can often come back to find papers left in tatters, having been completely eaten by these pests.
Sprinkle Diatomaceous Earth
Diatomaceous earth is a white crumbly powder consisting of the fossilised remains of diatoms, a class of algae. When critters come in contact with this powdery substance, it destroyers their outer waxy coating, causing them to lose moisture and die. You can sprinkle it around the baseboards in your home or areas you have seen them often. You should apply it in the evening, as these critters are nocturnal. You also need to do it consistently to ensure that they stay away. There is also a lot of advice online about using natural repellants like bay leaves, cedar oil and cinnamon to prevent silverfish infestations. Still, these are often anecdotal, and most are not proven to work.
Try Some Traps
Add a few traps into the mix to speed up these management strategies. For example, you can buy small packets to trap and poison silverfish with boric acid. Hide them in places where you’re likely to encounter creepy crawlies, like bookshelves, dressers and desk drawers, under the sink and in the basement and attic. Boric acid, like many pesticides, can be toxic if swallowed. Therefore, pesticides should generally be thought of as a measure of last resort. If all else fails, try some traps, but keeping them away from kids, pets and anywhere food is stored is critical.
What Attracts These Pests?
Silverfish found throughout homes attract damp, dark places, including attics, basements, bathrooms, closets, crawl spaces and laundry rooms. The critters also love clutter. So homes with lots of old books, cardboard boxes and an accumulation of dust tend to have more silverfish. In addition, starch is a favourite food source, so accessible cereals, flour, pasta and pet foods will also attract them.
Silver fishes can annoy any household, but you can keep these pests away when you know how to manage them. However, when you cannot stop them, call our professionals to take care of the problem or underlying issues. Contact us today to find out more about these services.
