If you have a silverfish infestation then you may already be tearing your hair out while trying to figure out how to get rid of it. Silverfish are not like other insects – they are hardy and fast and demand a different strategy to be exterminated. In this article, I’ll share with you three key tips that you need to know to get rid of a silverfish infestation.
Tip 1 – These Guys Are Different!
Silverfish do not have a big mother queen insect that produces all the young. With ants, you can feed them poison and they will return to the heart of the nest where others will then also die. With silverfish, this strategy will not work.
Silverfish don’t live around a queen, they just live wherever they can. Usually they live in dark, moist areas. If you have any leaky pipes (no matter how small the leak) then this is a prime place to set up camp for a silverfish.
You need to check for leaks and block up and cracks and crevices that you find because this is where the silverfish are coming from.
Tip 2 – Take Their Food Source Away
Like all pests, if you take away their food sources then they will usually either die, or leave in search of nutrition elsewhere.
So, what do silverfish eat? Silverfish live on carbohydrates. Unfortunately, they can survive for up to a year without any food at all! This makes it especially important to keep food sources away from them.
Carbohydrates are basically sugars and starches. Silverfish will eat paper, cardboard, clothes, spilled stick sauces etc. Any documents should be locked up and kept out of sight. Clothes should be kept secure in a wardrobe or drawers.
If you don’t do these things then you’ll find your documents full of holes and your clothes full of disgusting yellow stains. Don’t risk it!
Tip 3 – Change The Environment
Silverfish need food and moisture to live. To get rid of a silverfish infestation, you need to get rid of both.
Start by using a vacuum cleaner around your house. Silverfish will even eat on the hairs that have fallen off your head! So you need to be vigilant and make sure there are no hairs or crumbs on your floor.
Also, silverfish love damp conditions. If you live in damp conditions and you have no leaks then you might want to invest in a dehumidifier or at least run your air conditioning a bit more often. This can make a big change to your existing problems.