Having a silverfish infestation in your home is not that easy to solve. You may be wondering how to get rid of them completely. But since we want to help you out with this particular issue, we asked several pest experts if you can fumigate silverfish.
You can certainly conduct fumigation to get rid of those stubborn silverfish; it is a conventional method.
We will provide you with natural ways to eliminate them if ever you change your mind and don't want to go for fumigation. Additionally, to avoid future silverfish infestations, we will tell you how to prevent them from invading your home. Please read on!
What Are Traditional Methods to Rid the Area of Silverfish?
Below are the conventional approaches to eliminating silverfish:
Chemical Fumigation
You can control silverfish effectively with poison. You can use various harmful pest control techniques, much like all other insects. Several methods for dealing with a silverfish infestation include foggers or fumigation, bug bombs, and focused sprays.
However, we advise restricting their use because they are hazardous for your family's children, pets, and other occupants.
Furthermore, it would be best to never do these techniques yourself. If you're thinking about using poison to control pests, we highly suggest you work with a qualified pest control company.
Traps
An excellent approach to get rid of silverfish is with traps from the store. These methods of poison management should always be used with caution and never in locations where there are children or animals.
See these extermination methods in action, watch the video below:
How To Get Rid Of Silverfish Naturally?
Follow these recommendations to get rid of silverfish if you have some in your home:
Produce a DIY Silverfish Trap
Starchy foods are the favorite of silverfish, and they will go to considerable lengths to find them. Put some flour or dried cereal in a glass container to eliminate them. Remove the top, leave it open, and tape the container outside.
Utilize Newspaper to Draw Them
We suggest you roll up some damp old newspaper. Silverfish will rush inside of it and begin to live there. After a few days, you should dispose of the newspaper in an airtight, sealed container. In addition, it would be best to burn the silverfish that have made their way inside.
Utilize Cedar Oil
One of the many essential oils used to eliminate silverfish is cedar oil. It functions exceptionally well to kill silverfish, clothing moths, and carpet beetles.
For optimum effects, use a diffuser or combine a few drops of cedar oil with warm water in a spray bottle before spreading the solution to concerned spots.
Place the diffuser in the area of infestation-if you are using one.
Check out this cedarwood oil on Amazon.
Use Bay Leaves
For an efficient silverfish repellant, go no further than your pantry. Simply add a few dried bay leaves wherever you have noticed silverfish infestations. The oil of bay leaves is what repels the silverfish.
Check out these dried bay leaves on Amazon.
Use Borax
To eliminate silverfish, you can spread a thin layer of borax wherever you've seen silverfish for optimal effects. You may get it at any home goods store. It is especially suitable for use on the underside of appliances, along baseboards, in closets, and on the back side of cupboards.
Alternatively, you can opt to purchase diatomaceous earth if there is no borax available since they both work the same.
Check out this Borax on Amazon.
What Are the Signs Of Silverfish Infestations
Below are the signs you should look for if you think there are silverfish infestations in your home.
Actual Silversish Sightings
The presence of live silverfish is the first indication of a silverfish infestation. The color of these tiny, adaptable, and slippery insects ranges from brown-grey to blue-silver. They have a teardrop shape and move by fiddling back and forth, much like a swimming fish.
Due to their nocturnal habits, silverfish are hard to spot, yet even one living silverfish is a quick sign that you have an infestation in your home.
Droppings
The droppings of silverfish are pretty distinctive. They resemble tiny black peppercorns, and you can often locate them in areas where silverfish like to congregate, such as the underside of cabinets or the backs of furniture.
Due to their small size, silverfish droppings are frequently mistaken for dust or other household items. However, you'll know you have a silverfish concern if you sweep once and they keep returning.
Skin Molts
Over the course of their existence, silverfish shed their skin. Even though the outer shells are tiny, delicate, and translucent, they are a reliable sign of silverfish infestations.
Yellow Stains On Your Belongings
The golden dust that silverfish leave behind as they molt may be seen even if you don't see the skin changing. These yellow stains frequently appear on clothing, books, papers, and cardboard boxes.
Damaged Belongings
Locating the damage that silverfish are producing is one of the simplest methods to find them. Wallpaper, clothing, linens, and cardboard are samples of starchy foods that silverfish consume. To identify whether you have a silverfish infestation, look for holes or items that have been bitten.
How To Prevent Future Silverfish Infestations
In terms of silverfish infestations, prevention is always preferable to treatment. Make use of the following advice to stop future silverfish infestations on your property:
1. Keep Your Home Clean
Maintain a tidy home. You can avoid pests of all kinds by keeping the house clean. Additionally, it offers you a chance to look for molting skin and droppings, which are indicators of a fresh insect infestation.
In light of this, make an effort to dust and vacuum your home at least once per week—more regularly if you have young children or animals.
2. Use Airtight Containers for Dry Foods and Pet Food
Decant food in boxes, such as cereal, into airtight, sealed containers. Large rubber tubs with tight-fitting covers are ideal for storing larger bags. Immediately clean up any food spillage.
3. Remove All Food Sources
Remove the sources of food for silverfish. Do not forget that silverfish consume both organic and inorganic elements. It would be best to remove external food sources like brush piles, dead plants, wood piles, and leaf piles to deter them.
Additionally, 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.
4. Place Your Clothes in a Dry Location
Keep your clothes somewhere dry. By keeping your garments in a cool, dry climate, you may get rid of humidity in your home. If your house is frequently damp, keep them out of the basement and put in a dehumidifier.
5. Seal the Gaps
Fill in the gaps. Sealing tiny cracks around windows and doors with silicone caulk will block potential entry points used by pests like silverfish to enter your home.
6. Ventilate the Area Properly
Put ventilation first. Keep in mind that silverfish enjoy wetness. Concentrate on ventilation in warm, damp spaces like bathrooms to make your home as uncomfortable as you can for them. You can also utilize a vent fan or a dehumidifier to keep things cool and dry.
Wrap It All Up
If you notice even a single silverfish in your home, it would be best to take action immediately. The last thing you would want them to do in your home is to damage it. If you opt to go with the fumigation process, please seek the help of a pest expert.
We hope you find this post helpful. And before you go, you might want to check these posts out!
