How to Get Rid of Silverfish and Everything Else You Need to Know
Silverfish are the silent assassins of everything you hold dear, moving in while you sleep to chomp on your beloved books, a stack of magazines, your favourite jeans and even a bedroom or living room feature wall, as fresh wallpaper promises a buffet they just can’t resist. They truly will eat anything. Although they prefer moist and dark places, silverfish can adapt to most conditions, ensuring their stealthy efforts threaten your belongings almost all year round. Almost? While they don’t die off during winter, they can lie dormant, ready to be activated by the first sign of spring.
What is a Silverfish?
Silverfish are tiny insects, measuring a measly 13-25mm long. They can be creepy to come across in the middle of the night, as the three long cercei attached to their abdomen are often mistakes for stingers. Silverfish get their name from both their colour and the way they move – they have a light sliver, blue sheen and get around your house with a fishy wiggle.
Silverfish 101: Silverfish have been chugging along for around 400 million years, making them one of the oldest critters in the current world.
How Do Silverfish Get in the House?
Despite their minuscule size, or maybe because of it, silverfish are master burglars. They’ll enter your home without breaking a sweat, invading through crawl spaces, foundation cracks, torn screens or large gaps under and around doorframes. Silverfish also stowaway in cardboard boxes and plastic containers, particularly if the box originally came from a silverfish infested area. If you’re trying to figure out how to avoid silverfish in the future, sealing up these potential entry highways will go a long way in controlling any invading populations. All it takes is a few minutes every week and a keen eye for detail, filling any cracks, gaps and holes as you go.
How do You Solve a Silverfish Problem?
Nip it in the bud before it begins. We recommend prevention as the best cure for any insect infestation – we’re always on hand to give you the help you need, but there’s nothing wrong with creating a hostile environment for silverfish before things get out of hand. Easier said than done, right? It’s not like you’re going to throw out your comfortable pants just because silverfish like them too. Remove silverfish temptations by clearing any clutter, removing old papers and magazines, using a dehumidifier and ensuring your walls aren’t riddled with holes, peeling wallpaper or chipped paint. Give your home the TLC it deserves and keep those bugs away!
Silverfish Control: Should You DIY?
Just how do you get rid of silverfish anyway? Do silverfish traps work? What about household remedies? There are things in life you should DIY and there’s stuff you shouldn’t – dealing with a silverfish infestation isn’t something you should do by your lonesome, unless you’re confident you’re only dealing with a couple of contenders and you know exactly where they are. But you know what they say… where there’s one silverfish, there’s another 50 waiting in the wings and a further 100 hiding out of sight. Because they move around at night, it’s highly unlikely you’ll know where to look and just how many you’re dealing with.
While silverfish traps work for one or two crawlers, they’ll never get them all. That’s where we come in. Canberra Pest Control has the knowledge, experience and tools required to send silverfish on their way.
Are Silverfish Harmful?
There’s no such thing as a silverfish bite. Contrary to their alien appearance, silverfish don’t like the taste of human flesh, nor do they carry any disease-causing pathogens. Although they reserve their chewing activity for any sugars and carbs you’ve left lying around, silverfish can spur allergic reactions thanks to leftover moulted scales and the resulting dust. If you or someone you know is experiencing allergy symptoms, don’t wait, visit an emergency room to get checked out.
Silverfish 101: Female silverfish lay 2-20 eggs in clusters, squeezed into cracks, between clothes or books and sometimes even food. They’re quite small at one millimetre long, so spotting them may be difficult.
Don’t let silverfish destroy your favourite things. Protect your property now and contact Canberra Pest Control for a one-stop solution to your insect problems.